About Active Birth Taranaki
Who we are
Active Birth Taranaki was originally the Homebirth Association of Taranaki and grew to encompass all ways of actively engaging in birth. We exist to provide Taranaki parents with the resources and support to create positive birth and postpartum experiences for themselves.
Our team is made up of:
Melissa Smith - Active Birth Taranaki’s Choices in Childbirth workshop facilitator, Maternal Mental Health & Wellness Practitioner, Active Birth Taranaki’s social media manager, and proud mum of two.
Cushla Richardson - Certified hypnobirthing educator, Active Birth Taranaki’s coffee group facilitator, Active Birth Taranakis Treasurer and Grant Coordinator, founder of Earth + Soul Mama, and proud māmā of three.
Laura Scholey - Registered LMC Midwife, and proud māmā of four.
Lisa Berndt - Active Birth Taranaki's Grant Writer, long-term community & team member, grassroots organisation advocate, and proud māmā of two.
Ganesha Rosat - Active Birth Taranaki and midwifery facilitator, registered & highly experienced midwife, La Leche League leader, and proud māmā of two.
Meet the Team
-
Melissa Smith
Choices in Childbirth Workshop Facilitator, Social Media and Postpartum Support
Melissa is a proud mum of two and an integral part of the Active Birth Taranaki team. She leads Active Birth Taranaki’s Choices in Childbirth Workshop - an antenatal class like no other. This birth workshop will help you to gain an in-depth understanding of the different childbirth options available to you, natural ways to prepare for labour, labour hormones and their functions, and the crucial difference that a birth map can make to your labour experience. She is passionate about supporting women in understanding how to process and heal birth trauma and birth stress, including pregnancy loss, in a holistic and compassionate way. She also manages our social media, keeping our community up-to-date with our latest events and resources so that they have everything at their fingertips to support them on their journey.
-
Cushla Richardson
Treasurer, Grants Coordinator and Coffee Group Facilitator
Cushla is is a māmā of three, originally from Ōpōtiki, now based in New Plymouth, and a passionate advocate for empowered birth. Her own diverse birthing experiences—ranging from a serene water birth, positive hospital induction to an intense homebirth—led her to want to support other women. She became a Hypnobirthing educator and now supports Active Birth Taranaki as Treasurer, and Grant Co-orindator preparing the necessary documentation to secure ongoing financial support for our important kaupapa. She also hosts the monthly coffee groups for Active Birth Taranaki, fostering connection and community, and also works alongside Home Birth Aotearoa in an online role.
-
Ganesha Rosat
REGISTERED MIDIWFE
In her twenty-plus years as a midwife, Ganesha has worked in hospital settings, supported home births, worked as a lead maternity carer (LMC), practised in tertiary units, volunteers as a La Leche League leader and led antenatal education groups. Drawing on this extensive experience, Ganesha facilitates a close working relationship between midwifery and Active Birth Taranaki. As a mum of two, both of Ganesha's births were filled with complexity and "risk" - which only strengthened her unwavering belief in the power of women's bodies.
-
Laura Scholey
REGISTERED LMC MIDWIFE
What we do
In short, we help Taranaki parents have positive pregnancy and birth experiences by giving them the tools, resources and information they need to feel in control of their birth journey - regardless of what direction it goes in. Our services include:
Choices in Childbirth antenatal classes in New Plymouth, Stratford and Hawera.
Connecting new and soon-to-be parents with their village through our Active Birth Taranaki coffee groups.
Helping to prepare soon-to-be parents for a variety of birth scenarios by sharing community birth stories.
Linking parents to our favourite services and resources to support them through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and beyond.
Where to start
Sign up for our Choices in Childbirth workshop to start planning for an empowering birth that feels right for you and your family.
Check out our wide variety of birth stories and resources collated to support you along your parenting journey.
