Our History
Pioneering continuity-based maternity support in Singapore
From Singapore's first Asian doula to internationally recognised birth education — over two decades of shaping the birth landscape.
December 2002
Four Trimesters founded
Founded by Dr. Amy Chin-Atkins — Singapore's first Asian doula — at a time when doula care was largely unfamiliar locally. Her work laid the foundation for a compassionate, physiology-respecting model of maternity care that inspired Ginny Phang-Davey to continue and expand the vision.
2010 – 2013
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Coordinator
Working with WHO, MOH/HPB to support hospitals and healthcare teams in implementing evidence-based breastfeeding practices across Singapore.
TEDxSingapore
First globally recognised TEDx talk on birth
Delivered the first globally recognised TEDx talk on pregnancy and birth — the only TEDx Singapore talk to achieve significant international reach.
2017 – 2022
Four Trimesters Birth Sanctuary
Singapore's first continuity-of-care birth house model. Over 100 families birthed and lived with us in early postpartum before transitioning home — a landmark in Singapore's birth history.
Ongoing
Optimal Maternal Positioning® — international education
Ginny's evidence-informed approach to maternal biomechanics and positioning, now taught to midwives, doulas, and doctors internationally — with a primary teaching presence in Australia.
Today
Four Trimesters is recognised as one of Singapore's most established and trusted maternity support organisations — with over two decades of experience supporting families through all four trimesters.
Our Philosophy of Care
Our approach is simple, intentional, and deeply human.
We trust the birthing body
We centre physiology and support the conditions that help labour, breastfeeding, recovery, and bonding unfold with steadiness.
We honour informed choice
We prioritise clarity over pressure — so parents can make decisions that feel grounded, informed, and right for their circumstances.
We support without judgement
There is no single “right” way to give birth. We meet families where they are and support the path they choose with care.
We prepare families for the fourth trimester
Birth is a beginning. We prepare parents for postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, bonding, and the real-life transition into parenthood.
A “good birth” is not defined by a single outcome.
It is defined by whether a mother feels heard, supported, informed, and emotionally safe — and whether the family emerges connected rather than fractured by the experience.
Birth does not end with delivery. How a mother is supported — emotionally, physically, relationally — directly influences bonding, recovery, breastfeeding, and long-term wellbeing.
This is why Four Trimesters supports families across pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood, rather than focusing on labour alone.
Supporting birth, bonding, and family beginnings
The birth of a child marks the beginning of a family — a moment of profound physical, emotional, and relational significance, not only for the baby, but for the mother, the partner, and the family system that forms around them.
At Four Trimesters, our role is to hold the conditions that allow families to move through this transition with clarity, confidence, and care — so parents can step into parenthood grounded and supported.
I only want to open up the way to insight, acting as its midwife; it is up to every person to give birth.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOURTH TRIMESTER
Anthropologist Ashley Montagu described human gestation as an 18-month process — nine months in the womb, and nine months outside of it. This period of exterogestation reflects how essential touch, feeding, proximity, and emotional regulation are to early development.
— Ashley Montagu, anthropologistmonths in utero
Physiological gestation
months exterogestation
Development continues outside
Unlike most mammals, human babies are born:
- With brains at approximately 25% of adult size
- Neurologically immature — development accelerates rapidly after birth
- Entirely dependent on touch, feeding, and emotional regulation
What is the fourth trimester?
Human babies are born uniquely dependent. The fourth trimester — broadly the first 3 to 12 months postpartum — is a critical window where emotional and physical nurturing directly shapes long-term outcomes.
Founder • Educator • Doula • Mother
Ginny Phang-Davey is an internationally respected birth professional with over two decades of experience supporting families through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenthood.
Delivered the first globally recognised TEDx talk on pregnancy and birth, and the only TEDx Singapore talk to gain international reach.
Working with WHO, MOH/HPB supporting hospitals and healthcare teams to implement evidence-based breastfeeding practices.
A continuity-based birth house model supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and extended postpartum — where over 100 families birthed and lived with us early postpartum before transiting home.
International education & systems-level impact
Beyond direct family support, Ginny’s work extends into professional education and systems-level change.
She is the founder of Optimal Maternal Positioning® (OMP) — an evidence-informed approach to maternal biomechanics, movement, and positioning during pregnancy and birth.
- International teaching tours educating birth professionals in Optimal Maternal Positioning®
- Supporting the introduction of waterbirth and hydrotherapy practices within selected Singapore hospitals
- Collaborating with obstetricians to support homebirth and continuity-based care models within regulated medical frameworks
This educator role directly informs the way Four Trimesters prepares parents — grounding family care in physiology, biomechanics, and systems that work in real-world clinical settings.
Lived experience
- A former single mother
- A mother across two very different life stages
- Conceived her second child through IVF in her mid-forties
- Breastfed her first child for 6.5 years and continues to breastfeed her youngest
- Supported and experienced homebirth and postpartum care overseas, away from extended family support
This combination of systems-level insight, clinical experience, and lived motherhood allows Ginny — and the Four Trimesters philosophy — to support families with depth, humility, and steadiness, meeting parents where they are rather than where they “should” be.
Preparation, presence, and continuity
Whether parents are planning a physiological birth, a medicated birth, a caesarean, or are still exploring their options, our work focuses on preparation rather than ideology.
- Understand the role of oxytocin in labour, bonding, and recovery
- Reduce fear through knowledge and realistic preparation
- Work with the body using practical, evidence-informed techniques
- Navigate interventions with confidence when needed
- Enter parenthood emotionally grounded and connected as a couple
Our Commitment to Families
At Four Trimesters, our commitment is to:
- Evidence-informed education
- Continuity of care
- Clear, respectful communication
- Emotional and psychological safety
- Deep respect for parental autonomy
We believe no family should feel rushed, dismissed, or alone during this life-changing transition. It is a privilege to walk alongside families at the beginning of life.
A personal conversation to explore how we can support you.