About Us

At Embracing Motherhood, we have a very important purpose: to assist new mums to feel calm, strong and healthy through tailored postnatal progammes of natural healing and personal support. It is our experience that a new mums happiness and vitality flows to their new arrival and wider family, and in turn to our community, which ultimately creates a healthier world.

After all, we believe that when women are well, the world is well!

The team at Embracing Motherhood are a group of passionate professionals who feel very privileged to support mums and their families during this special time by providing excellence in postnatal care programmes, support and understanding.

We also make decisions that support environmental responsibility, so where possible, all products are organic and our business practices are environmentally sustainable, as we believe our earth is precious.

Introducing some of our special advisors

Co-founder Anne-Maree Nommensen

Brisbane businesswoman Anne-Maree Nommensen is no stranger to launching and running her own successful businesses, mostly in human resources and property. However Embracing Motherhood is proving to be her true passion since she first saw the principles of traditional wise women’s wisdom nurturing her daughter, then a new mother in Singapore.

Anne-Maree realised these time-honoured traditions had been lost to western society. The grandmother of 11 was compelled to share her deep passion and commitment to supporting the wellbeing of new mothers by spending 9 months developing Embracing Motherhood with co-founder Meaghan South.

Co-founder Meaghan South

Renowned spa and wellness pioneer Meaghan South has always had a deep passion and commitment to women’s wellbeing. She is also a trail blazer, opening The Dome Retreat in Brisbane in 1998, which became internationally renowned for its exceptional standards, professionalism and excellence in marketing.

Since then, Meaghan created Spa Solutions, a boutique consultancy which designs, plans and opens new five-star spa developments. Meaghan and Spa Solutions have played an integral role in developing some of Australia’s leading new and innovative spas, including The Lost World Spa at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Bale Port Douglas, the Cairns International Hotel and Quay West Bunker Bay in Western Australia.

Meaghan’s Spa consultancy work has broadened her business skills and expertise, which she is now devoting to Embracing Motherhood. She is also relishing creating, and being part of the inspired and committed team that is Embracing Motherhood.

Medical Advisor Dr David Cilento

Embracing Motherhood’s medical consultant Dr David Cilento has both a long-term and deeply personal understanding of the importance of traditional women’s wisdom and caring for women post-birth. In fact, his mother – the world-renowned holistic health practitioner Lady Cilento, had her tummy wrapped in 1921 when she had her first child, while based in Malaya working with his father, tropical health pioneer Sir Raphael Cilento.

'Dr David', as he was known on his Channel Nine show, is the youngest son of Lady Cilento, known as the 'Medical Mother' who wrote a column for The Courier Mail for more than 50 years. He has also contributed some of his famous mother’s therapeutic oil formulas which have been specially adapted for Embracing Motherhood’s signature postnatal massages.

Dr Cilento has been closely involved providing medical expertise during the development of Embracing Motherhood’s care programmes and provides on-going medical advice.

Our Naturopaths and Therapists

All highly qualified and experienced, our team comes from a wide range of disciplines and all have undergone extensive training with Embracing Motherhood. Many of them are mums themselves and continually express their privilege in being able to support new mums.

At Embracing Motherhood we are very proud of our practitioners and profile Susan Branley -

Susan is one of our delightful Massage Therapists, whose kind, gentle and friendly nature invites you to instantly relax in her care. With many years experience as a Massage Therapist combined with her highly regarded Diploma qualifications in Remedial Massage, along with specialised qualifications in Pregnancy & Postnatal Massage, Susan’s touch is experienced yet gentle and healing. Our mums simply love her and are always left wanting more of her special magic!

Here is what Sue says about her job:

“I am happy to report that as a Massage Therapist and a proud member of the Embracing Motherhood team, I love my job! I am surrounded and supported by the most wonderful bunch of women, who are not only passionate about our mission but are also some of the most ethical people I have ever met. Our mission is to provide Mothers and Mothers-to-be and their families a support network, nurturing, advice on health aspects, special teas and supplements and our now famous traditional massage and wrap treatments.

That's where I come in. I travel to our mums’ homes, every day for five days and provide our signature massage and wrap, using the finest quality oils and creams, following the traditional method of caring and nurturing for our mums. The benefits we are seeing are tremendous! Our mum's are sleeping wonderfully; their babies are noticeably more settled; breastfeeding is significantly more comfortable due to the muscles of the neck and shoulder region being released. We have found due to the breast massage, milk production increases and any signs of mastitis can be eliminated due to the lymphatic emphasis of the massage.

Weight loss is significant also! Usually by day three of our programme, both the Mum's and myself notice a definite decrease in weight. The nature of the lymphatic drainage and the wrap promote the body to expel excess fluid, blood and toxins from the system. Many of the mums I treat, have commented to me that they have been able to cope a lot more easily with the stresses that come with the arrival of the new bub; that they feel they were "back in their body" and more in control of themselves.

They have felt the support of our team which is very reassuring to them, they have a backup network they can rely on. Most of all, my mums are happy! Now that's what I call job satisfaction! Here's to our health and happiness!"

Susan Branley, Massage Therapist.