Mandy Lewis

Meet Mandy, her Registered Midwife.

Happy, bubbly and kind—she’s quite the character.

Mandy works across all aspects of midwifery, but if she had to pick a favourite, it would be postnatal. Mainly because she loves watching the bonds formed between babies and their families but also because she has a particular affinity for multiple and premature births—having given birth to premature twins herself. For Mandy, being part of a woman’s journey into parenthood is more than her passion; it’s her privilege. She understands that every family’s story is unique and, she has always found the physiology and journey the body undergoes to accommodate pregnancy fascinating.

Before working at her, Mandy was employed by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide. A role that over many years, opened doors to opportunities such as becoming a student facilitator—helping students meet academic and clinical requirements for entry into the midwifery field. She’s an active member of the Multiple Birth Association of South Australia and has taken on a ‘premature birth contact’ volunteer role, which sees her support families of premature births. In 2014, she travelled to Cambodia to volunteer with the 2H project—sharing life-saving midwifery skills with traditional birth attendants. An experience describes as the highlight of her career thus far.

Mandy is currently a consumer representative with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institution (SAHMRI), providing insight into the best use of human donor breast milk in nurseries. The SAHMRI team are in the process of creating a study proposal on the use of donor milk for babies born moderate and late preterm (34 weeks and beyond). As, at present, only infants born earlier than 34 weeks are eligible to receive donor breastmilk. This study proposal will hopefully see all preterm babies receive human donor breast milk. As a passionate advocate on this topic, Mandy has shared her story in an ABC interview and more recently via ‘Milkshakes for Marleigh’—a podcast raising awareness around the importance of blood, blood product and breast milk donation.

When not at her, Mandy enjoys spending time with her family exploring the state. For her twin daughters, this involves going to the beach, whilst her husband would prefer to visit McLaren Vale for a spot of wine tasting.