It's something that's estimated to affect up to 20 per cent of new and expectant mums, and it covers a wide range of conditions.

As a general practitioner it was something Dr Vavrek was faced with all too often, with patients continuing to report they were struggling with their mental health.

A desire to help address this was among many catalysts that inevitably led her to establishing The Bubble - an independent, private GP clinic in Launceston specialising in sexual and reproductive women's health care.

Tucked away off Brisbane Street, opening the doors of this unassuming brown brick building reveals a warm and welcoming environment that doesn't feel anything like a clinical space - and that's the point.

"I didn't want it to be clinical. I wanted this place to be the opposite of most medical centres," Dr Vavrek explained.

"The Bubble - it's the idea of an all encompassing space that surrounds the whole family. A round structure, like a pregnant belly or breastfeeding breasts.

"I wanted it to be a place where a woman could come and sit and breastfeed and feel comfortable. All the rooms have that calming nature to it."

Born and raised in Launceston, Dr Vavrek is The Bubble's clinical director and a consulting GP, sharing her time between it and Windmill Hill Medical on High Street.

She is also one of only two practitioners within Tasmania accredited in Neuroprotective Developmental Care - also known as the Possums program.

Based on more than two decades of medical research, NDC aims to protect the rapidly developing brain and gut of an infant during the first 12 months of life - starting antenatally - while offering support for the parents' mental health and psychological resilience.

READ MORE: Launceston sites in COVID casual contact list

NDC is delivered by accredited health professionals, with about 60 offering services across Australia - and now two in Tasmania.

"It looks at different domains," Dr Vavrek explained.

"What we know is you can't talk about a baby's feeds, without talking about maternal mental health or a baby's sleep. It's all interrelated.

"As far as I am aware, this [The Bubble] is the first of its kind in Tassie in terms of a GP-run women's health clinic with pregnancy management and post-natal care. We are the only two [NDC qualified] practitioners in this area, in Tasmania."

Dr Georgia Bavin - the second NDC accredited GP in Tasmania, who also works at The Bubble - said the holistic approach was helping to fill the gap between evidence-based advice and anecdotal advice.

"Even though everyone wants the best for new mums and babies, a lot of information out there isn't evidence-based. So there is a bit of a gap between the evidence, and what we tell mums," she said.

"If women are getting conflicting advice from a lot of different people, it can be really hard. On a personal level, I think both Natasha and myself found it [NDC] really helpful for our families. It is a very empowering approach, that makes women feel confident."

READ MORE: Two die in two-vehicle crash on Bass Highway

The friendship, and now working relationship of Dr Vavrek and Dr Bavin began quite organically when the pair met at a baby shower.

Now they, along with an accredited mental health social worker, a practice manager and a medical receptionist make up the female-led team of professionals working at The Bubble.

With plans to further build on a network of services in Launceston focused on women's health, Dr Vavrek said they were looking forward to more collaborations.

READ MORE: Community efforts helps bring lost dog Ruby back home

"Since opening [in April] we've had a lot of local businesses reach out who work in the same space who would like to align with us, which has been wonderful," she said. "I want to create a community. We are not in competition with anyone.

"We want to work alongside everyone else and I think in Launceston we can definitely achieve that. The more educated we are about what's out there, the more we can help women. It's a no brainer."

More information on The Bubble can be found here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: