Nadine Richardson

Nadine Richardson is changing the conversation around birth - from something women are expected to simply get through, to an experience they can prepare for, understand and actively participate in.

Nadine Richardson is the CEO and Founder of She Births®, and author of the new book She Births. Her work sits at the intersection of science, childbirth education and the lived experience of becoming a parent. Nadine thinks we've been asking the wrong questions about birth. It's not about “natural or medical?” but rather “prepared or not?” A beautiful birth is about values, goals and safety with respect. All three are critical to every family having a beautiful birth, wherever they are in the world.

At the heart of Nadine’s approach is the belief that birth is about more than meeting a baby - it is also about meeting a new version of ourselves. Birth can be an opportunity to discover our authenticity, our strengths and our “superpowers”. For Nadine, this idea reaches far beyond childbirth itself. Whether we're birthing a baby or an idea, mothering another person or ourselves, we are all continually becoming more of who we truly are. Life unfolds along a continuum that carries us towards our wiser selves.

In She Births, Nadine takes women beyond the traditional birth plan to explore the full physical, emotional and psychological journey of birth and matrescence. She explains how the body prepares for labour, the powerful connection between the body and mind, and the neuroplastic changes that occur as we become parents - while giving women practical tools they can use before, during and after birth.

The book also explores the history behind modern maternity care, tracing the origins of today’s systems alongside the development of midwifery. Woven through this is a three-generation memoir, exploring how Nadine’s grandmother, mother and her own generation experienced birth and motherhood differently over the past 100 years - and what this reveals about women’s bodies, choice, agency and voice. She examines the feminist politics surrounding “natural” birth and pain relief, and asks whether having more information has actually made women feel more confident — or more anxious.

One of the ideas Nadine returns to is captured in a line from the book: “My grandmother was told nothing. My mother was told what to do. My generation is told everything - and we're more frightened than ever.” Each chapter also includes optional personal reflection prompts, inviting readers to explore their own beliefs around sexuality, power, intuition and the ideas they may have inherited about birth and motherhood.

The book combines evidence-based guidance with real-world preparation, including strategies for labour, communicating preferences, creating a birth plan, supporting partners, navigating previous trauma and approaching birth with greater awareness and confidence. It also brings the experience to life through illustrations and powerful birth stories from real women. And, as Nadine often hears from readers, it’s not just women who love it — dads do too.

Nadine’s message is bigger than birth itself. Through She Births® and her new book, she challenges the idea that families have to choose between medical knowledge and personal empowerment. Her approach is about giving parents better information, practical preparation and the confidence to make informed decisions - whatever their birth ultimately looks like.

Nadine brings together scientific understanding, years of experience in childbirth education and a deeply human perspective on becoming a parent. She is particularly compelling in conversations that move beyond the polarisation of “medical” versus “natural” birth, instead asking a more useful question: how can we give families the knowledge, preparation and support they need to navigate birth well, whatever unfolds?

With She Births, Nadine has distilled this approach into a practical and deeply personal resource for women preparing for one of the biggest physical and psychological transitions of their lives. Warm, articulate and evidence-led, Nadine is a compelling voice for podcasts, interviews and media conversations about birth, maternal wellbeing, informed choice and the transition into parenthood.

On air, Nadine is warm, funny and evidence-led - a rare voice who can talk pelvic floors and the politics of power, without blame and without the woo.