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. (go to www.alabouroflove.com.au to purchase on line.) 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.

For more information about A Labour of Love Support Services please contact Gaby Targett on 9336-4347 or 0418-336-362

Pregnancy Aquatic Exercise Classes
Fremantle Leisure Centre, Shuffery St, Fremantle
Tuesday 11.00am-12.00 Deep/Shallow Water Running
Thursday 5.30pm-6.45pm Hydro Pool Toning/Relaxation (Temperature 34 degrees)

Independent Childbirth Education Classes
Monday/Tuesday 1.00pm-3.00pm (ongoing, please contact Gabrielle for venue)

Topics covered include:
• Hypnosis for Birth
• Creating the birth you desire
• Education of support people (persons)
• The pelvis – positioning for birth is everything
• How to avoid the cascade of intervention
• Labour hormones – how to maximise their potential in assisting you to birth in a calm way naturally
• How to empower ones-self for the inevitable birth-day of your baby
• The uterine muscles – what they are actually doing during contractions

Private ‘Hypnosis for Birth’
Training for Couples/Women in preparation for a calm/relaxed birth experience
By appointment only, refer to workshops page for dates for group classes for couples

Pregnancy Massage
Massage on this uniquely designed table which enables women to lay face down, with belly supported in expandable sling. One or two hour massage is available, offering a full body, relaxing massage, to soothe aching and tired muscles. Gaby Targett has a B.A.Phys Ed and has trained in Swedish Massage, Muscle Release Therapy and Reiki I & II.

Doula (birth assistant) Service
Gaby Targett is a qualified birth support person who offers a doula service to assist women and their partners to birth, in any hospital, birth centre or at home

For more information about A Labour of Love Support Services
please contact Gaby Targett on 9336-4347 or 0418-336-362

About Gabrielle Targett & A Labour of Love

Gabrielle Targett has a degree in Physical Education and has been a qualified Fitness Leader for the last fourteen years, specialising in Aqua-fitness instruction in the AnteNatal and Post Natal area. As well as teaching she has presented many workshops and courses in Aqua –fitness instruction and been an assessor/examiner in the fitness industry for the past eight years. Her ability to publicly speak with honesty, humour and passion comes from her many years of lecturing at TAFE in the health and fitness area.

She believes her greatest achievements came when she gave birth to three beautiful water babies in 1995, 1997 and 1999. After the birth of her son in 1997, she was asked to attend a birth as a support person. At this time she fell in love with the idea of supporting a woman during birth.

Ten births and three years later she realized the importance of the work she was doing as a Doula (birth support person) and how a doula can support women to achieve a positive birthing outcome. She decided to document the births she attended and write a book from her experiences.

Gaby decided to train and learn about how to educate women, as a childbirth educator. What she actually found happening during her aqua natal deep water running classes was that the exercise became secondary to the childbirth education she was providing during the one-hour session. So great was the need to educate that Gaby decided to offer independent childbirth education classes privately on a weekly basis.

Following on from the need to educate others has been the need and desire to train other Doulas to attend births and in 2003 she ran the first Doula training course in Western Australia.

In 2003 Gabrielle designed and created the doulasdownundernetwork.com website to educate women and their partners about Doulas. In 2004 Gabrielle attended the first of its kind Doula conference in Sydney, followed by the 23rd Homebirth conference where she presented the waterbirth section alongside her own midwife.

Gaby is thrilled to present this book as an opportunity to empower more women to have positive birthing experience, despite our culture’s growing medicalisation of birth.

Read more about Gabrielle.