Josie Hipwell
Radiant Birth Owner, Birth, Postpartum and Loss Doula, Birth Bodyworker, Birth Educator
Services Melbourne and Melbourne’s North and North West
she/her
About
Hey, I’m Josie. I am a mother of two and I am a full spectrum doula and the owner of Radiant Birth. I am an old soul that loves doing, being in nature and lives for the creative. I have an amazingly supportive partner and big beautiful village. I was raised by a village and I know that it’s with loving support that mothers can thrive. I love to laugh, but I also love to go deep. A person who can sit with you in both the lightness and the dark. This is my heart’s work.
Supporting, holding and informing people through their unique pregnancy and birth experience is my joy and my superpower. I offer pregnancy, birth and postpartum support to women and birthing people in Melbourne and surrounds. The spectrum of these experiences is so wonderfully wide and varied, unique to each individual or family. My services and support is tailored to you, what you value and who you are.
I come to our work together with a clean slate, ready to listen and hold, trust and believe, know and witness; to meet you where you are and walk beside you.
My philosophy is steeped in each person having sovereignty over their body and their experience and that part of that is being informed with as much or as little information you need to make decisions that align with you. I believe that we deserve good care and support always, but never so much as when we are navigating big and beautiful transitions in life and at times of loss.
Training and experience
Birth and Postpartum Doula (Australian Doula College)
End of Life Doula (Australian Doula College)
Feeding and Infant Sleep (Possums Australia)
Birthmapping (Catherine Bell)
The Art of Birth Debriefing (Bernadette Lack and Lael Stone)
Spinning Babies 2 day workshop (Fiona Hallinan)
Internal Pelvic Release Work (Fiona Hallinan)
Perinatal Mental Health (Online)
Postpartum nutrition
Trauma Informed Care
Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (Sarah Duvall CES)
Professional Memberships: Rachel Reed Collective, Australian Breastfeeding Association
Bachelor Degree in Communications (Griffith University)
Offerings
ONE: Birth Support with Group Birth Education
Sliding Scale Costing - Tier 1 $2000 / Tier 2 $2800 / Tier 3 $3700
Support from the time of confirmed booking, including unlimited text, email, and voice message communication.
A ticket for you and a support person to an upcoming 2-day Radiant Birth Education Course and a Birthmapping Course, if the timing is not right with available courses see the Private Birth Education option
3 x 2 hr antenatal sessions covering:
What is important to you.
How you want your birth to look and feel.
Creation of an individualised birth map for multiple birth pathways.
Labour and birth support (remote and/or in-person), tailored to individual needs, including support for existing siblings if required.
On-call from 38 weeks, with a backup doula available.
Access to tools, resources, books, and Directory.
Research, preparation, and collection of information and resources specific to your needs.
Connections to relevant services and professionals, such as bodyworkers and breastfeeding support.
Postpartum Inclusions
The New Bub Box from Just Nourish, delivered at a time of your choosing.
A 2.5-hour postpartum check-in, including:
Birth debriefing.
Pampering and support, up to 6 weeks post-birth (remote or in-person).
A snack included at this visit.
TWO: Birth Support with Private Birth Education
Sliding Scale Costing - Tier 1 $2200 / Tier 2 $3000 / Tier 3 $4000
Support from the time of confirmed booking, including unlimited text, email, and voice message communication.
4 x 2.5 hr antenatal sessions covering:
Birth education
What is important to you for your birth and postpartum
How you want your birth and postpartum to look and feel
Creation of an individualised birth map for multiple birth pathways.
Labour and birth support (remote and/or in-person), tailored to individual needs, including support for existing siblings if required.
On-call from 38 weeks, with a backup doula available.
Access to tools, resources, books, and Directory.
Research, preparation, and collection of information and resources specific to your needs.
Connections to relevant services and professionals, such as bodyworkers and breastfeeding support.
Postpartum Inclusions
The New Bub Box from Just Nourish, delivered at a time of your choosing.
A 2.5-hour postpartum check-in, including:
Birth debriefing.
Pampering and support, up to 6 weeks post-birth (remote or in-person).
A snack included at this visit.
