Finding out you are pregnant and beginning your journey to motherhood is an amazing, exciting experience. However, without the right support and education, it can be difficult to prepare for life after birth. Whether you’re trying to conceive, already pregnant, or just about to give birth, registered nurse and midwife Kate Sedon wants you to know that it is truly possible to have a positive pregnancy and an empowered birth (in whichever way you or your baby chooses), and to take confident first steps into motherhood. Having worked in all areas of women’s health, she is passionate about women thriving in motherhood and not being held back by their pregnancy or previous birth stories. She believes all mothers are born with an intuition that needs unlocking in pregnancy, and through Kate Sedon Pregnancy Wellness, she empowers women to create a positive mindset, make informed decisions, and know that they can handle whatever comes their way.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
There are two defining moments that inspired me:
Years ago, while working in General Practice and completing a cervical smear, I noticed my patient had a prolapse – so I asked about her birth experience from 30 years prior. In that exact moment, she burst into tears. there was so much buried pain, trauma and heartache, along with the physiological changes. What stuck with me the most though, was that no one had ever asked this mama about her birth experience, therefore no support or debrief had ever been offered. It left me wondering, how can we let women go about their everyday lives without ever finding peace with one of the most significant moments in their life.
The second defining moment was through navigating my own complicated high-risk pregnancy. I was really blessed that I could use my knowledge as a Midwife and Maternal & Child Health Nurse to go on to have the most empowering experience in a heavily medicalised model of care. Had I not been equipped with knowledge, practical skills and confidence to advocate for myself, my whole experience and subsequent journey to motherhood would have been so different.
I truly believe the experience, knowledge and support women receive during pre-conception, pregnancy and the first few years of motherhood really has the capacity to have a ripple effect for future generations – not just for the health and wellbeing of Mama, but baby, Dad/ partner and the entire family.
After these two defining moments, along with years of working as a Midwife and often leaving a shift feeling like I didn’t have enough time to really provide the care I wanted to, I was able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to find my life’s purpose. I am using my experience in areas of Midwifery, Fertility Nursing, Neonatal Intensive Care, Perinatal Mental Health, Preventative Medicine and my own life experiences to create a community where women can go through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period feeling educated, empowered, excited, and most importantly, supported for whatever eventuates on their own unique journey.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
After the initial idea, I spent a few years researching, developing ideas and learning new therapies to help women who have experienced birth trauma, while focusing on my own young family. When the tired haze of early motherhood lifted, I knew it was time.
I enrolled in an entrepreneurship programme at a local university, had some support of a business mentor and created a website. With the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on pregnant families, I took the plunge and launched the first round of our online antenatal programme Made for Motherhood earlier than planned in September 2021. From there, Kate Sedon Pregnancy Wellness is evolving.
This past year has been very busy juggling my 2 young boys, the start-up stage of a business, a husband that works away, nursing part time and attending the occasional homebirth. It is true what they say – when you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work and the late nights are so worth it.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
You have to back yourself 100%. When you are innovating new ideas and being a change maker, it is going to take time to let things grow, and for people to build trust and confidence in what service you are offering.
I am now starting to receive feedback on some of the positive stories that have come about from Kate Sedon Pregnancy Wellness. There are no words to describe how happy this makes my heart, knowing that what I am doing is playing a small part in women enjoying motherhood more. As a mother myself, this is huge. It actually makes me tear up thinking about it.
When you are following life’s purpose, you have this inner peace and clarity. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming but just go for it, detach from outcome and see where the path leads you.
