Jen Ivey

Following a long journey to motherhood, Jen has spent a combined total of 7 weeks in the neonatal unit and special care nursery at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, following the premature birth of her two miracle babies, Kove (31 weeks) and Neve (36 weeks). Although feeling incredibly grateful, Jen understands the challenges of navigating recurrent early pregnancy loss, infertility and IVF, coupled with the unexpected, unique, hidden and ongoing stress experienced from having her babies cared for in NICU.

Outside of the home, Jen has dedicated much of her life to supporting children in their early years (aged 0-8 years) with developmental delay, intellectual and physical disability and their caregivers, working as a community based paediatric occupational therapist. Jen now hopes to combine her work and lived experience of infertility, high risk pregnancy and premature birth, to improve the developmental outcomes specifically for preterm infants whilst considering the mental health of their mothers and caregivers.