You can choose to have 3 of 4 of the antenatal sessions to be at The Midwives House in Preston, between 12:30pm-4pm on Thursdays, choosing this option reduces the price at each tier by $200.
THREE: Birth Support with Bodywork at the Midwives House
Sliding Scale Costing - Tier 1 $2400 / Tier 2 $3200 / Tier 3 $4300
Support from the time of confirmed booking, including unlimited text, email, and voice message communication.
6 sessions of antenatal preparation made up of 4 x 2 hr in studio antenatal sessions (on Tuesdays or Thursdays at the Midwives House) and 2 x 2 hr in home antenatal sessions covering:
Birth education
Bodywork including internal pelvic release work, external alignment and balancing
What is important to you for your birth and postpartum
How you want your birth and postpartum to look and feel
Creation of an individualised birth map for multiple birth pathways
Labour and birth support (remote and/or in-person), tailored to individual needs, including support for existing siblings if required.
On-call from 38 weeks, with a backup doula available.
Access to tools, resources, books, and Directory.
Research, preparation, and collection of information and resources specific to your needs.
Connections to relevant services and professionals, such as bodyworkers and breastfeeding support.
Postpartum Inclusions
The New Bub Box from Just Nourish, delivered at a time of your choosing.
An internal pelvic release session or birth debrief up to 12 months after baby’s birth
A 2.5-hour postpartum check-in, including:
Birth debriefing.
Pampering and support, up to 6 weeks post-birth (remote or in-person).
A snack included at this visit.
One off sessions
Birth Debrief
$220 - 2 hours / Providing a safe space for parents to reflect on and integrate their birth experiences, facilitating emotional healing and understanding.
Private Birth Education
$550 - 5 hours / A 5-hour private in-home birth education session that includes lunch and a deep dive into the physiological birthing process, birth anatomy, pain management options, birth energetics, hospital transitions, partner support techniques, and strategies for creating a safe, empowered birth experience.
Release, Align and Balance - Bodywork session
$85 - 40 minutes or $50 - 20 minutes / Specialised sessions aimed at understanding and releasing tension in the body in preparation for labour and birth through external releases, exercises and stretches.
Internal Pelvic Release Work - Bodywork session
$260 - 2.5 hours / Specialised sessions aimed at understanding and releasing tension in the pelvic area, enhancing bodily awareness and comfort during pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
*All of these services can be added to a package at a discounted investment
Testimonials
Words can’t express my gratitude for Josie. But I’ll try. Josie helped and supported me through previous birth trauma, preparation for my VBAC, getting my VBAC, and also an unexpected postpartum journey. It was so much more than having a support person. Josie was my safe place. She was everything I didn’t know I needed. I felt seen, heard, valued, and most importantly confident. Josie believed in me so much that it left no room for doubt within myself. In my most vulnerable state Josie still managed to keep me grounded, calm, strong, and brave. I truly believe she was the reason I got my VBAC. I will be forever grateful. Becky
We absolutely loved working with Josie leading up to, and for the birth of our baby. I honestly do not believe I would have experienced the incredible birth we had if it were not for the guidance, preparation and support of Josie. It was the most wonderful experience for our family and for my own internal journey to have Josie's support throughout pregnancy. Josie knows how to read the room, and for us somehow kept the mood light and hilarious, while also holding space for the big feelings and decisions. Laura
As soon as a baby comes out, whole world apparently forgets about the mother and start talking about the baby - whether it’s hospital, nurse, GP , your friend or your family. If you want someone to talk to you about your feelings, your health, your mental state (along with everything else) with zero judgments, Josephine is a doula to go for. With her practical and solution-oriented approach, she has answers to almost all questions that a new mother has in her mind. She is extremely professional, honest, caring, reliable and a kind person. This industry needs more passionate people like her to make this journey memorable and smooth for mothers. Javaria
We had the most amazing chats with Josie! She was kind, compassionate and helped us so much in processing our first son’s birth. Josie was a key difference in our second son’s birth - she gave us the confidence for a vbac and we were able to navigate the postpartum period in such a better way. My only regret is that we waited 2 years to do this - we should have done it so much sooner! I can’t recommend enough. Emily
