SHAKTI

From the Sanskrit word śakti meaning “power, strength, capability”. It is a sacred energy present during childbirth.

Birth is sacred.

Calm. Peaceful. Quiet. Ethereal.

It is also empowering. Raw. Loud. Intense.

No two births are the same, just as no two birthing parents are the same.

My services and support are tailored to suit your needs. I don’t believe in empowering birthing parents, as you already have the power, strength, and capability – shakti – within you. Sometimes you just need a little reminder of that power; a few practical tools; and some reliable and unbiased physical, emotional, and/or informational support to achieve the positive childbirth and postpartum experience that you deserve.

Services and Products

From pregnancy through to postpartum, the professional services and useful products provided by Shakti Births will enhance your sense of confidence and comfort that comes from finding a place of control.

Click on the images below to find out more.

my story

meet tamryn

Hello, and welcome to my website.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your pregnancy. If you have found your way here, it means you are already exercising your power of choice and are researching ways to enhance your childbirth experience.

My name is Tamryn Schmahl, and I am the accredited HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator and doula behind Shakti Births. Click below to learn more about me.

Photo of Tamryn Schmahl

Evidence-based

I follow evidence-based birth and postpartum practices, ensuring I keep up to date with new happenings.

Certified

I am accredited with The HypnoBirthing® Institute, WOMBS, and DOSA, and am affiliated with most major medical aids.

Inclusive

I enthusiastically support birthing parents of all ages, genders, cultures, sexual orientations, and belief systems.

client love

Affiliations

I am trained as a birth doula with Women Offering Mothers Birthing Support (WOMBS), a postpartum care provider (PPCP) with Midwife Cafe, and a HBCBE with HypnoBirthing® International. I am also a founding member of Consciously Connected, a member of Doulas of South Africa (DOSA), and an expert for BabyYumYum parenting portal. I am a registered doula service provider with Discovery Health, Momentum Medical Scheme, and Fedhealth.

In addition to home births, I support births at the following facilities:

If your birth facility is not mentioned above, please contact me to find out if I can support births there. I support births throughout Gauteng.

MediWallet is designed to help you pay for medical expenses over 18 months in affordable instalments. MediWallet is a revolving credit facility; as soon as you make a payment towards your account, that amount becomes available to you again. You can still qualify for a MediWallet account even if you have a medical aid.  No waiting periods, no restrictions, no cash up front and no hidden fees.

Click here to find out if you qualify for credit with MediWallet.

blog

Natural Labour Induction
Doula

Natural Labour Induction Methods

You’ve heard it all before … Walk! Drink castor oil! Red raspberry leaf tea! Sex! In this blog post, we look at many different ways to induce labour naturally. What really works, what doesn’t, and why and when to try them.

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Doula

The Father, the Mother, and the Doula

When I started my doula work, I often found that the mothers really wanted a doula, but the father was hesitant; he worried about whether I would take his place and he wouldn’t be able to help. Nothing is further from the truth, so I wrote this little piece to explain just how the doula works with a couple.

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Doula

I Wish We Could Afford a Doula, But …

What if I told you that you can afford a doula?
A doula is an integral member of your birth team. Whether you are planning a hospital birth with aaalll the pain meds you can get your hands on, a homebirth with nothing but water and essential oils – or any other sort of awesome birth in between – a doula is going to be one of the most valuable investments you can make, for one of the most important days of your life.

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Breastfeeding

Informed Breastfeeding – Part 1: Pregnancy and Birth

Accurate information and adequate support for pregnant mothers appears to be hard to come by in the general population, and is often mentioned as one of the key reasons for premature weaning or not breastfeeding at all.
The longevity of old wives’ tales and the lack of support and information translates into some inaccurate expectations of breastfeeding and breastmilk production, many of which we see when mothers are nearing the end of their pregnancies or during the first few days of their babies’ lives. In this blog post, we will explore some of these myths and provide some accurate information on breastmilk and breastfeeding during pregnancy and the first few hours after birth.

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