About Diana

Certified Dunstan Baby Language Educator

My pregnancies and birth stories

I’m Diana, a Wellington-based mama to two incredible children. One in heaven and one this side of life.

Today, I am New Zealand's first and only Certified Dunstan Baby Language Educator, helping new and expectant parents understand their babies, trust their instincts, and feel more confident in those precious early weeks.

Becoming a mum wasn't a straightforward journey for me.

After many attempts and three pregnancy losses, my partner and I were overjoyed when I finally was pregnant with our son. After three months of severe morning sickness and countless hugs with the toilet, I did everything a first-time mum is "supposed" to do. Prenatal classes, healthy eating, Spinning Babies, a carefully written birth plan, a packed hospital bag, and all the newborn essentials.

I was ready.

Or so I thought.

When my waters broke, they were green. Meconium. Straight to hospital. Goodbye birth pool, hello IV line. Thirty-six hours later, after a long and complicated labour, our son arrived via ventouse delivery.

We were exhausted, overwhelmed, and completely in love.

We had prepared endlessly for the birth.

What we hadn't prepared for was life with a newborn.

Even though I had read everything I could about babies and child development, I believed people when they said, "You'll figure it out as you go."

Honestly, I think only someone who has had a wonderfully chill baby could say that.

My son Magnus was many wonderful things, but chill wasn't one of them.

The first MisCommunication

He was sensitive from the very beginning, and it quickly dawned on us that we knew very little about communicating with our newborn.

What did his cries mean?

What did he need?

Sometimes my partner and I even had different opinions about what he needed.

On day two in hospital, while my partner had stepped out for food, Magnus cried harder than ever before. After twenty exhausting minutes of trying to soothe him, I called a midwife in tears.

She picked him up, held him over her shoulder, and he settled instantly.

It crushed my confidence.

Was I cut out for this?

Of course I was. And so are you.

A Very Different Beginning

Years later, when my daughter arrived, the labour was surprisingly similar. Weeks of contractions. An induction. Birth pool dreams. Another meconium-filled water break. An ambulance ride. Another birth plan abandoned.

But everything after her birth was different.

From the moment she arrived, I understood her. Her cries made sense. Hungry. Tired. Uncomfortable.

It felt as though she was speaking to me in words.

This time I trusted myself completely.

The difference was knowing Dunstan Baby Language.

With Magnus, I constantly second-guessed myself. With my daughter, I felt confident and connected. Even Magnus learned some of the sounds and would proudly tell me when his baby sister was hungry or tired.

He was always right.

Then life threw us into one of the most stressful and traumatic periods our family would ever face.

During those months, I couldn't focus on wake windows, feeding schedules, or body cues.

What I could do was listen.

There was no guessing. No wondering.

I knew what my daughter needed because I understood her sounds. I could confidently ask family and friends to settle her, burp her, change her nappy, or take her for a walk, knowing exactly what she was communicating.

I want to have that skill

Why I do this

My own experience with the Dunstan Baby Language was so powerful, that I couldn't understand why not every new parent was given this knowledge and the ability to bond like this from Day One.

So, I decided to change that.

I trained as a Certified Dunstan Baby Language Educator and began supporting parents so they could experience the same confidence and connection I had found.

Then my 2.5 year old son Magnus was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away after a brave 1.5 years fight, leaving his little sister behind and our hearts broken.

His journey changed me forever.

Losing him gave the phrase "long days, short years" an entirely new meaning.

I have always responded to my children's cries. I fed Magnus to sleep, cuddled him through the night, and embraced an attachment-based approach to parenting.

Yet, I still wish those early months had been easier. I wish I had understood him sooner. I loved that I had that understanding with my daughter. Every sound she made told me what she needed.

That is why this work matters so much to me.

Every moment with our children is precious. Every connection matters. Every opportunity to understand them matters. Not being stuck in survival mode matters.

Today, I have the privilege of helping new and expectant parents navigate those early weeks and develop greater confidence, connection, and calm.

There is so much joy in watching parents effortlessly realise what their baby is trying to tell them.