Today I am super excited to welcome Zoe Robson to our #bethegirl interview series! Zoe is a registered nurse/midwife and has just announced the release of her very special midwifery educational resource...drum roll please: "Midwife in my Pocket - Antenatal Edition". Zoe is incredibly passionate about both midwifery, education and business, so she has combined her passions, qualifications and experience to create this amazing resource for women. We chat all about MIMP and how Zoe has taken being hearing impaired and used that to be inspired to do more and be more every day! Let's get into it!
Hi Zoe and a big welcome to our #bethegirl interview series. First up, tell me all about ‘Midwife in my Pocket’…
My little passion project and new business ‘Midwife in my Pocket' (MIMP for short) is the ultimate community for all mothers, particularly younger mothers who are expecting babies and have no idea what to expect. We are all about empowering women through the use of quality education and we put a spin on everything! MIMP is relatable, fun, incredibly funny (sometimes inappropriate) and just an incredibly warm and welcoming platform that aims to educate women and make them feel connected.
"MIMP aims to educate women to inspire them, empower them and encourage them to be seen and heard and take full control of their pregnancy experience".
Zoe, what is your background and your qualifications?
I am a 23-year-old registered nurse/midwife from far North Queensland in Australia. I am a small-town girl and I love nothing more than being surrounded by my family and friends and spending as much of my time as possible with my incredible partner of six years/manager (he wishes), Jack. Midwifery is certainly my passion in life. Being with women and watching them blossom into mothers is a privilege I’ll never tire of.
When people first meet me, they often have no idea that I have a little secret. I am severely hearing impaired in both ears and subsequently, wear two hearing aids to make my conversations consist of more than “what? I can’t hear you!”. I like to think my lack of hearing inspired me to do more and be more every day. I often wonder if I hadn’t been hearing impaired, would I be where I am today? All in all, I am a country girl at heart. I loved growing up in a small town, being able to spend most of my time at the beach or surrounded by people I love.
We love your mantra “empowerment through education”, how do you strive to achieve this?
Women deserve to know every detail and every aspect of their pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey, and that’s what I plan to share; every detail. Too often, women are going into these incredible experiences scared shitless, because the only education they’ve managed to get a hold of, is from unreliable, really scary sources like Wikipedia or from a bias, unrelatable “mummy blogger” on Instagram. Women, especially pregnant women, are vulnerable and often marginalised, particularly in the hospital setting. Their voices are unheard, or they don’t have the education to be able to use their voices confidently. MIMP aims to educate women to inspire them, empower them and encourage them to be seen and heard and take full control of their pregnancy experience. As I mentioned, MIMP does this in a wholesome, relatable, funny and inspiring way to ensure we connect and teach as many women as possible. We want our education to be realistic with no room for surprise! Education is not a luxury; it is a human right that needs to be available to everyone. That is MIMP’s philosophy and is one of the reasons that led to the creation of our “Antenatal eBook”. The MIMP community is full of beautiful, intelligent, inspiring women who are all eager to learn and pass on their teachings to other women. It is the ultimate “women supporting women” platform, and for that, I couldn’t be anymore grateful.
What can women expect from your eBook and how can it help those on their pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum journey?
Our beloved “Antenatal Edition eBook” is going to be available for purchase very soon! The eBook stays true to the MIMP ethos and provides women with empowerment through the use of real, raw, relatable, light-hearted and funny educational content from the comfort of your phone. We talk about EVERYTHING! From how to make a baby, to how to birth the baby and everything in-between. We have a section for the dads, we talk heaps about self-care, and we make it all about the mums. We’ll have follow-up books that will dive into the postpartum journey and how to care for a baby. We also have plans to make books specific for dads and student midwives sometime in the near future. The eBook is going to be relevant for EVERYONE! We have guest articles that feature from people you may be familiar with; we also have some incredible brands that have provided some very generous discounts to improve access to quality products for women. I can’t wait for you to see it and read all about the wonder of pregnancy and being a mum.
What would be your advice for women, as a midwife who are on this journey, whatever stage they are at?
Trust yourself, your body and the process. You are so powerful, so much more powerful than you realise, and you are so much smarter than you give yourself credit for. Take the time to care for yourself and stop being so critical! When the time comes, you may feel like you have no idea what to do, but you’ll find your way and it’ll be ok in the end. Don’t get so caught up on the little things. Your baby won’t remember if you gave them formula or breast, or if you used a non-natural cream as opposed to natural, or if you let them cry for five minutes while you gave yourself your first shower in two days. I can guarantee you and I can’t remember the details of our newborn life, so your baby won’t either! Take it easy on yourself. As long as you are both healthy, happy and loved, there’s not much more you can ask for. You’ve got this Mumma bear! Stay strong and believe in yourself! I do!
The best and most rewarding thing about your career and being a midwife and boss babe behind ‘Midwife in my Pocket’?
The best thing about my job is watching women grow and blossom into mothers. Handing them their baby for the first time and seeing the looks on their faces when they realise “I made this!” is second to none and something I cherish forever. Whilst the birth is incredible, I absolutely love helping women through their first steps in motherhood and guiding them through how to take care of their new little love. It brings my heart so much joy to see women who thought they couldn’t do it absolutely nail it without even trying. Motherhood is the most beautiful journey and I love the privilege of sharing (just a small piece of it) with incredible women.
Now that I’ve developed MIMP, it makes my heart sing when women reach out to me, letting me know that I’ve helped them in some way. I may not be a mother yet, but I understand how scary it can be for women to go into pregnancy and labour not knowing what to expect. I wanted to change that, and I wanted to help. Even if I manage to help just one woman with my tiny platform, I can sleep soundly at night knowing I’ve done my job and I’ve done it well.
Where can we find you?
Follow MIMP on Instagram and reach out via email at zoerobson2397@gmail.com.
Thank you Zoe for sharing your story and ah-mazing education and empowerment resource for women!
TDP x