GOLD Learning Speakers

Saleemah McNeil is a Reproductive Psychotherapist, Certified Lactation Consultant, professionally trained Birth Doula and a traumatic birth survivor. Saleemah has dedicated her work to helping families of color heal from traumatic birth experiences and transition into parenthood. Saleemah has held several positions in the field of Maternal & Child Health and Wellness. Mrs. McNeil furthered her knowledge and experience with vulnerable birthing persons and served as a Philadelphia County Jail Based Case Manager at Riverside Correctional Facility. In this role, she assisted birthing women during their most vulnerable times as a Doula. Working in the Department of Corrections, ignited anger and passion which ultimately guided Saleemah to a masters in clinical psychology and counseling . After watching years of unfair treatment and inhumane conditions, reproductive injustice, systemic racism and trauma, Saleemah founded a nonprofit organization, Oshun Family Center. She launched a citywide initiative to reduce Black maternal mortality through the “Maternal Wellness Village” program and became a key figure and content area expert in the region. Mrs. McNeil's work is rooted in a deep appreciation and understanding that surviving the 4th trimester can mean life or death for some women. As a clinician, advocate, researcher and trainer, Mrs. McNeil’s work is grounded in helping families not only survive but thrive by utilizing an anti-racism and trauma sensitive framework. Her passion has driven her to explore new endeavors such as impacting policy change and ultimately shifting the provider - client dynamic in healthcare by addressing the disparities for Black women.

Sally is an IBCLC in Leicester, UK, and has been supporting families there, particularly families from BME communities, for 15 years. Her interest in multi-culturalism and diversity has grown, from teaching French in a large community college, to her current role leading Leicester Mammas CIC, a city-wide community breastfeeding peer support programme developed and delivered by and for local mothers. She has previously been a La Leche League leader, and was part of the pioneering LLL Peer Counsellor Programme team, under the leadership of Sarah Gill, who brought the LLLPCP from the US to the UK. A core element of her approach to protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding is its role in the wider society: mitigating poverty, health inequalities and social isolation, and creating strong communities of women from all walks of life. She is has recently completed an MA in Integrated Provision for Families in Early Years. Sally is Deputy Chair of LCGB (Lactation Consultants of Great Britain).

Dr Sally Pezaro is an Academic midwife, and an editorial board member of the British Journal of Midwifery and the International Journal of Childbirth. She is also a member of the Mary Seacole Awards steering group funded by Health Education England, a panelist on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practise Investigating Committee and ‘The Academic Midwife’ on Facebook. Sally has experience working as a midwife clinically in the United Kingdom, the Gambia and Ethiopia. Reflecting on her own experiences, Sally has developed a passion for supporting the psychological wellbeing of health care professionals. Throughout her PhD work, Sally secured the case for developing an online intervention, designed to primarily support midwives in work-related psychological distress. The overriding vision for Sally’s ongoing research is to secure a psychologically safe professional journey for midwives and excellence in maternity care. Her latest work focuses upon improving maternity care for those childbearing with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), transgender communities, substance use and domestic violence in particular.

Sandy LaVonne Jamieson became passionate about nutrition when her first baby suffered a series of painful ear infections which were cured by dietary supplements after allopathic medicines failed. She was an avid breastfeeding mom, La Leche League Leader, and currently works for the United States Women, Infant, Children Nutrition office helping moms and babies to meet their breastfeeding goals. She is the mother of six breast fed children and seven and eight-ninths grandchildren. Sandy is working to help babies regain their birthright.

Sandy Jose, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC is a board certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) in the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Texas Children’s Hospital. She completed her NNP education at Rush University in Chicago and her DNP at UT Cizik School of Nursing in Houston. Her passion for quality improvement has helped improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm neonates by reducing the risk for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) through the establishment of her “Mindful of Preemies” protocol. She was also a key stakeholder for the development of Neuro-Protective Guidelines for the Small Baby Unit (SBU) Program for Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) neonates. In addition, she continues to actively participate in various QI initiatives within the NICU.

Sara Kindberg has been a midwife since 1999, working in hospitals in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Greenland. Perineal care and especially surgical repair of perineal lacerations has been her clinical and academic focus and subject of her Master of Health Thesis in 2005 and her PhD dissertation in 2008.

The research highlighted an unmet need for hands-on training and bedside supervision among midwifery students and midwifery colleagues. The Danish Ministry of Innovation and Research rewarded Sara with a grant to commercialise her knowledge and passion for training perineal repair into an online resource: GynZone.net. Sara was nominated “Female Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2011.

GynZone offers online learning about the diagnosis and surgical repair of perineal lacerations from 1st to 4th degree tears.

Sara currently also works as a perineal care specialist at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and is managing the first Scandinavian midwifery led pelvic floor unit that offers early secondary perineal repair.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted this set-up of a midwifery-led pelvic floor clinic as an example of excellent clinical practice in the European compendium of good practices in nursing and midwifery towards Health 2020 report.

Since graduating with a degree in Midwifery in 2002, I have worked as a midwife within the NHS. I also qualified as an Osteopath and I specialise in pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pains, breastfeeding issues and manage newborns and children following a traumatic birth using Cranial Osteopathy.

