OUR STORY
Started in a photography studio, built for families and the professionals who support them
First Flutter began in Raji's studio. After years of photographing maternity sessions and newborn shoots across Melbourne, she kept hearing the same thing from the families in front of her camera: they couldn't find the help they needed. A doula search abandoned at 36 weeks. A new mum asking if she knew anyone at all who could help with feeding. A dad on his fourth sleep consultant.
Raji always knew someone. Almost every brilliant doula, lactation consultant and sleep specialist in Melbourne had passed through her studio — and almost none of them were easy to find. First Flutter is her answer to that gap.
Our mission
First Flutter exists to connect expecting and new parents with the pregnancy, birth, and newborn professionals who can genuinely help them — at the exact moment they need support. We're starting in Melbourne.
We believe every parent deserves access to trusted, local, qualified professionals without having to trawl through Instagram, Facebook groups, or outdated Google listings to find them.
And we believe every dedicated professional in this space deserves a platform that treats their work with the respect it deserves — one that brings them warm, genuine leads without the complexity and cost of traditional advertising.
That's why we built First Flutter. A tool-first, community-backed directory that meets parents where they are — mid-contraction timer, mid-due-date calculation, mid-3am-feeding-log — and connects them with the right person at the right moment.
WHY IT MATTERS
Most parents we've spoken to find their doula, lactation consultant, or sleep specialist through Facebook groups, Instagram, or a friend-of-a-friend recommendation. By the time the right professional is found, the moment of need has often passed.
Most amazing practitioners in this space rely on word of mouth, which means the parents who'd benefit most from their work never hear of them.
We're building First Flutter to fix both sides of that gap.
What we stand for
Trust first
Every provider on First Flutter is manually reviewed before going live. We'd rather have fewer listings and have every one of them be genuinely excellent.
Australian through and through
We're built in Melbourne for the Australian market. AUD pricing, local suburbs, Australian health guidelines, and an understanding of how families here actually live.
Parents and professionals, equally
We care about the experience of both sides. Parents deserve to find help quickly and confidently. Professionals deserve leads that are warm, genuine, and worth their time.
Start simple, grow with purpose
We're a small team building something meaningful. We move carefully, listen to our community, and only add features that genuinely improve the experience for families and providers alike.
The person behind First Flutter
First Flutter is founded and run from Melbourne. When you reach out, you're talking to the person who started it — not a support queue.
Raji
Founder, First Flutter, Melbourne
Maternity and newborn photographer who has spent years in the studio with Melbourne families in their first weeks. Founded First Flutter after realising the parents she photographed were searching for help that already existed — and the professionals she admired deserved to be found.
Want to join us? We're always open to conversations with people who are passionate about supporting Australian families.
Get in touch →Why First Flutter?
The first flutter is one of the most profound moments in pregnancy — that first time you feel your baby move. A tiny, unmistakeable sensation that makes everything suddenly real.
It's a moment of joy, of wonder, and often of a little bit of overwhelm. Suddenly, the decisions feel more urgent. The preparation feels more pressing. The need for support feels more real.
We named this platform after that moment because it captures what we're trying to do — be there for families right at the beginning of something extraordinary, and connect them with the people who can help make that journey safer, calmer, and more supported.
From first flutter to first steps.
Are you a pregnancy or newborn professional?
Join First Flutter and start connecting with families in your local area.