For Lauren Williams, midwifery is far more than a profession; it is a deeply personal calling rooted in connection, compassion and a profound respect for the journey into motherhood. After more than a decade working in maternity care, she found herself at a crossroads, prompting her to start her own business and build a life that felt sustainable, purposeful and fulfilling. Through Tapestry of Life, she now brings together her experience as an Endorsed Midwife with her passion for nervous system wellbeing, maternal-child connection, self-awareness and community, offering care, resources, retreats and thoughtfully curated experiences designed to help women, families and maternity professionals feel supported, restored and deeply connected. Here, Lauren talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her work, her biggest breakthrough, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Midwifery is one of the oldest professions, grounded in a holistic philosophy that has always recognised care as inherently woman-centred. The word midwife literally means “to be with woman”, and for me, being a midwife is as much a part of my identity as being a mother, wife, daughter and friend. Midwifery has shaped not only my career, but also the way I understand wellbeing, relationships, families and life itself.
Every pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey is unique. Every family carries their own hopes, fears, challenges and stories. Over the years, I have witnessed extraordinary strength, vulnerability, joy and resilience in women and have had the privilege of working within collaborative care teams alongside colleagues from diverse cultures and models of care. These experiences have taught me far more than clinical skills; they have deepened my appreciation for the profound impact of human connection. The relationships a woman forms with her care providers can significantly influence her health outcomes, birth experience and transition into motherhood.
As my own life has unfolded through marriage, motherhood, ageing and spiritual growth, my understanding of connection and self has also evolved. I have come to appreciate that motherhood is one of the most profound thresholds a woman can cross. It is not simply a new role or life stage, but often a complete redefinition of identity. Yet our modern culture frequently overlooks the depth and significance of this transformation. I believe that when mothers and families are genuinely nurtured, supported and held through these transitions, the benefits ripple far beyond the individual, positively shaping children, families and the broader community.
In the same way, I deeply honour the need for midwives and maternity care providers to be nurtured and restored so they can continue to sustain this important work. For this reason, my offerings extend beyond clinical care to include thoughtfully curated ceremonies, retreats and intentional resources that create space for meaningful conversations, reflection and connection. My hope is to foster a deeper sense of belonging and remind both families and care providers that they are valued not simply for what they do, but for who they are.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
After more than a decade of working long shifts, completing several postgraduate qualifications, writing a thesis and progressing into executive leadership positions, I found myself burnt out. I had achieved many of the goals I had set for myself professionally, yet I no longer felt aligned with the way I was living and working. I arrived at a professional crossroads and made the decision to trust my own body wisdom.
As an Endorsed Midwife, I already had the qualifications to provide private midwifery care and had built an extensive professional network through many years in maternity services. In many ways, starting my own business was a natural and organic next step. I drew on the business acumen and leadership skills I had gained throughout my career, and backed myself to build a life that felt sustainable, purposeful and fulfilling, because I knew that feeling aligned in my work was not a luxury; it was essential to my wellbeing.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough in my business was not a financial milestone or a particular achievement; it was creating spaciousness in my life again. Having the time and freedom to learn, be creative and reconnect with nature allowed me to reconnect with myself. Looking back, the past several years of self-discovery, travel, spirituality and learning to trust my own inner guidance have profoundly shaped the woman, practitioner and guide I am today.
Through this journey, I developed a renewed passion for my profession and a much deeper understanding of my purpose. I came to view health and wellbeing through the lens of the nervous system and maternal-child attachment, recognising that our earliest experiences of connection and safety lay the foundations for lifelong health. The way we are cared for profoundly influences how we relate to ourselves, others and the world around us. This understanding ignited a deep passion in me to not only ‘mother the mother’ but also to ‘mother the midwife’, recognising that when women themselves feel genuinely supported, and seen, they are better able to thrive and nurture others.
My own healing journey also invited me to rediscover the parts of myself that existed beyond the identities of midwife and mother, aspects of myself that I had neglected for many years. I found practices and tools that helped me regulate and restore my nervous system, and from that place, life began to feel more easeful. I knew I wanted to combine my lived experience, intuitive nature, clinical expertise and the transformative tools that had supported me to help other women reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel aligned, whether they carry the title of mother, midwife or are simply navigating midlife.