Specialities include:

• Information and advice on various treatment options for pregnancy, postnatal women and newborn babies.
• Help and guidance around suitable techniques including Osteopathy, Massage, Manipulation and Exercise Rehabilitation, Medical.
• Acupuncture, Cranial Osteopathic Techniques, and Kinesio Taping and Strapping.
• Advising on breastfeeding skills and techniques.

Dr. Sarah Buckley is trained as a GP/family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics. She has been writing and lecturing to childbirth professionals and parents since 1997 and is the author of the best-selling book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. Sarah has a special interest in the hormones of physiological labour and birth and the impacts of interventions. In 2015 she completed an extensive report on this topic, Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing, published with Childbirth Connection (US). She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, researching oxytocin in labour and birth. She has co-authored several papers on oxytocin in labour, birth and breastfeeding. Sarah is also the mother of four children, all born at home and now in their teenage years and beyond. She lives on the semi-rural outskirts of Brisbane. For more, see www.sarahbuckley.com

Sarah Coutts is a registered nurse and lactation consultant with over 10 years experience in the neonatal intensive care unit. She currently is working as a Developmental Care Specialist in a NICU in Vancouver, Canada. Previous to this position Sarah was the Kangaroo Care Coordinator of an implementation science study to improve uptake of Kangaroo Care in NICUs in British Columbia. She is part of team of clinicians and researchers interested in understanding the barriers and enablers to Kangaroo Care from both the healthcare provider and parent perspectives and creating innovative strategies to increase knowledge and practice of Kangaroo Care in the NICU. She is passionate about raising awareness of the positive outcomes of zero separation between preterm and sick infants and their parents in the NICU.

Sarah is a Certified Professional Midwife, licensed in Oklahoma and Texas, and the owner of Tulsa Birth Center. She holds a master’s degree in Maternal-Child Health Systems. Sarah is the current president of National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, Oklahoma Chapter, and serves on the Board of the Midwives Alliance of North America as the Director of Organizational Development.

Ensuring that families are treated with respect, dignity, and kindness during some of life’s most vulnerable moments is my calling, my passion, my purpose, and my greatest joy. Midwifery captured my heart and my mind in 2010 and I have been attending births ever since. The journey has taken me to places I never dreamed, and I currently work in my home state of Kansas as well as internationally in midwifery education, research, and clinical practice. I am also an animal lover, a competitive athlete, and acro yoga enthusiast.

Sarah Hornsby is a registered dental hygienist, orofacial myofunctional therapist, speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur. She’s the founder and creator of MyoMentor, a comprehensive mentorship and online educational platform for myofunctional therapy with over 900 graduates as of August 2022. She’s passionate about merging technology into patient care and has been a pioneer in utilizing telehealth practices in the field of myofunctional therapy since 2014. Sarah is a provider advocate as much as she is an advocate for her patients. Her goal is to empower hygienists and dentists to elevate the standards of care by helping their patients through healthy breathing, airway dentistry, myofunctional therapy, and multi-disciplinary collaboration. She opened Faceology, her private myofunctional therapy practice, in 2010 and today it is a thriving telehealth speciality clinic with a focus on adult patient populations and complex treatment cases. Although Sarah has been a myofunctional therapist for over 10 years, it was actually her own health journey that led her down the path to help her patients.

Sarah McNamee is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Mentor (Clinical). She is the Director/Owner of McNamee & Associates, LLC, a company that specializes in infant and early childhood mental health and supports families, communities, and providers through direct service, consultation, supervision/mentoring, and training. Sarah’s specialties include infant/early childhood mental health (with a focus on supporting families with baby/young child born premature, babies and young children with special health care needs, and highly sensitive babies/young children/parents), supporting infant regulation, reflective practice, and the provision of reflective supervision/consultation. Sarah is passionate about co-creating spaces that welcome the inherent wisdom and strength of individuals and communities in a trauma-informed and culturally responsive way. It is in these spaces that we discover the best tools we have for supporting individuals and communities, as well as changing our systems of care for babies, young children, and families. Sarah is the parent to three beautifully amazing and challenging human beings who continue to teach her the true meaning of intentional, attuned, and responsive caregiving.

Sarah Mlambo is a registered Nurse and Midwife who has international and intercultural nursing and midwifery experience in both the public and private sector. She has several qualifications from Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Sarah Mlambo is currently finalising her PhD  where she focusses on a model for midwives in the facilitation of childbirth-choices. She is a published author and Midwifery educator in Namibia.  

Sarah is a Registered General Nurse, Health Visitor, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Tongue-tie Practitioner with a busy private practice based in Cambridgeshire, UK. Sarah worked as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor for the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers for several years and continues to run a weekly breastfeeding support group as a volunteer. Sarah is a founder member and former Chair of The Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners in the UK and is the author of the book, ‘Why Tongue-tie Matters’. She offers an online course in tongue-tie and infant feeding in association with Babyem and provides education on infant feeding and tongue-tie for healthcare professionals and breastfeeding supporters in the public, private and volunteer sectors.

Sarah Reece-Stremtan MD is an associate professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at the George Washington University in Washington DC. Her clinical practice is centered at Children's National Hospital in DC, where she works as a pediatric anesthesiologist, acute pain physician, and acupuncturist. She has particularly strong interests in perioperative preservation of breastfeeding, with specific expertise in safety of anesthesia and analgesia medications used by breastfeeding mothers. She has spoken at Congressional Briefings on the need for enhanced research into the use of medications by breastfeeding and pregnant women, and sits on working group #4 within a federal task force developed to enhance Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women (PRGLAC).

