Celebrity midwife Cath Curtin calls on famous friends for VCAT appeal against nursing watchdog’s conditions
She’s a midwife to the stars, and now Cath Curtin has called on her famous friends as she readies to fight Australia’s midwifery watchdog over sanctions for controversial Instagram posts.
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Celebrity midwife Cath Curtin is set to battle Australia’s midwifery watchdog after it sanctioned her over controversial Instagram posts.
The Herald Sun revealed in August that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia had ordered Ms Curtin undergo mentoring on “contemporary best evidence” for infant feeding, safe sleeping and advertising responsibility.
She blamed five women who complained about an Instagram post on breast feeding.
The best-selling author is now set to appeal the order in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which granted a “stay” on the conditions in September.
Ms Curtin has delivered more than 10,000 babies, and was on hand to help Rebecca Judd, Brooke Cotchin, Tiffiny Hall and Rebecca Maddern with their pregnancies.
She called for “faithful audience” to email her testimonials to help in her appeal.
“I would love to be able to provide proof that I do support breastfeeding, bottle feeding but most of all happy families,” she posted on social media.
“I love you mums, dads, partners and your babies and love helping you become happy, strong, mindful and happy parents.
“Life is tough but I am tougher.”
Emma Hawkins, the wife of Geelong star Tom, responded that Ms Curtin was the “best”.
“The kindest and the most supportive woman in the world,” she posted.
Others to offer their support included TV personalities Laura Turner and Rebecca Maddern, theatre star Lucy Durack and Pattie Newton.
Jack Riewoldt’s wife Carly also revealed that Ms Curtin “saved” her after the birth of her daughter, Poppy.
“Forever grateful that you have helped me to become the mum I (am) and to enjoy every minute with my Poppy … even when she does throw a tantrum,” she said.
The Herald Sun revealed in August that an Instagram post about breast and formula feeding landed Ms Curtin in hot water after a complaint from five women.
The post, along with a photo of milk spouting from a woman's breast, declared that feeding a baby was “not a competition” and that “#fedisbest”.
The watchdog’s conditions also ordered that Ms Curtin be mentored on advertising responsibilities with its code of conduct warning about conflicts of interest.
She has previously plugged a Perth psychology service, a breast pump and a feeding pillow on her Instagram, although it is not clear whether these were paid endorsements.
Ms Curtin revealed last month that it had been “a very distressing time”, and that she had recently received a hateful email from another midwife.
“She said that every midwife at a particular hospital hates me. Every doctor at that hospital hates me too,” Ms Curtin posted on Instagram.
She added: “I hope the haters find some peace in their world.”
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An Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency spokeswoman said AHPRA could not comment on Ms Curtin’s case.
“Confidentiality provisions … prevent us from commenting on individual practitioners or complaints about individual practitioners unless that information is publicly available,” she said.
The Herald Sun understands that a compulsory conference relating to the VCAT case has been scheduled for December 5.