Meet Your Team
of Midwives
Kowhai Midwife Collective is a great mix of different types of training and backgrounds. As a group of experienced midwives, we bring individual skills to create a cohesive team.
Meet your midwives
Sarah Joyce
I trained at Auckland University of Technology then moved back to Hawke’s Bay for family support with my 2 young children after my husband died suddenly.
I worked for 10 years at Hawke’s Bay DHB, Maternity wards and spent 6 years on the Community Midwives team providing care to some of Hawke’s Bays’ most vulnerable women and whānau. I also worked in the Obstetric Clinic alongside the obstetric team providing care for high-risk maternity patients. During this time I completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Complex Care.
Now that my daughters are grown and living away from home, I have thoroughly enjoyed being self-employed for the past four years. The LMC life has enabled me to discover the true heart of midwifery by providing individualised care and enabling clients to feel supported to make choices for their care and birth; including those who choose to birth at home. Establishing meaningful relationships with my clients and their whānau is essential to forming a truly trusting partnership.
Aisling Armananzas Crowley
I’m originally from Spain. I’ve been a midwife now for 18 years and before that I worked as a nurse in an accident and emergency department. I trained in London, UK where I worked in a high-risk hospital setting for a few years but then worked mainly in the community supporting women who chose to give birth at home.
I moved to Hawke’s Bay nine years ago and started working as a Hospital Midwife at Hastings Hospital. I left the hospital after a couple of years to become a LMC Midwife. I’m married and have 3 beautiful girls.
Sarah Nation
I worked as a registered nurse for 15 years, in sexual health and general practice before deciding to start midwifery. I have been working as a LMC for the past nine years and have enjoyed supporting clients through the very important journey of having a baby and seeing their family grow and thrive. Working within a professional and collegial team enables me to provide safe care to clients and to be the best midwife I can be.
I have three gorgeous children who are all venturing off into the world embarking on their own life journeys; I am proud to see them finding their own way. My daughter Sophie is a midwife, which is very special.
In my spare time I love to feed a crowd and feast around a table with those I love, enjoying wine and music played on vinyl and lots of laughter and storytelling. I enjoy live music and travelling near and far to do this is something I look forward to doing more of in the coming years. Midwifery is very dear to me and I hope to sustain my practice and a healthy balance of work, love and life for many years to come.
Sharnalee Withey
She/Her
After graduating in 2015 I have worked in the hospital and in the community supporting birth at home, Waioha and in hospital. Whilst I have loved the challenge of my most recent role as a Charge Midwife, community midwifery is what I enjoy most.
I believe that with really good antenatal care (the period when you grow your baby), families go into birth and parenthood armed to make good strong decisions for themselves and baby. You will feel heard and will be an active decision maker in your care. Because I have chosen surround myself with midwifery partners who all have similar ways of giving care, I believe that no matter who is on-call, you will be safe and well cared for when your time comes.
My down-time is spent with my wife and daughter, usually at the beach or camping. Family is hugely important to me. My cup is full when I’m surrounded by nieces and nephews causing mess and chaos. I think we can all learn from the way children see the world.
Your Postnatal Midwives
Kelsey Kullen
I have worked across the whole scope of midwifery practice; from full-time LMC midwifery to working in the hospital and even a couple of contracts overseas.
I love working with parents and their new babies and helping them to have the best start in life. I am a new(ish) Mum myself to a beautiful one year old boy. I’ve lived in Napier for a couple of years now and loving working as specialist postnatal midwife.
Vanessa Bryant
I grew up in Hawke’s Bay and have now settled in Clive with my partner and 3 grown children. Outside of work I enjoy bike riding, reading and enjoying family time.
I look forward to joining your up-coming postnatal journey. I have worked in both LMC and hospital-based roles and have found my midwifery passion lies in the postnatal period; one of the most demanding and rewarding journeys you will ever walk in life. During the first 6 weeks I will help you and your baby to become the best team you can be.