She has long been involved with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, authoring multiple clinical protocols, chairing various committees, and most recently serving as Treasurer for 2 terms after 5 years as a member of the Board of Directors.

Sarah J. Rhoads, PhD, DNP is a telehealth researcher and educator, emphasizing the human impact of technologies on health care provider roles and patients. Dr. Rhoads is a Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She has been the primary investigator on multiple grants related to telehealth and is a Co-Investigator with the South Central Telehealth Resource Center, which facilitates telemedicine in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Several of Dr. Rhoads’ research and project grants have focused on the Mississippi River Delta region of the United States. Dr. Rhoads has a passion for improving maternal, neonatal, and pediatric care in rural areas.

Saraswathi Vedam is Lead Investigator of the Birth Place Lab at University of British Columbia. Over 35 years, she has been a midwife, educator, and researcher. She led the provincial, community-based participatory studies, Changing Childbirth in BC and the Giving Voice to Mothers Studies, exploring access to respectful maternity care across birth settings in North America. These projects led to two new quality measures: the Mothers’ Autonomy in Decision Making (MADM) scale and the Mothers on Respect (MORi) index, that assess quality and safety as defined by the service user. She is currently PI of a 5-year CIHR funded national study of respectful maternity care across Canada. Professor Vedam has been active in setting international policy on place of birth and interprofessional collaboration. She led a multidisciplinary team to conduct the Access and Integration Maternity care Mapping (AIMM) Study; convened 3 national Home Birth Summits; and chaired the 5th International Normal Labour and Birth Research conference.

Sarita Bennett, DO, grew up in the Appalachian Mountains in traditions that valued self-reliance and resourcefulness. After experiencing hospital birth in 1978, she began to understand why her elders had told her that birth belongs at home. Sarita began practicing midwifery in 1980 to provide the option she had been looking for in her community and couldn’t find. Her education was experiential and supplemented by any resource available. In 1994, she entered the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and, upon graduating with honors, completed a community-based Family Medicine Residency, returned to her hometown in WV, and opened a Family Medicine clinic providing full-spectrum care. From 2013 - 2021, Dr. Bennett lived in the Charlottesville, VA, area where she trained midwifery and physician assistant students while providing care for home birth families and at her free-standing birth center. She is currently enjoying being retired, living back home in the mountains of WV, and watching the next chapter of life begin to unfold.

Dr. Satish Tiwari has worked as Professor of Pediatrics for 5- 6 years, and was responsible for the formation of the Indian Medico-Legal Ethics Association (Founder President), and the Human Milk Banking Association (India). He is a recipient of the Dr Nirmala Kesaree Oration 2012 and Dr NB Kumta Award 2015 for outstanding work in IYCF. He is a trainer in Human Lactation, breastfeeding, human milk banking, medico-legal issues etc. He has National, International publications and has provided editorial services for: a Textbook on Medico-legal Issues, Feeding Fundamentals, International J Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Transplant & Nutrition, and the Journal Indian Medico-Legal Ethics Association. He is Founder Editor-in-chief for the New Indian Journal Pediatrics. He is Founder Secretary Medico-legal group, Founder Secretary IYCF chapter IAP. He worked as President BPNI Maharashtra 04-06, Member Central Coordination Committee of BPNI (New Delhi) 06-08 and National Executive Indian Academy Pediatrics 07. He was a Postgraduate & Undergraduate examiner in Pediatrics and has been invited as a Guest Speaker on Infant feeding, breastfeeding, Medico-legal issues, HIV, Behavioral problems, etc.

Dr. Sayida Peprah is both a licensed clinical psychologist and birth doula, with over 10 years of experience in both fields. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and maternal mental health. Dr. Sayida has a multi-faced career as a psychologist, diversity and cross-cultural educator, and community-based doula program director. Dr. Sayida is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., who's mission is “fostering diversity and supporting communities and the providers who serve them.
An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families. Dr. Sayida has served and continues to serve on advisory committees including Perinatal Equity Initiative Committees, and formerly the California Maternal Suicide Review Committee and others aimed at identifying key risks and opportunities for quality improvement and prevention around disparities.

Dr. Siegel is a pioneering Tongue Tie surgeon, mentored through medical school, residency and in private by practice by the late Elizabeth Coryllos, MD. He is a dual degree MD, DDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, lectures internationally and publishes on the topic of Reflux associated with Lip and Tongue Ties.

Sejal is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in private practice and an infant massage educator in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. She combines her professional expertise with her personal instincts as a mother and a supportive team member.
She holds a Bachelors in Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Science.
She also brings with her the following comprehensive toolkit: Certified Educator of Infant Massage, Formerly Certified in skin-to-skin care for full term infants from the United States Institute of Kangaroo Care Certified Provider of Innate Postpartum Care.
She has presented nationally and internationally for GOLD lactation, ILCA, community colleges, local lactation organizations.
As a lactation consultant, she believes that every individual needs to be educated about breast health, optimal infant feeding and how breastfeeding support is a basic human right and can impact world health globally.
She strives to help each family by continuing to learn all she can about breast health, breastfeeding ecology, breastfeeding movement and parent-infant connection using the neurobiological and infant mental health lens.
When she’s not with her clients, you can find her at home in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, listening to bollywood music, hanging out with friends and spending time with her family.

