Hi and congratulations on your pregnancy! My name is Mel and I am a registered midwife and mother of 3 beautiful boys. I care for a very small number of wāhine with my amazing midwifery practice partner Kate Nicoll as part of Birth Rite Midwives. In our pair, Kate and I work 7 days on followed by 7 days off. I am extremely passionate about midwifery and feel incredibly privileged to be part of such a rewarding profession. Pregnancy and birth is an amazing journey which ideally belongs to women and their whānau. My focus is on providing support, safe care and evidence based information so women may make informed choices throughout their pregnancy and birth. I believe women have the best experiences when they feel comfortable in their chosen place of birth therefore I support women to birth at any location. However research shows well women and babies are more likely to have a normal birth at home or in a primary birthing unit and I encourage healthy women to consider this option.

Please feel free to contact me via the Birth Rite phone 027 247 8471 or email mjwfreeman@gmail.com. My clinic is based in Linwood but I also have flexibility to do home visits if getting to clinic is an issue.