Getting To Know Calmbirth Educator Mimi Awad

A big hello and warm welcome from me, Mimi!

Since being a young girl I have always wanted to be a part of the world that is birthing and babies and here I am now as a young woman doing exactly that!

I have been a nurse and midwife for the last seven years and have had an incredibly gifted journey so far. I have worked in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory, travelling where life takes me… which is now Calmbirth Education in North Canberra & Jervis Bay Territory! Over the last seven years I have worked in all areas of nursing and midwifery including accrediting as a Sexual Health Educator in 2023.

I completed my Calmbirth Educator training because I have a passion for helping people make choices for their bodies, babies and families. The system we navigate for birthing our babies has become complicated and often we are asked to make choices without having all the info we might like to make them. This is where Calmbirth comes in… an empowering way to educate yourself about the science of birth to calm your mind, as well as a holistic approach to teach your body to calm the senses.

Calmbirth uses a mixture of scientific information and ‘on the ground’ tools to make the birthing experience feel like a journey worth taking. With more information about how the mind, body and baby connect, we can approach birth in a way that reduces our fear and turns it into trust, understanding and surrender. We teach you about body mechanics, mindfulness, acupressure and positioning to help ‘biohack’ your system and approach labour like you would any other challenge, with excitement, information and readiness.

To my core, I believe that education is the gateway to success, and I have seen this program work like magic in my years of training. The trust and connection that is cultivated through the Calmbirth course and practice couples do is second to none and has lasting effects for the entire family ongoing. I look forward to meeting more amazing families on their journey to birthing their babes as well as working with other passionate humans in the birthing space!

My Name is...Mimi Awad and I am a Nurse, Midwife, Sexual Health Educator and Calmbirth Educator in NSW & ACT.

I work at…Change Yoga in Scullin, ACT and from my home just outside Jervis Bay Territory. I am also a Midwife at the local hospital as well as an avid outdoorsy gal who can often be found on a SUP in the bay or walking my next track.

The five words that describe my life would be...passionate, adventurous, loving, family focussed & exciting!

The best thing about where I live…that I am surrounded by nature and waterways. I wake up every morning to the local kookaburras and I have met kangaroos, echidnas and more local birdlife than I have seen in any other place I have lived! I also lunch in the sun with a very cute lizard in the hospital courtyard most days!

When I’m not working and have some spare time I love…I can often be found on the porch in my hammock reading, going on a walk, working on my next project with all three of my cats on me or adventuring with my loving partner Franky.

I can’t live without…my family. I have grown up in the most abundant family with eight siblings and many more adopted siblings who have lived in and out of my family home. This is a legacy that continues as my home has always been open to anyone who has needed it. Kindness has always been free, but so is love and my family have plenty of that!

What I love most about being a Calmbirth educator is...is the opportunity to help each couple choose what is best for them. The Calmbirth program is dynamic and can be shaped to work with any family that is educated.

Three essential things you need to take in to labour are...trust as a couple, a willingness to surrender to the journey with your baby and a firm understanding of your family values and beliefs as a couple. With these three things, I think you will achieve all you need.

The most memorable moment I’ve had as an educator...would have to be watching one of my first couples go into labour as we finished our second day of classes. They went on to have an incredible birth and postpartum period, albeit surprisingly soon after their classes!

A favourite quote…“We are the only species of mammal that doubts our ability to give birth. It’s profitable to scare women about birth. But let’s stop it. I tell women; your body is not a lemon.” – Ina May Gaskin

How does seeing a baby being born make me feel...I would explain it as magical. I often feel like I absorb the emotions around me and I am filled with an overwhelming sense of victory, awe, passion, love, excitement, peace and serenity. Watching people become parents is an honour and I plan to cherish these moment with the grace and honour that they deserve.

You can follow me at…Cradle&Birth Midwifery – @cradleandbirth on Instagram 

My next Calmbirth courses are: