My name is Collette Butler. I live in Launceston, Tasmania with my husband Nathan and our dogs.

I never imagined myself writing a book or having the title of author until almost 3 years ago now I gave birth to Amelia Maree - my first born, at 38 weeks gestation. Amelia was born still.

Prior to having Amelia I worked ( & still do) as a nurse and as a midwife briefly. Since I began nursing I developed a passion around women’s health which evolved into an interest in supportive families during baby loss. I strived to educate and improve areas of my local hospital/the ward I was working on around ways to support our patients through the grief of baby loss.

2020 came around and in the middle of the covid pandemic I gave birth of Amelia at the end of what was a very straightforward and uncomplicated pregnancy. Amelia died during labour as a result of the umbilical cord positioning.

I held my lifeless baby in my arms and my life changed forever.

Since Amelia’s death my husband and I tried to conceive a sibling for her. We underwent three miscarriages in the three years that followed. As I write this and set up this website I am blessed with my fifth pregnancy and am currently 34 weeks pregnant.

My vision behind Still a birth - in the beginning was just a way of debriefing and writing out what had happened as a way of coping with the grief. Since I began writing this book I have dove back into my passion for baby loss support and hope that this book may bring some support and comfort to those that read it.