Mom & Baby Expert
Ingrid Groenewald
Who Am I
“The greatest joy is to become a mother, the second greatest is to be a midwife”
~Norwegion proverb~
First of all, I am a wife and a mom of 3 amazing kids. The oldest is already at university, the middle one in high school and the youngest in primary school.
These are the people that really support me with what I do. I get to answer phone-calls in the middle of the night, I drive around to all sorts of different homes in different places (and some of them quite far) and sometimes head out at the weirdest times. Truth be told, my kids (and husband) know all there is to know about helping with breastfeeding, how to wind a baby and what to do when your baby is jaundiced. Yes – they hear this the whole day!
I feel privileged to be able to really do what I love! I see so many miracles every day. First of all, to fall pregnant is already a miracle on its own, the development of the baby, to be able to carry that pregnancy to term and just how our bodies work. It is not just to support the pregnancy, but also to nourish, protect and already help with brain growth and education!
To me, my family life is very important. This is another reason why I feel blessed to be working the way I work. I am able to schedule all my appointments in a way that I am still there for my kids in the afternoons, except of course, if a baby decided that that day is the right day to be born and to meet his parents…
Educational Background
I have done a Bachelor's degree in Nursing (B.Cur) at RAU. During our studying, we were exposed to all the different areas in nursing, general, community, psychiatry and midwifery. I liked midwifery from the start, as it felt to me that this is usually an area of joy and happiness. This is the place where I can see and feel miracles on a daily basis. After finishing my degree, I started working in a private hospital’s labour ward and was quickly labelled at being a bit different. I am an outspoken lactivist, encourage natural birth as far as I can and challenged normal hospital routine.
During this time, I have also started teaching antenatal classes and also furthered my education with a Diploma in Perinatal Education. After helping many women with breastfeeding and taking that as one of my primary jobs in the labour ward, I also wrote the International Board Lactation Certification exam. I became an IBCLC in 2002 and since then have recertified 3 times to keep me updated.
It was after that time that I started my own private practice, where I did lactation consultations in hospitals, had a baby clinic, a regular radio show and offered antenatal classes.
After our move to the Eastern Cape, I quickly realized the need for my services but also for being able to offer home-births. I specialized then in midwifery by doing an Honours in Advanced Midwifery and Neonatology.
This has been many years ago and since then have had the privilege to be able to meet and support many families, throughout the pregnancy, birthing and parenting journeys.
What I Do
Pregnancy support sessions
To chat about you, your concerns and questions that you might have during your pregnancy. We can look into what you could do, to already start interacting and bonding with your baby.
Childbirth preparation sessions
We will look at your specific situation and talk about how to best prepare for the birth of your baby. It is important to know how your body works, how labour happens and what you and your partner can do to assist in this process. More sessions might be needed for this, as one does not want to rush to quickly through it, but it can be tailored to your specific needs.
Moms for elective caesarean births can also benefit from these sessions as we look at your situation and can cover the preparation for caesarean birth, partner involvement and recovery.
Breastfeeding preparation sessions
We will go through how to prepare, and to understand your body, how breastfeeding happens and what to do should you run into hiccups.
Lactation consultation
Should you run into any difficulties with breastfeeding, it is best to seek help as quickly as possible. We will talk through your concern and you will also be feeding your baby while talking to me. Sometimes something as small as adjusting the position can have a huge impact.
Moms who are preparing to go back to work can also benefit from a session as we can look at your specific situation and work out a plan that might work for you.
Postnatal support
This session is all about you, how you are doing and coping with mommyhood. We can talk about your recovery and any baby or breastfeeding related issue as well. It is important to remember that when a new baby is born, so is a new mother.
Baby session
During this time, we will chat about your baby and can talk about any baby-related concern you might have. Be it sleep issues, how to best stimulate your baby at the age he is at, starting solids, immunization questions etc.
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I also offer the following services for physical consultations:
- Home-births
- Water-births
- Postnatal home-support
- All baby check-ups and vaccinations at my baby clinics
Session Fee
60-minute session: R350