Sekeita Lewis-Johnson is a Registered Nurse and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Michigan State University in 1997. Most of her career has been as a labor and delivery nurse, with almost 10 years of experience as a Lactation Consultant. She consults with clients in the hospital setting, as well, as outpatient settings. She is currently a Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate at Wayne State University. Passionate about breastfeeding and its health outcomes, Sekeita provides lactation services with an emphasis on exclusivity.
Sekeita recently received “The People’s Choice Award” from the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners for her Poster Presentation titled: Implicit Bias of Health Care Providers and Breastfeeding Disparities Amongst African American Women. Additionally, she was awarded “IBCLC of the Decade” by Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association. She participated in a Community Innovations Project for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is currently the President of Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association.

As a Pediatrician and an IBCLC, Shacchee is attracted to ways of promoting health and well-being for families. She transitioned to lactation support 14 years ago after her first daughter was born, realising the felt need for skilled Lactation Support in her community.

She works at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India, and heads a Lactation team, supporting families in their antenatal, intra-natal and postnatal periods. She also trains medical and paramedical staff in skilled lactation support.

She is the current President and Executive Team member of ALPI (Association of Lactation Professionals India). She works as a clinical instructor, helping train future lactation professionals in various aspects of Skills, Ethics, Scope of Practise and Communication. She co-ordinates between Public and Private healthcare bodies to provide equitable lactation support across her community.

She is an advocate of teamwork in supporting dyads with special lactation challenges (oral restrictions/ NICU babies etc) and has been working to bring experts from different fields together for comprehensive lactation support. Working with different teams locally and nationally allowed her to achieve the goal of making, "skilled lactation support a reality in India."

Married to Vipul, they have two super girls Navya (14) and Ayana(11).

Dr. Shahirose Premji is an Associate Professor with Faculty of Nursing and Adjunct Associate Professor with the Department of Community Health Sciences , a clinical researcher and former Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Public Health Nurse. Dr. Premji's academic involvement includes 2 years at Aga Khan University-School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan - a consultant position with the Aga Khan Foundation Canada—as part of the Canadian Development Exchange Program. She is the author of 56 peer-review publications, 3 book chapters, and 23 other publications including abstracts, commentaries/editorials, etc. She has over 25 years' experience in newborn health and has practiced clinically or provided technical expertise in countries such as Australia, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan and Syria. Dr. Premji is the founder and 1st President of the Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses. Dr. Premji is the recipient of the Jeanne Mance Award (which is the Canadian Nurses Association's highest award) and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Shannon Kane is a Registered Social Worker in Calgary, Alberta. She earned her Master's degree of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Shannon is an EMDR trained therapist, and her work is focused on using psychotherapy to support people who have experienced birth trauma and prenatal/postpartum mental health.

She has worked in the area of perinatal mental health and trauma for the past 12 years in settings including: a school for young mothers, outreach mental health, women's shelters, mental health clinics and now runs a private practice which you can find here: www.birthnarratives.ca. Shannon is passionate about supporting families during the childbearing years and keeps busy with her 2 young boys.

Dr. Sharon A. Vallone is a graduate of Rutgers University (AB Microbiology 1978) and New York Chiropractic College (1986). She completed her Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics in 1996 through Palmer College and received her appointment as Fellow in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics in 2003. Dr. Vallone has a private practice limited to high risk pregnancies and challenged children in Connecticut and is currently the Chair of the Board of Kentuckiana Children’s Center in Louisville, KY and past Vice Chair of the International Chiropractic Association’s Council Pediatric Council. She is an international speaker, author, and editor of the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. Sharon brings 33+ years of pediatric chiropractic experience with a primary interest in pregnancy, birth trauma, breastfeeding and problems with infant /toddler neurodevelopment.

Dr. Sharon Unger comes from the East Coast of Canada and is a neonatologist at Sinai Health System in Toronto, Canada. She is a co-primary investigator for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded OptiMoM and MaxiMoM programs of research as well as the medical director for the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. Her research interests are primarily in the use of human milk for the high risk neonate and its long term impact.

Dr. Sharon Smart is a dedicated and accomplished Lecturer in the Curtin School of Allied Health. With over a decade of experience, Dr Smart has a proven track record of coordinating and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate units in paediatric speech, language, feeding and swallowing disorders.

Dr. Smart has made significant contributions to the study of infant feeding, swallowing disorders in children, tongue-tie, and paediatric speech and language development. Her passion for translating clinical problems into research topics has improved the lives of countless children and their families.

In addition to her research, Sharon is committed to educating the next generation of health professionals. She takes pride in teaching evidence-based assessment and intervention practices, empowering students and clinicians to become skilled and compassionate practitioners.

Dr. Smart serves as a board member on two organisations: the Australasian Society of Tongue and Lip Tie (ASTLIT) and the International Consortium of Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP). As a board member, Sharon contributes her expertise and leadership to help guide these organisations in achieving their missions.

