Featured in

Listen to my podcast

The Virtual Midwife & The Due Date Club

After 30 years as a midwife and 10 years of teaching birth preparation classes in every form, online and in person, in groups and private, I banished the birth class and created The Due Date Club!

I’ve watched trends come and go, seen birth practices change, witnessed the shift in expectations and sat in awe of advancing technology.

But even so, nothing about the physiology of birth has changed and I always knew there had to be a better way to offer real deep dive birth preparation that goes beyond a weekend workshop or an online on demand course.

I knew I had to create a COMMUNITY because this is where true learning happens through shared experience and connection.

What I've been up to the last few years...

Supporting hospital and home birth
Spinning Babies with Gail Tully
The Mama Bamba Way with Robyn Sheldon
Active Birth with Janet Balaskas
Overcoming Breastfeeding challenges with Dr. Jack Newman
Hypnobirthing the Mongon Method
Hypnotherapy National Guild of Hypnotherapists
MARI Mandala Art Therapy
Hatha Yoga and Prenatal Yoga YTT 200

How it all Began

Every good story starts with a meaningful connection. For me, The Virtual Midwife was born in the labor room. As a midwife, I had the privilege of supporting families through the transformative experience of childbirth. Little did I know, these moments would lay the foundation for something much bigger.

After these families moved on from my care, I realized the powerful bond that remained. They continued to seek guidance and reassurance as they embarked on their journey through parenthood. Recognizing the ongoing need for support, I felt compelled to extend my assistance beyond the confines of the hospital walls.

Driven by this deep connection and a desire to provide continuous support, I began gathering my resources, creating new ones, and exploring innovative ways to reach out to these families online. It was through this process of adaptation to the digital age that the concept of the Due Date Club was born—a virtual sanctuary where families could access personalized support, information, and a sense of community from the comfort of their own homes.

The Virtual Midwife in the Press

International Conference Speaking Experience

1st Annual GCC Natural Birth & Breastfeeding Conference 2015, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: Finding our WHY in Antenatal Education – the impact of informing and empowering women to restore normality to childbirth.

27 – 29 March 2016 Dubai , Obstetrics and Gynaecology Congress : Embracing technnology in Antenatal Education

16 October 2016 Inherent Birth Online Summit: The mother’s role in attaining better birth outcomes and Birthing the Maternal Bond.

March 2018 FIGT (Families in Global Transition) The Hague, Netherlands: Health Literacy for Global Living – using technolgy wisely to inform and empower women during pregnancy.

May 2018 Sensitive Midwifery Conference JHB: Technology and increased access to vast amounts of information online: enemy or ally?

Karen is on the organising committee of of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife annual 24hour conference.

A pioneer of change, Karen opened the first independent midwife led community practice in Muscat, Oman in 2009 which later became the first Mother and Baby Wellness Center in the Gulf region.

How Karen helped me!

Karen taught me about “holding space” before I even knew it was a thing. The lessons I learned from her altered the course of my life. My pregnancy and birth experience was so amazing that it inspired me to become a doula.

Karen was not only with me for both of my pregnancies and births, she was also my mentor during my doula studies. She taught me the value of honoring every woman’s experience.

Throughout my wife’s pregnancies I often felt overlooked and rather like a spare wheel. Karen was the only person to make me feel entitled to share and take part in the birth experience. For that I will always be immensely grateful.