Supporting health and wellness in pregnancy, birth and parenthood

Meet Talia Avenell, founder of Village Birth in Torquay and passionate women’s wellness advocate.

As an Allied Health Assistant in the Physiotherapy stream and Clinical Pilates instructor with more than 15 years’ experience, it was her own love for motherhood plus the lack of the modern day “Village”, that drove her to specialise in the perinatal field.

“It’s astounding how many pregnant women and new mothers feel isolated, overwhelmed, physically unable to cope and disconnected,” Talia said.

Having established other businesses supporting women’s health prior, including a pilates studio and an allied health clinic, it was clear to Talia there was need for a bigger space to bring women and mothers together and provide a different kind of support. One with continuity of care, community and heart.

Passionate and entrepreneurial in spirit, Talia brings a unique set of skills to what she does. She is also a trained birth doula supporting couples through pregnancy and childbirth and is a certified childbirth educator with

Hypnobirthing Australia, running monthly courses for those wanting to feel informed and prepared for the birth of their baby.

“When we empower women to feel strong in their bodies, calm in their minds and connected to a community, generally their wellbeing improves,” Talia said.

“Whether it’s preparing for labour, healing in the postpartum period or finding their way through the transition to motherhood – good physical and mental health is important for the wellbeing of the whole family.”

Talia has spent years studying mindfulness and meditation, which she says helps to bring balance in life.

“Having the ability to pause and reflect on something before responding is a powerful tool as a parent,” she said.

“Understanding that your mindset determines the quality of your experience of life is also a gamechanger.”

Aside from running her studios, Talia has been teaching mindful movement and meditation on retreats in Bali and the Indian Himalayas for the past seven years.

Her ability to bring her unique skillset to hold space for women, educate them and provide a safe, non-judgmental place for them to nurture themselves, is her biggest achievement.

Village Birth offers specialised pilates, yoga and fitness classes with a strong focus on pregnancy, birth and motherhood – however they are inclusive of all women.

“A village needs multiple generations of wisdom to be effective,” Talia said, who has women in their 70s joining the open classes.

Other services at the Village include Naturopathy, Massage, Postpartum Midwifery Care, Doula services, Childbirth Education and Parenting Support – however they would love more practitioners to join the team.

“I’m passionate about collaboration and working alongside other health professionals. We are lucky in this community to have so many incredible women in business making a difference.”

Village Birth is also a place for connection and community, hosting regular Mother Circles, free Mother Meet-ups and events, to bring isolated or unsupported women together.

“Parenting is a tough gig! We now offer private parenting support with a qualified Aware Parenting practitioner for
those wanting more tools,” Talia said.

“The response to our community offerings has been overwhelming and our motherhood village is quickly growing.”

To find out more about Village Birth or to book their services, head to villagebirth.com.au