Birth doula (professional birth support person) and postnatal doula, entrepreneur, artisan and author Cas McCullough lives on the bend of the Brisbane River near Mount Crosby Queensland, with her husband of 15 years, her three children, a cat, and 6 chooks.
The idea first sparked for Mumatopia when Cas was running a local pregnancy and birth support group in Ipswich. Cas wanted to provide support services for birthing women and new parents that offered practical assistance as well as link mums in to a range of quality resources that promote natural and sustainable family living.
“When I had my first baby, I was traumatised after a difficult birth, I felt alone and scared and didn’t know where to get help. Over the years I have found some excellent services and organisations that can really make a difference when you’re preparing for the birth of a baby or when you’re in the thick of life as a new parent.”
“Through Mumatopia, women will have ready access to information on pregnancy, birth and postnatal support services, highly recommended local natural therapists, child-friendly activities, beautiful handmade and eco-friendly products. It really is a mum’s utopia!”
Cas brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her role as a doula, writer and speaker about pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Cas is the former Editor of Birth Matters Journal, former President of Maternity Coalition and co-founder of Caesarean Awareness Network Australia. Since 2008 she has also been listed in Who’s Who of Australian Women. Cas is also an accomplished performing artist, and avid permaculture gardener. She also owns Support a Work at Home Person and provides content marketing and social media consultancy services to other women entrepreneurs and women in health-related businesses. In 2011, Cas also contributed as an expert to new book A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Natural, Empowering Birth.
Courses/Workshops Attended
- DONA International CBE Workshop 2010
- Better Birth Workshop 2009
- DONA International Birth Doula Workshop 2008
Presentations at Workshops, Conferences and Seminars
- McCullough, C. (2008) The VBAC Wars. Australian Midwifery Expo, Brisbane, Qld, November 2008 and Birth After Caesarean Intervention (BACI) Consortium Seminar, at University of Technology, Sydney, April 2009.
- McCullough, C (2007). But what if I want an epidural? How to reach women stuck in the medical model of care. Homebirth Australia conference, Sydney, November 2007.
- McCullough, C (2007). Creating the Journey of Healing. Australian College of Midwives, National Conference, Canberra, September 2007.
- McCullough, C (2007). Forgotten Mothers: Advocating for family-centred caesareans. Australian College of Midwives, Queensland State Conference, Gold Coast, July 2007.
- McCullough, C. (2006). BAC together: The consumer perspective on the benefits of collaborative care for women giving birth after caesareans. Breathing New Life into Maternity Care, Sydney, Australia, December 2006.
Feature Articles
- Our journey towards unschooling, Barefoot Magazine, December, 2010
- Maternity care for highly sensitive women, Kindred & Birth Matters Journal, 2010
- Conversations with Kate, Birth Matters, Winter 2009
- The banishment of autonomy, our stories and folklore, blog posting, June 2009
- Losing something precious: My experience of ectopic pregnancy, Birth Matters, Autumn 2009
- A closer look at women’s experiences and the aftermath of birth trauma, Birth Matters, September 2008.
- Is a fast birth a good birth? Birth Matters, March, 2008
- The VBAC Wars, published in Kindred Magazine, Winter 2008.
- Time to give mother guilt a herstory-ectomy, published in Kindred Magazine, Winter, 2008
- Myths and Misconceptions about Caesareans, Bub Hub Newsletter 2006
- ADHD, Who’s failing who? A review, Natural Parenting 2007
- My Heart on my Sleeve, Natural Parenting 2007
- On the Road with Daniel, Natural Parenting 2006
- Waiting for Daniel, published in Natural Parenting 2006 and AQAction, Spring, 2007
- Risk in birth, the case of VBAC, Birth Matters, 2005
- In their own sweet time, Natural Parenting 2005
- From one caesarean to another, Natural Parenting 2003