This conscious decision became the foundation of Tapestry of Life, a values-led business deeply committed to remembering, connection and community. The name reflects my belief that every person’s story is woven from generations of wisdom, experiences and relationships. Through Tapestry of Life, I seek to honour ancestral wisdom and curate offerings that foster reflection, healing and belonging, supporting families and midwives to feel held as they weave their own unique stories.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I am living proof of what can happen when a mother chooses to live and work in alignment with her natural flow, and the ripple effect this has on family. My work no longer feels like work; I often say I have found my Ikigai – the beautiful intersection of purpose, passion and meaning. I have become intentional about how I structure my week. After three days of commuting into the city for clinic, I know my nervous system needs a slower pace, time in nature and space to replenish. We live on acreage, fifty minutes from the city, so Thursdays are dedicated to local home visits, exercise and catching up on administration. Fridays are spent in the community or facilitating retreats, which allows me to finish earlier, prepare dinner, tend to the household and enter the weekend without feeling like I am constantly on the hamster wheel. Running my own business also gives me the flexibility to work around my husband’s travel commitments and be more present with our children, even though they are now young men.
My husband and family often comment that they can see my sparkle has returned. As an empath, I previously experienced regular migraines and emotional highs and lows when I wasn’t living in alignment with myself. Now, as I approach midlife, I feel more vitality than I did ten years ago. Some of this undoubtedly comes with time and moving beyond the demanding years of raising young children while managing a home and a demanding career, but much of it has come from creating a life and work rhythm that honours my energy, my values and what truly matters most.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Being a private midwife is built on collaboration and relationships. Over the years, I have intentionally nurtured strong connections with my obstetric and allied health colleagues, recognising that continuity of care and positive outcomes for families are strengthened through respectful partnerships. I am not someone who naturally feels comfortable marketing myself, so my practice has grown largely through referrals, trusted professional networks and word of mouth.
Building an online presence and navigating the technological aspects of running a business has been one of my greatest challenges. I am not naturally IT-savvy, and there have been many moments of learning as I go. However, I see this as part of the journey of business ownership and personal growth. Rather than outsourcing everything, I take my time, learn what I can and prioritise investing in areas where expert support truly adds value, such as having a skilled accountant. In many ways, building this business has required the same qualities that midwifery does: patience, adaptability and a willingness to trust the process.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
For me, the greatest advantages of owning my own business are the flexibility, the meaningful relationships I have built and the deep sense of alignment I feel in my body and life. It has given me the freedom to create a way of working that honours my values and energy, while also leaving space to explore other passions that light me up, such as photography, yoga, online courses and travel. Running my own business has also allowed me to increase my earning potential through my own hard work, vision and determination. There is something incredibly empowering about recognising my own worth and creating opportunities for myself, rather than waiting for an employer to acknowledge it.
Of course, there are challenges too. The reality of business ownership is that the responsibility ultimately rests with me. During periods of low energy or when I choose to take holidays, there is often no income coming in, and there is no one else to carry the load. It requires a level of self-discipline, financial planning and resilience that can feel daunting at times. Yet, despite the uncertainties, the freedom, purpose and sense of fulfilment I have found make the challenges worthwhile.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I have always been deeply curious about life and the human experience. My hopes and dreams for the future are centred around continuing to learn, grow and weave together the knowledge I have gathered in ways that support others. Over the years, I have intentionally immersed myself in courses and programs that broaden my understanding and provide practical tools to guide families and practitioners. Most recently, I have completed certifications in nervous system regulation, Bringing Up Great Kids, The First 1000 Days and infant massage instruction, and I have now embarked on a Human Design Mastery program.
Human Design particularly fascinates me because it is a system of self-awareness that blends ancient wisdom traditions, including astrology, the chakra system and the Chinese I Ching, with modern science to offer a unique blueprint of how each of us is designed to move through life. Using a person’s date, time and place of birth, it creates a personalised bodygraph that provides insight into natural strengths, decision-making, relationships, energy and purpose. At its heart, Human Design invites us to understand and embrace ourselves as we are.
I plan to integrate this wisdom into my work with parents and retreats, using it as another lens through which families can better understand themselves and one another. Rather than relying solely on one-size-fits-all parenting advice, I hope to help parents gain a deeper appreciation of their child’s unique temperament and needs, while also understanding their own patterns and ways of relating. I believe that when parents respond with greater awareness and attunement, rather than reaction, they can nurture stronger relationships and create more positive early childhood experiences.
Looking ahead, I also hope to collaborate with like-minded practitioners to facilitate wellness retreats for women’s health providers, incorporating nervous system education and Human Design as tools for reflection, restoration and self-understanding. Alongside this, I plan to continue growing my marketing side hustle with photography and thoughtfully intertwine this creative passion with my midwifery and event offerings. Ultimately, my dream is to keep curating experiences and resources that foster connection, self-awareness, healing and community, helping people feel more deeply aligned with themselves and the lives they are creating.
Visit tapestryoflife.com.au to find out more, and connect with Lauren on Instagram and Facebook.
