Help at hand for mothers and others along life's journey

Mama Base Illawarra is a collection of services, including perinatal, child and family psychology, antenatal classes and naturopathy. Bringing all these strands together is founder Rachel Bridge, a perinatal, child and family psychologist, a children's book author and director of the business.

"As a mama of three, I describe myself as a person who loves to love and values strong, honest and authentic connections with others," Rachel says. 

"I enjoy reading, spending time outdoors exploring, as well as slow days pottering at home alongside our family dog. 

"We are a neuro-divergent family who has recently chosen the path of homeschooling for our youngest two, bringing about so many opportunities to engage with our local community as well as explore different places along the coastline."

Rachel has always wanted to work with children. She studied psychology and started her career in the out-of-home care industry, enjoying a profession that has allowed her to "ebb and flow" through life's seasons. 

"At the time of my first pregnancy, I was working for a local government-funded perinatal mental health team," Rachel says. 

"In this role and through my work of sharing in the journey of motherhood, as well as my own experiences as a mother, I became deeply passionate about working to improve parental wellbeing whilst also fostering infant and child development.

"I support families therapeutically through my private practice, Mama Base Therapeutic Team, which is part of a collective of perinatal services known as Mama Base Illawarra."

Rachel believe it's important to collaborate with community organisations to provide holistic, evidence-based support. She acknowledges the safe base for families provided by such local services and practitioners, and says they also need to be supported.

"Professional development conferences, peer supervision and small group mentoring are a few of the ways I am working to honour this."

Asked what the best part of her job is, Rachel replies: "Having the privilege of journeying alongside mothers, children and their families as they navigate some of the most vulnerable and delicate chapters of their life. 

"Being witness to human courage, kindness, love and strength. Having the flexibility to work hard and scaffold a business and a career that can align itself with the different seasons of family life."

Being a small start-up hasn't been smooth sailing, with disruption of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and now rising inflation.

"Launching a business in the midst of Covid lockdowns led to many unique challenges," Rachel says. In today's economic climate, however, the challenge is about "honouring our organisation's value of remaining accessible and client focused".

Like many small businesses, Rachel is feeling the squeeze of rising costs and falling demand, saying: "Honouring our organisation's value of remaining accessible and client-focused is challenging in the private setting as costs of business increase along with the living costs of the families that we support. 

"Being in the outdoors is soothing for myself and my entire family. We definitely feel drawn to camping down on the beautiful South Coast of NSW, local bush walks and ocean swims. Our current top three would be Coledale rockpool, the Cascade Walk and our local beaches and pools."

To contact Rachel, visit her website, phone 0432 964 294 or email rachel@mamabaseillawarra.com.au