Dr. Unger is a neonatologist at Sinai Health in Toronto, Canada. She is the medical director of the Roger Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto. She is a co-primary investigator for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded MaxiMoM: Maximizing Mother’s own Milk Program of research. Dr Unger graduated from medical school at Dalhousie University on the east coast of Canada. She is the proud mother of three teenage daughters.

Dr Shawn Walker is a midwife who specialises in care for women with a breech presenting baby at term. She is currently an NIHR Advanced Fellow, exploring the feasibility of a randomised trial (https://optibreech.uk/). Academically, she is based at King's College London, and clinically, she works with Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her publications can be found at https://breechbirth.org.uk/publications/.

Dr. Sheehan Fisher is an Assistant Professor and clinical psychologist at Northwestern University. His research career focuses on the effects of perinatal and subsequent parental mental health on infant/child health outcomes, with a specialization in the emerging field of father mental health. More specifically, he examines: 1) the biopsychosocial risk factors for parental psychopathology, 2) the impact of parental psychopathology on parenting behaviors and the family environment, and 3) the combined effect of the family environment on infant/child medical and emotional health outcomes. His aim is to reconceptualize parental mental health research to integrally involve both mothers and fathers to differentiate the etiology, course, and potential interactivity of paternal and maternal mental health and, in turn, the longitudinal associations with child medical and mental health. Dr. Fisher’s research dovetails with his perinatal clinical practice, including being the clinical director of the Fathers’ Mental Health Specialty Clinic. Ultimately, the goal is for his research plan is to optimize the health and effectiveness of the parental team to positively influence the child health trajectory starting from infancy.

Sheena Byrom is a practising midwife of 40 years, having worked in the NHS for most of that time. Sheena was one of the UK’s first consultant midwives, and as head of midwifery successfully helped to lead the development of three birth centres in East Lancashire. As well as being an international speaker, Sheena provides consultancy services to both NHS Trusts and to organisations globally; helping them to support normal, physiological childbirth. Sheena and her midwife daughter Anna Byrom are the proud new owners of The Practising Midwife, and an exciting online platform All4Materity.com – the go to place for maternity workers to learn, share and care.

Sheena’s midwifery memoirs, Catching Babies, is a Sunday Times bestseller, and her seminal book, The Roar behind the Silence: Why Kindness, Compassion and Respect Matter in Maternity Care jointly edited with Soo Downe, is being used as a resource to improve maternity care throughout the world. Sheena and Soo are currently editing a second book, ‘Squaring the Circle: Researching Normal Childbirth in a Technological World’, will be published in 2019.

Sheena was awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to midwifery, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives in 2015. In 2016 and 2018, Sheena received Honorary Doctorates from Bournemouth University and the University of Central Lancashire, and in 2017 she was made a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University. Her personal and midwifery related website is sheenabyrom.com.

Shel works part time for the NHS in northwest England, and has four adolescents.

In addition to this, she runs a small private IBCLC practice specialising in the unsettled baby, those with faltering weight and those who are formula fed, and also holds a variety of consultant and trustee roles in various national and international organisations for advocacy and education around infant feeding; these include being Clinical Director for the breastfeeding support app AnyaHealth, being co-chair of Nursing Matters, an advocacy organisation for the breastfed infant, and being vice-chair of the UK Association for Milk Banking.

Shel has been on the development committee for 3 NICE guidelines including one on Faltering Growth, has co-authored 3 Cochrane systematic reviews, and written a book “Why Infant Formula Feeding Matters” (2022). In 2021 Shel began work towards a PhD in further understanding how best to support families with unsettled babies in universal services, which she conducts part time alongside her other commitments.

She teaches in person and online, both in her NHS role and in the consultant roles, and thoroughly enjoys sharing the knowledge she has acquired to improve the experience of families everywhere.

Sherri Daigle has been a midwife for 35 years. Helping legalize midwifery in her home state of Louisiana, she was active in helping to pass legislation, and create midwifery practice and birth center regulation. She has taught midwifery at college level, as well as working as preceptor. She has worked tirelessly in home birth and birth center settings. She helped to create Louisiana’s first accredited birth center. Sherri has six wonderful children, and 4 grandchildren she enjoys spending time with. Currently she is working in a quiet home birth practice. She has watched midwifery grow from a homespun art to a respected profession, and is still amazed at the creative power of women through the lifespan.

Shondra Mattos is an IBCLC, Entrepreneur & Speaker who delivers progressive, up-to-date lectures that challenge the current standard of Lactation Care. She is widely regarded as the go-to source for those looking for clear, understandable clinical knowledge.

In 2018, Shondra rebranded her lactation practice Mattos Lactation and provided location-independent lactation support to families across the country. In 2020 she founded Lactnerd LLC with the focus of helping healthcare providers gain knowledge while conquering the intimidation of learning the complex science of Lactation.

Through her companies- Lactnerd & Mattos Lactation - she provides tools, resources, education & mentoring to aspiring and established lactation professionals across the USA.

Shonte' Terhune-Smith is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, postpartum doula and health educator. Over the past 10 years, she has worked diligently in Genesee County to increase breastfeeding rates. She has worked for WIC, in the hospital as a lactation intern and at various pediatric and obstetrician clinics, promoting and educating women about breastfeeding. Normalizing breastfeeding is her passion. Shonte' is the owner of, You Overcoming Lactation Obstacles (YOLO). She empowers and provides timely, culturally competent, evidence-based breastfeeding support and services to Genesee County families and surrounding areas. Shonte' understands that breastfeeding works better when the mother has a village of support to overcome the barriers families face. She is also co-founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLC's of Color.

