Vanessa Manni is an experienced midwife and the founder of Womb Wisdom. After 12 years in midwifery, she made the decision to leave the NHS and embark on a new journey, rediscovering her love for traditional birth keeping and bearing witness to the magic that women bring to the world. She started her own practice to provide personalised care and to help families achieve an empowering birth and the best start possible to early parenthood. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Womb Wisdom, how she balances work and family life, the pros and cons of running her own business, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your own business?
After 12 years in midwifery, a profession I chose from a place of love for women and reverence for mothers, I found myself unable to provide the care I so desperately wanted to provide.
I was also struggling to juggle working long hours without a proper “flexible working policy” in place at the hospital I was employed by, and had two children under the age of four at the time.
I chose to embark on a new journey to rediscover the love for traditional birth keeping and to bear witness to the everyday magic women bring to this world.
The launch: How did you start out at the beginning?
I chose a name that embodies what I knew all along: our wombs are portals for life, they hold space, traumas and memories, they can guide us through life if we truly listen.
I set my intentions and created a website listing my offerings and then rented a space at a friend’s clinic where I could provide education and basic antenatal care whilst still registered as a midwife.
I stepped outside my comfort zone and did a lot of networking, met lots of new people and had many meet ups with local birth workers to get to know my community.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The more I researched, the more I learnt and unpacked. I realise this type of midwifery was not my true calling. I still had so much “unlearning” to do.
I started to realise I needed to work with curious women who were ready to rediscover their power and take responsibility for their and their families’ health.
Yin and yang: How do you balance work and family?
I am a mother of three (five years old, three years old and a very fresh newborn) and a homemaker.
Working shifts in the medical system was not conducive to serene family life and I felt like I could not give my all both at work and at home without burning out. There definitely was a conflict between my roles.
Leaving the NHS and becoming a birth keeper and educator also made my personal life flow so much better. I can now be a truly present mother, I can nourish my family, and I can create a loving home environment whilst sharing wisdom with my clients and making sure they feel supported and held through their journey from maiden to mother.
