Birth education · By video call or in person
Feel ready for your birth.
One-on-one sessions with Vanessa, a registered midwife: a Pregnancy Road Map to understand your options, a birth class to prepare for labour together, and Body Ready visits to prepare your body. By WhatsApp video call, or in person in Potchefstroom or at your home.
How it works
Three easy steps
Choose a session
Pick a Pregnancy Road Map, birth class or Body Ready visit, by video call or in person.
Book and pay online
Choose a day and time that suits you, and pay securely by card.
Meet Vanessa
Join by WhatsApp video call, or see her at the Potch Birth House or in the comfort of your own home.
Sessions
Choose what you need
Every session is one on one with Vanessa, and the price is the same by video call or in person.
Pregnancy Road Map
Video call or in person. Up to two hours. If you go on to book Vanessa for your birth, what you paid for this session counts towards it. R1,300
Birth class
Video call or in person. Two sessions of three hours. R4,000 covers both. Book your first session here, and you’ll arrange the second with Vanessa when you meet. R4,000
Body Ready Method first visit
Video call or in person. Two hours. Follow-up visits are R750 each and are arranged after your first visit. R1,450
Antenatal & Postnatal Care Package
Video call or in person. Midwife-led care alongside a planned hospital birth. Available on request. Send us a message and we’ll get back to you to talk it through. R7,000
These are education sessions. They don’t replace your antenatal care.
About
Hi, I’m Vanessa.
I’ve been a midwife since 2014 and attended my first home birth in 2015. I studied nursing at NWU and graduated with distinction. I’m registered with the South African Nursing Council and I’m a certified Body Ready Method practitioner.
I started out in the maternity ward of our local government hospital. There I saw how much it meant to women and their families to be treated with kindness at their most vulnerable. I began putting the latest research into practice: helping women into more comfortable birthing positions, skin-to-skin straight after birth, delayed cord clamping. Births went better and babies were healthier, and I’ve been passionate about evidence-based care ever since.
Then my sister-in-law asked me to attend her birth at home. It was the most peaceful, beautiful birth I had ever been part of, and it’s why I moved to home birth. It also showed me how much it helps when a mom understands what’s happening and knows her options, and that’s what I love helping families with, whatever kind of birth they choose.
When you walk out of a session with me, I’d love you to feel at peace: confident in how your body and your baby work together, with your fears talked through, and ready, even excited, for what’s ahead.
I’ve been married since 2013, and we welcomed our little girl in 2016 with our own home birth. We love God, family time and travelling together, and you’ll often find me in the garden.
Kind words
From families Vanessa has worked with
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Placeholder: a real quote from a past client goes here.
Placeholder: a real quote from a past client goes here.
Questions
Common questions
What is the Pregnancy Road Map?
It’s a one-on-one discovery session of up to two hours for you and your partner, by video call or in person. Vanessa talks you through your options for pregnancy and birth: hospital or home, what a C-section involves, and what a midwife and a doula do, so you can work out what suits you. It’s a good place to start if you’re not sure what you need.
I’m looking for a midwife for my birth. Where do I start?
Start with a Pregnancy Road Map. Vanessa talks you through your options for your birth and answers your questions. If you’d like her as your midwife, she explains how her care works and what it costs, and if you go on to book her for your birth, what you paid for the Road Map counts towards it.
What’s the difference between the sessions?
The Pregnancy Road Map is a one-on-one discovery session of up to two hours to talk about all your options for pregnancy and birth, and ask Vanessa your own questions. The birth class is two three-hour sessions to help you and your birth partner prepare together. The Body Ready Method first visit is a two-hour session to get started with Vanessa, and follow-up visits are arranged afterwards.
What will my birth partner learn?
In the birth class, Vanessa explains how a woman’s body works in labour, from the hormones to how baby moves through, and gives partners practical ways to support her and meet her needs. You’ll get a big picture of the different ways labour can unfold, and the reassurance that the safety of mom and baby always comes first. Many dads want to catch their baby, and Vanessa gladly guides them through it.
Is home birth safe?
This is one of Vanessa’s favourite questions, and a Pregnancy Road Map session is the best place to talk it through for your own pregnancy. She’ll take you honestly through the benefits and the risks, what she keeps an eye on along the way, and when a hospital birth is the better choice.
Should I choose a video call or in person?
Both cover the same ground and cost the same. Video calls happen on WhatsApp, wherever you are. In-person sessions are at the Potch Birth House in Potchefstroom, or at your home. If you live further from Potch, Vanessa can come to you on one of her travel days, and the travel fee shows when you book.
How does a video call work?
Video calls happen on WhatsApp. At your booked time, Vanessa calls you on the number you gave when you booked. You’ll need a phone or device with WhatsApp, a camera and microphone, and a stable internet connection. A quiet spot where you and your partner can both sit in view helps.
Can my partner join?
Yes. You’re welcome to bring your partner or birth partner to any session.
Can I ask Vanessa about my own pregnancy?
Yes, that’s exactly what a Pregnancy Road Map is for. Vanessa isn’t able to answer personal questions by message, so please book one and bring your questions with you.
How far ahead can I book?
You can book a session from 36 hours ahead, up to two months ahead.
How do I pay?
You pay online when you book, and you’ll get a confirmation email once your booking is done.
What if I need to cancel?
You get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your session. If it’s less than 24 hours, there’s no refund, but you can move your session to another date once, free of charge. To cancel or move a session, reply to your confirmation email.
Do these sessions replace my antenatal care?
No. These are education sessions, so please keep going to your regular antenatal appointments.
Where is the Potch Birth House?
In Potchefstroom. Once you’ve booked an in-person session, the exact address and directions are in your confirmation.
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Books and online courses
Vanessa is working on books and courses you’ll be able to buy right here. Leave your details and we’ll let you know when the first one is ready.