I am the mother of three breastfed children. Certified as an IBCLC in 2007, the next year, in 2008, setup the first IBCLC clinic in the medical center in Taiwan. As the President of the Chinese Lactation Consultant Association from 2015 till now. I have been teaching in the university for 30 years and as a part-time associate professor in the Department of Midwife & Women Health, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science, Taiwan now. After I retired from the university, I fund and as the CEO of WELL International Co., aims to promote the three-stages certification of profession lactation support competence.

Dr Simone Honikman is a medical doctor (UCT) with clinical experience in Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Psychiatry and a Masters degree in Maternal and Child Health (UCT). She is founder and director of the 15-year old Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) based at UCT. The Project has received formal commendation by the World Health Organisation. Simone received the international Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, has published academic papers, book chapters editorials and training manuals. She designs and conducts training for a wide range of healthcare and social service providers and consults to health policy and programme processes within South Africa. Through her involvement in several research consortia, she has collaborated with clinicians and researchers in high, low and middle income countries.

Dr. Smaranda Nay is a Family Doctor, an IBCLC, a Personal Development Counselor and a mother. She has been studying Transactional Analysis psychotherapy since 2007 and is now in her second year of training to become a Somatic Experience therapist. She uses her knowledge to teach parents how to connect with their children and how to attune to their babies’ needs, both through individual counselling sessions and in classes. She is part of the Romanian Lactation Consultants Association and holds lactation education courses for future IBCLCs. She gives lactation counselling consults and holds breastfeeding and childcare courses.

She also holds personal development workshops for teenagers and adults, collaborating with non-formal education organizations and schools. She is particularly curious about the development of an attuned relationship between people and building intimacy and trust. Working with babies, she observes the parent-child connection and explores its potential in healing and growth, and how it impacts the future development of the individual. Working with teenagers and adults, she facilitates ways in which childhood disruptions can be healed in the present.

Sonia is an occupational therapist specializing in pelvic floor therapy with a focus on the perinatal population.  
In her practice, she uses awareness training, targeted exercise, breath work, yoga, manual therapy and lifestyle modification to help her clients find relief from conditions such as pelvic girdle pain, prolapse, dyspareunia, incontinence, constipation, diastasis recti and general deconditioning connected to pregnancy and postpartum.  Sonia is skilled in helping her clients navigate the psychological and social impact that pelvic floor issues have on relationships and day to day life. In addition to her work as a pelvic floor therapist, Sonia teaches pre/postnatal yoga classes and leads new parent support groups. She is also a part of the continuing education program at Ancient Song Doula Collective and teaches workshops on the pelvic floor for Doulas and pregnant and postpartum people.
Sonia graduated from SUNY Downstate with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy and received a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance from Oberlin College. Sonia trained in pelvic floor rehabilitation with Herman & Wallace Institute and Lindsey Vestal of the Functional Pelvis.
Sonia lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children. 

Sonia Semenic is an Associate Professor at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and a Nurse Scientist at the McGill University Health Center. After many years of experience as an IBCLC and Clinical Nurse Specialist in maternal-child health, Sonia completed a PhD in Nursing and postdoctoral training in community health. Her research aims to better understand the process of knowledge translation (KT) in perinatal health, with a particular focus on the implementation of evidence-based practices to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. She currently co-leads the Knowledge Translation Platform for the Quebec Nursing Intervention Research Network, and teaches graduate courses on knowledge translation in nursing practice.

Sonia Story developed the Brain and Sensory Foundations training to provide in-depth, comprehensive training in the use of innate rhythmic and infant primitive and postural reflex movements for addressing sensory, learning, physical, behavioral, emotional, social, and speech challenges. Sonia trained directly with Harald Blomberg, MD and Moira Dempsey, among many other mentors. Her training courses are approved for professional continuing education for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and massage therapists.

Sonia was a presenter at the 2018 Autism One conference on how innate neurodevelopmental movements help with sensory issues. Her work has been featured in the book, Almost Autism: Recovering Children from Sensory Processing Disorder, and in the books Special Ed Mom Survival Guide; Family Health Revolution; and Same Journey, Different Paths, Stories of Auditory Processing Disorder.

Sonia is currently enrolled in Master's program in Movement Science.

For over 25 years Sonya Boersma has supported best practice, working with mothers and babies, as well as professionals. She delivers a calm and informative consult to a great diversity of clients and situations. For her it’s an honour to work with new, new-again, or soon-to-be parents, tailoring care to each.

As an IBCLC and Registered Nurse in various roles such as public health, northern nursing in Yukon Territory, Canada, as a birth doula, and as an independent lactation consultant, she has been fortunate to work with parents in the whole childbirth continuum from pregnancy, labour and delivery, to postpartum.

Sonya also has a broad range of experiences supporting health care professionals to provide infant feeding evidence-based care. She has been instrumental in developing resources regionally and provincially. As a provincial Health Promotion Consultant, Sonya assisted health care organizations like hospitals to progress in implementing the WHO’s Baby-Friendly Initiative. She was the coordinator of provincial breastfeeding protocols, including Informed Decision Making: Infant Feeding and facilitated IDM workshops around the province.

