I am an adventurer by nature, having lived all over the world. I surf every Tuesday with a bunch of moms, which is both therapeutic and fun. Reformer Pilates is another passion of mine.

I was on an outreach in the Hidden Himalayas in Nepal and heard that the maternal and infant death rate was very high due to a lack of resources and access to healthcare facilities. Some villagers had to hike six hours to the nearest clinic or hospital. I knew I had to be part of the solution. Studying to become a doula was always about serving those mothers who did not have the resources to pay for support. Labour, birth, and postpartum are difficult to navigate on your own. I wanted to offer my expertise to those mothers who were most in need.

It is hard. It is costly. You become too attached. But it is worth it.

Seeing people thrive, and mothers empowered to take care of their babies.

I’d happily trade in cooking for cleaning.

I’d love to be on Broadway. Dancing and singing.

My faith community, adventure – whether it is surfing or hiking or having the opportunity to explore new places and cultures, and babies.

Soothing Baby Wash and Shampoo. I use this on all the babies in my care. It is soft on the skin and smells amazing.

I am a mom of two little boys aged five and a half and almost three. My husband is a busy surgeon and I often manage the boys alone – it’s great when Dad is around to enjoy time with us.

I have always loved being with people and had a medical interest from an early age. After furthering my studies locally and abroad I fell pregnant and had my first son. WOW! What a journey – but truly amazing and humbling to walk the path of so many before me. Since then, my passion and work has really focused on common issues and challenges that we go through as women. I love supporting expecting moms.

Like so many others, my early postpartum recovery was a huge adjustment and shift in my day-to-day life. It made a big difference having a support group of women to help me find my new normal. For this reason, I strive to help women realise that what they are going through is normal and that the challenges they face are not permanent.

The rare moments of peace and harmony in-between the crazy daily rush. I love my job and being with my patients, but equally I love being with my family. Sometimes I find the sweet spot with both.

I am extremely competitive.

I would have studied medicine and probably still ended up in women’s health.

Earl Grey tea, my family, manicures.

It’s difficult to name just one. I was given the Organic Baby Starter Pack when my first child was born, and I have been addicted to the brand ever since. I’d have to say the wet wipes are probably the most purchased item – I use them in my practice and at home.

Gary and I have been married for ten years and have three beautiful girls. Our eldest is seven and in Grade 2, and we have four-year old twins! So, I am right in the thick of it, and really do understand the intensity of the early years. Gary and I both grew up in the beautiful Kwa-Zulu Natal, and then studied at the University of Pretoria. As newlyweds, we decided to resign from our jobs and travel the world. We spent eight months touring eleven countries, mostly South-East Asia, and it was the most incredible experience. We then returned to South Africa and decided to settle in the Cape – where we couldn’t be happier.

Initially I enrolled for my undergraduate psychology degree as a stepping-stone to specialize in sports psychology, but within a short time I realized that clinical psychology was quickly taking over as a career possibility. For the first time ever, I was completely enthralled by the content, which made my experience of studying so wonderful. I was excelling academically more than ever before. After completing my Honours, and then Masters, in clinical psychology, I did my internship and community service year at a local psychiatric institution, working predominantly in the children’s unit. Working with children, parents, and families is what I know I was born to do. Since then, all my career endeavours have followed this path, delving deeper and deeper into the field of child psychology. This includes my PhD qualification.

It’s helpful to remember just how unique every child is, and that our children’s brains are still under construction throughout their childhood. We often expect them to behave in very regulated, contained, adult-like ways, but the reality is they simply don’t have the ability to do this. Their brains are too underdeveloped to be able to regulate themselves. Impulses and dysregulated behaviour are a normal and appropriate part of development and when we are able to see it from this perspective, we can be gentler, more understanding and more compassionate – not only towards our children, but to ourselves as well.

My kids! It’s cheesy I know, but I’d be quite the hypocrite if I advocated so much for the attachment relationship, and for connection and joy within the family if I didn’t truly live and believe that myself and apply it to my own family. Parenting is tough. It is without a doubt one of the hardest things we will ever do, but it is also filled with so much goodness. It’s easy to lose sight of that goodness when the tough becomes overwhelming. I try to be conscious of the joy in the mundane – I often say there is magic in the mundane. Yes, the big holidays and family excursions are wonderful, but the memories are made in the reading of books at bedtime, in the dance parties around the dining room table, and in the messy pancake making on Sunday mornings.

I am SUPER competitive. Challenge me in anything and you’re on, particularly any sport. But whether it’s a game of 30 Seconds or a squash match, I’m going in 100%.

Gosh this is a tough one! I feel so strongly that I was born to do this work, that I honestly can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Perhaps something sport-related? Maybe with a bit more talent and willingness to embrace 5am training sessions I’d have been on the courts of Wimbledon.

Relationships (all and any, including family, kids etc), as I am energized through relationships. Chocolate, sweets, coke (or all the above) – a definite sweet tooth here! My takkies, because they represent exercise, movement, and general well-being.

Without a doubt it would have to be the Baby Wash and Shampoo! It makes me think fondly of the ‘early years’ and I loved that I could rest easy knowing the product I was using was safe, organic, and good for my girls.