As a teenager twenty five years ago, sweating profusely on a yoga mat, with a distorted view of my body following a childhood drenched in gymnastics, I realised that Lycra and puberty didn’t mix well. In the wake of a suffocating esteem, I traversed down many avenues of personal growth including a myriad of alternative retreats and therapies. 

Finding myself pregnant whilst living in Australia, I had been sent a treasure box of books bursting with positive birth stories and philosophy strongly grounded in normal birth. This was the match that lit the fire still burning in my belly. I came home to New Zealand to birth my two babies who are now tall and incredible, and became an active member of Homebirth Association, attending and organising birth conferences as well as supporting friends and family in their birth experiences. Babes in arms I was soaking up all that was on offer in the area of Women’s Health and became increasingly aware of a level of trauma that results from the transition into parenting for many women and men! I became immersed in an array of learning around what constitutes trauma from a Western and Eastern perspective and believe there are many approaches to address the spectrum of what trauma can result in (anxiety, depression, PTSD, health conditions and disease).

With a zeal and zest for the footprint we place upon the planet, especially after experiencing firsthand the consumer frenzy that is thrust upon new parents, my husband and I designed a range of cloth nappies in a time where there weren’t any New Zealand made. We worked with councils nationwide to raise the profile of using sustainable baby products and became advocates for baby wearing and attachment parenting. I relished the connection with women and birthing persons. They would share their childbirth journey stories and I was often struck by their fear, and the trauma that ensued, noting the stark contrast of those who were calm and confident. 

During this time of early parenting and developing a new business, I trained in massage therapy, NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology (HNLP), Hypnotherapy, Life Coaching, Adult Education and remain a Master Practitioner. Over the years of clinical practice where I often worked with those in their childbirth journey (and a wide variety of non-pregnant people), I was most excited by seeing the change from fear to excitement, from resistance to surrender, from pain to joy and I wanted more. From this place I dreamed of facilitating groups of people in their graceful birth experience.

We sold our business and I took an enormous leap of faith, returning to school to complete a Bachelor of Midwifery. I initially worked within the community alongside a practice of incredible midwives www.ratamidwives.co.nz - who birth predominately at home or in birthing units and transitioned to working in the hospital providing tertiary midwifery care. It is in these settings where my midwifery colleagues and I see the irrefutable need for early pregnancy, quality education that offers the knowledge they are far more than they ever thought possible. I left the hospital midway through 2018 to work full time as an Opti-mum facilitator and Coach who works with a wide variety of people including supporting the birth continuum, (using a balance between Western talk therapies and Eastern alternative/complimentary therapies) alongside being a Certified Havening Techniques® Practitioner, and feel extraordinary privilege to be offering this midwifery work in the community. I see this as trauma prevention and primary health care facilitation.

As a passionate yogini’ and committed lifetime learner, I completed a 20 year dream to train as a yoga teacher (at Contemporary Teacher Training in Auckland, New Zealand), so am often found on my yoga mat, teaching at Flow Yoga in Christchurch or in 1:1 yoga sessions with my clients. It’s been extraordinary to move into a Yoga Teacher Trainer role and share my depth of knowledge with other yoga teachers from the Contemporary Yoga Faculty and developing the Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training programme.

Over the years I have been surprised and delighted to reveal the depths of the learning available through an ongoing commitment to practising yoga, breath work, meditation and mindfulness; all of which have profoundly transformed the quality of my life and those I live in relationship with.

To be an owner operator at the Opti-mum studio and clinic space, (2 Humphreys Drive, Ferrymead, Christchurch, NZ), and to see Opti-mum transforming the lives of hundreds of people around the globe is a dream - living a life in service to positive birth outcomes for families and future generations.

I am deeply humbled to be working with people who are willing to be gently guided through an extraordinary, yet ordinary life transition.

I am originally from the UK, but chose New Zealand as my home after meeting my, now husband, many moons ago in Israel while we were both traveling the world. I accompanied him back here to his homeland were we married, laid down roots and brought up our three children. One of my three children was born in England and the other two here in New Zealand. I have been fortunate to have experienced two quite different models of international maternity care.
 
I have always been drawn to women’s health and wellbeing. During my world travels as a young woman I often found myself connecting with groups of local women. I would spend time absorbing their shared wisdom about how they birthed their babies and looked after their health. It was fascinating to me and it is these experiences, along with my own childbirth stories that led me to pursue midwifery.
 
I am a New Zealand registered midwife and completed my midwifery degree here in New Zealand. Like KeiShana, I also began my midwifery career working with www.ratamidwives.co.nz as part of a team of wonderful midwives mostly working alongside women and their partners choosing to birth either at home or within a Primary unit setting. When being on call became a challenge for my family, I transitioned into working as a core midwife at the hospital. I now coach, facilitate and teach full time.
 
Previous to becoming a midwife, my passion for women’s health lead me to study various forms of natural therapies.  These included aromatherapy and massage which I still teach and use today.  I am a huge advocate of natural health and wellness. I am also a perpetual student and love to constantly occupy my mind with study and new growth. I am currently midway through my studies to become a Life Coach.
 
My personal practice of mindfulness has made such a difference in all areas of my life.  I find I am continually studying and finding new ways to improve this practice. Mindfulness arms me with important tools for all aspects of my life as a mother, wife, midwife, friend, educator and health practitioner.
 
My philosophy is grounded in the belief that childbirth is a natural life event. I believe in the importance of informed choice so that women can make decisions regarding their pregnancy and birth based on sound evidence. When fully informed and provided with access to good information and support, for most women the natural and physiological process of childbirth can be intervention free. For both mother and father becoming parents is a life changing and sacred transition. I have been privileged to have been at many births and I am always astounded by the beauty of this rite of passage. As a midwife, I understand that being armed with excellent knowledge and information from early on in a woman’s pregnancy can have a real impact on her birth story.

Lorna Davies (Co-founder and now previous Director of Opti-mum) has moved on to engage with other family and work commitments. We wish her all the very best and honour her co-creation in this unique programme: a mindful approach to the childbirth continuum.