Versify Woman - Interview with Georgie Abay

Doula Nathalie Solis Pérez lives in a charming sun-filled converted schoolhouse near Byron Bay with her artist partner and two children. A mother of two boys – Dei and Pablo – Nathalie grew up all over the world. She was born in Germany before moving to Guatemala, and later Spain. When she was older, she moved to the US before settling in Australia, where she now lives in the Byron Bay hinterland with her family.

With a background in cultural anthropology, Nathalie began her journey to become a doula after the birth of her first son. “To this day I feel so grateful to my midwives for creating the safe space for me to do the work I needed to do,” she says. And if she could change one thing about the Australian maternity care model, it would be for all women to have a primary midwife who cares for them during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

“Being able to establish a relationship with your care provider is so important, and research has shown that midwifery-led continuity of care is the safest type of care for most mothers and babies. Women who receive this need less interventions at birth, less pain relief and are more satisfied with their birth experience. It’s frustrating, exhausting and carries more risk if women receive so-called fragmented care and see different clinicians at each prenatal visit and don’t know who will care for them during labour. We are not meant to give birth surrounded by strangers, but instead with a team of respectful, caring, nurturing and supportive people which we have built a relationship with.”

Here, Versify visits her at home, gets all dressed up in some of our favourite looks, and chats all things motherhood. Pics and full interview.