In her spare time, she’s likely outside hiking, cycling, or cross-country skiing.

Dr. Souvik Mitra is an Assistant Professor and neonatologist at the Division of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. He completed his medical school and pediatric residency from Calcutta Medical College, India. Dr Mitra went on to complete his neonatal fellowship at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada and is currently pursuing his Masters in Clinical Epidemiology from the same institution. Cerebral oxygenation and cardiovascular physiology in premature infants are his primary clinical research interests. He also has extensive epidemiological research experience having published a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. He has shared his research through webinars across Canada and the United States as well as through platform presentations at various international conferences. He has special expertise in targeted neonatal echocardiography and is a member of the Pan-American Hemodynamics (TnECHO) Collaborative.

Stacy Davis is the Health Equity and Community Partnerships Manager for the National Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Association. Inspired by her personal and professional experiences, Stacy has focused her efforts on addressing health equities in Maternal Child Health, locally, nationally and internationally, especially as it pertains to black and brown families.

As the former executive director of the National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color, Stacy established the organization as a brand and leader in the field- addressing racial inequity in lactation support and education, acting as expert panelist and collaborator with other leading organizations, and holding privileged organizations accountable and responsible for the health and wellbeing of communities of color. Additionally, she participated in the growth and expansion of equitable access to Pathway 2 lactation training programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, such as Johnson C. Smith and North Carolina A&T Universities. She co-developed and hosted a unique event of its kind- The Amazing R.A.C.E.- a safe space retreat for Maternal Child Health professionals and supporters.

Stacy is a graduate of Western Michigan University where she obtained her master’s degree in Public Health. She has received numerous honors including, but not limited a member of the Center for Social Inclusion’s First Food Racial Equity Cohort, IBCLE’s Spotlight, and the AHEAD in WIC Health Equity Champion. Stacy Davis is a United States Lactation Consultant Association Board of Director.

Stephanie Anne Berry, Clinical Herbalist, LM, CPM is a clinical herbalist and midwife. Her primary focus is to help women reclaim their health and reconnect to their bodies in every stage of the pregnancy journey. She teaches and consults with women about fertility and holistic health in pregnancy. After training with local herbalists, Aviva Romm, and Susun Weed, Stephanie has 10+ years sharing herbal medicine with women and children. After herb school, she trained as a midwife in order to elevate and introduce holistic medicine to new families. Her goal is to bridge the gap between the allopathic model and nature-based medicine. She co-founded CALYX Wellness Studio, a collaborative healing space for professionals, to share resources and work as a team to offer integrative care plans from a multi-modality perspective. Her herb and midwifery practice is active, vital, and ever-growing to find new ways to support health now and for future generations.

Stephanie Carroll is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who lives in southeast Ohio with her two daughters. She founded the Appalachian Breastfeeding Network in May of 2016. Now has grown to over 500 members across 15 states. Stephanie owns a private practice and works for a Breast Pump DME part-time. She also works as a speaker and marketing manager for Lactation Education Consultants. She continues to work towards transformation of breastfeeding culture, women's health equity, and increasing access to care in Appalachia, giving a voice to Appalachia, which continues to be underserved and overlooked.

Stephanie Larson is the visionary creator and founder of Dancing For Birth™―the powerful class which combines prenatal/postnatal fitness, childbirth education, and sacred celebration and has become a global sensation as the ‘trifecta’ of birth preparation. Over 20 years ago Stephanie instinctively ‘danced-out’ her first child in an empowering and euphoric four-hour birth. Upon hearing her peers’ stories of their traumatic births, she felt called to change the status-quo and bring a radically different birth method to parents and the professionals that serve them. Now, Certified Dancing For Birth™ Instructors on four continents educate and mentor parents on an ongoing weekly basis from pre-conception through postpartum (including baby). With each dancing labor, and the resulting connection to body, baby and bliss, birth is being transformed from fear, pain and trauma to power and pleasure.

A world-renowned expert on utilizing movement, instinct and gravity to support easier birth, Stephanie’s appearances include LAMAZE, ICAN, DONA, CAPPA, CIMS, ICEA, AWHONN, CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC. She was voted USA’s National Birth Hero by the birth community (One World Birth Award). Stephanie is the executive producer of the DVD “Prenatal Dance and Birth Wisdom.” She’s a mom of four who calls for an end to forced lithotomy position and a global shift to primal, powerful, euphoric birth and conscious parenting. Reach Stephanie at [email protected]

Stephanie McBride is a passionate advocate for the use of Essential Oils as a form of natural self-care and in clinical practice for pregnant women, natural health educators and birth professionals. Her 30 years of botanical medicine studies, coupled with practical experience as a certified clinical herbalist, professional aromatherapist, and functional nutritionist, qualify her to provide the in-depth knowledge necessary to simplify this ancient health modality for others to benefit from and enjoy.

Dr. Prescott is currently and Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida and the Assistant Director of the College of Nursing's Biobehavioral Lab. Her research centers around the maternal and neonatal microbiota and it's interaction with host immunity to impact growth and metabolism. She has been a neonatal nurse practitioner since 2010, completed her PhD at the University of Virginia in partnership with the National Institutes of Health. Her postdoctoral work at the National Cancer Institute assessed perinatal antibiotics on the microbiome of mothers and their offspring. She has written several educational and review articles addressing the management of neonates with cardiovascular disease.

