My name is Gabrielle Targett, I run a business called a ‘Labour of Love’ Ante and Post Natal Birth Support Services. I am the author of the book A Labour of Love – an Australian guide to natural childbirth.

I have presented at many conferences including the Australian Midwifery Conference and the National Doula Conference.

The services I offer as well as attending births as a Doula are, Hypnosis for Birth in which I have recorded two CD’s and created a workbook – as a home/educational package. I also provide Pregnancy Massage, Independent Childbirth Educational classes for women and couples as well as training and educating partners who attend birth.

I also train women to become Doulas.

I am a qualified Fitness Leader (18 years) with a degree in Physical Education and am qualified to teach and currently run at the Fremantle Leisure Centre in Fremantle, Western Australia, pregnancy specific deepwater aqua and hydrotherapy toning and relaxation classes, Ante/Post Natal Fitball classes, as well as deepwater classes for the general population.

I have been working as a Doula since 1997. During this time I have attended over 50 births in various hospitals, at home with private midwives and at the birthing centre at King Edward Hospital.

I am mother of three children whom I water birthed at home with a private midwife. I feel my birth’s were the most positive and beautiful experience of my life, and this is my reason, driving force behind educating others and making women aware that birth can been seen and experienced in a way that is both empowering and positive.

My goal for the future is to start training more Doulas as there is such a demand in our community for women once again to be honored and supported during childbirth.

I have always believed in destiny and being in the right place at the right time, where nothing is by chance and where something always happens for a reason! This is how I came to be working with amazing women and couples through pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond.

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time meeting Michael Odent (Europes leading Obstetric trained waterbirth guru) in Tokyo and watching his films of waterbirth at an age where I was very impressionable.

It was also ‘truly’ no accident that I myself had the most wonderful and beautiful waterbirth experiences with my three children and now work at giving back to women, honour, empowerment and self belief through my work as a doula (birth attendant). Through my doula work I have witnessed many women give birth in hospitals, birthing centres and at home in a similar manner to that of my own birth experiences.

I feel so totally blessed that my work as an independent childbirth educator, hypnosis for birth specialist, pregnancy massage practitioner and ante/post natal aquatic and fitball instructor has enabled me to meet and assist so many wonderful women and their partners. How lucky I am, to be doing this work that I absolutely love and feel so passionate about each and every day.

My dedication and drive comes from the fact, that in our society there is so much fear surrounding childbirth, and I feel that, if women don't start talking and sharing birth stories in a more positive way, the knowledge about having a natural birth could be lost forever.

Intervention has become the ‘norm’. Women are rapidly losing their ability and power to have the wonderful birth experience they deserve and on many occasions desire. It terrifies me to think my daughter, Jaeosha, may never have the opportunity to birth naturally and have to go into hospital or have a choice to home birth if she wished to. Childbirth should be about choice. Choice of care provider, choice of where to birth, and choice of how to birth etc etc. All too often women are led to believe certain things about birth are necessary with little consultation about other more natural choices being available.

I believe women should be given the choice and right to say what they believe and have their choices honoured by all who surround them during the birth of a baby.
This is known as the ‘BIRTH RIGHT’ of the mother and the baby: to be brought into the world in as gentle, nurturing and natural way possible.

My dream for now is this:

- that birth will again be a cause for great celebration, and natural childbirth be the ‘norm’ as it gains, the well deserved respect and honour within our society. Where women acknowledge birth as a sacred journey and right of passage and talk openly to others of the great beauty and wonderment of their natural birth experiences. Where women listen to women and learn from the stories spoken from the heart, with love and pride.
- My wish for all women/couples is that you create and enjoy a wonderful and fulfilling pregnancy - labour of love and birth.
~ Gabrielle Targett