Stephanie Tillman (she/her) is a midwife at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her undergraduate degree in Global Health and Medical Anthropology at the University of Michigan, and her graduate degree in Midwifery at Yale University. She is on the Boards of Directors of Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH) and the Midwest Access Project (MAP), is an Advisory Committee Member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association (QTMA), and is a member of the ACNM Ethics Committee. She is currently a Clinical Medical Ethics Fellow at the University of Chicago's MacLean Center, where she is focusing on consent in intimate exams. Stephanie blogs under the name Feminist Midwife, and through that online platform, academic and public writing, and professional speaking engagements, seeks to interact with providers and consumers in conversations about consent in health provision, queer care, sex positivity, nurses and advanced practice clinicians in abortion care, and trauma-informed frameworks. Find her on social media @FeministMidwife.

Stephanie Wagner, "Steph", is a Registered Nurse of 20 years, her first 13 years working Labor & Delivery in various hospitals in Virginia, California, and New York, working as a Travel Nurse for many years. Steph graduated from James Madison University in Virginia in 2001 with her BSN. She became a Certified Lactation Educator in 2012 and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant in 2014. After working in the hospital setting for 18 years, she now works solely as a Lactation Consultant in Private Practice. Her Private Practice, EverLatching Love, started in 2015 in NYC. EverLatching Love provides Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding/Bodyfeeding support and education by way of home visits and virtual consultations. Steph is the current Treasurer of the New York Lactation Consultant Association (NYLCA) and a member of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) as well as the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA). She has been featured in Romper.com, nymag.com, the Strategist, TLC the TV network, and other media outlets such as the Breastfeeding Outside the Box podcast series. She teaches part time for Evergreen Perinatal Education, proudly educating new lactation professionals entering our field. She speaks at conferences and to groups across the Country on best practice when working with LGBTQ+ families who may use the language and action of Chestfeeding or Bodyfeeding their babies. Making sure healthcare is always aware of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for all persons is a pilar of Steph’s work. Steph is a proud Certified OutCare Healthcare Professional as of March 2020 and is very proud to be featured on OutCare Health’s OutList of Medical Professionals. She was privileged to speak at the New York Coming Out Conference, the first ever International Transgender Conference in NYC, in October 2019. The conference had a big emphasis on healthcare and Steph presented on Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding/Bodyfeeding to the Transgender and Non-Binary community in attendance. She is constantly learning about Queer culture and advances in human lactation, and she works hard to find the best ways to intersect them for inclusive care.

I was born in Detroit Michigan and graduate from M.L. King High School in 2001. I completed a B.S. in Chemistry at Oakland University in Michigan and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Vanderbilt University. After completing postdoctoral research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, I began an independent career at Vanderbilt In 2014.

Stuart J. Fischbein MD is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, published author (“Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and “Homebirth With an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births”) and lecturer. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC and the Association for Wholistic & Newborn Health. Hear more of his thoughts and advocacy for evidenced-based, reasonable choices on his podcast at www.drstuspodcast.com. He now works directly with home birthing midwives www.birthinginstincts.com. He offers hope for those women who cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries.

Sue Woodson CNM MSN has been in clinical practice at Jefferson OB/GYN and Charlottesville, Virginia, since 2010. She has served on the editorial board for Nursing for Women’s Health journal, AWHONN National program committee, and a NCC menopause test committee. She has published on gynecology topics related to osteoarthritis care, chronic pelvic pain, pre-conception and interconception care, and menopause. She is a member of the North American Menopause Society and has served on their consumer education committee.

Dr. Sue Hall has been a neonatologist for 25 years, and before that she worked as a master’s level social worker. She has a BA from Stanford University, an MSW from Boston University, and an MD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed training in Pediatrics and Neonatology at The Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO, then joined the faculty at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine where she affiliated for 19 years. Now in private practice at a community hospital NICU in Oxnard, California, Dr. Hall was the Co-Chair of the National Perinatal Association’s Workgroup on “Interdisciplinary Recommendations for Psychosocial Support of NICU Parents,” which resulted in publication of a supplement issue of Journal of Perinatology in December, 2015. She is also the author of a book about life in the NICU, titled For the Love of Babies, published in June, 2011.

Professor Suellen Miller is Director of the Safe Motherhood Program and Professor, UCSF Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Professor Miller has been practicing as a certified nurse-midwife since l977, and is the author of the Hesperian Foundations’ “A Book for Midwives”. She conducts both qualitative and quantitative research, mainly in lower resourced settings, primarily focused on maternal survival and maternal health. Her studies include contraceptive research in Africa and Asia, misoprostol clinical trials in Tibet and India, the clinical trials of the Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG), and the continuum of maternal care in Peru, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Timor Leste, and Tanzania, among other reproductive and sexual health projects and programs.. The author of over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, Professor Miller is co-author of “Beyond Too Little Too Late, Too Much Too Soon,” in the Lancet 2016 Maternal Health Series.

After experiencing poor lactation care from an IBCLC with her first, Summer immediately knew she wanted to change her career path by becoming an IBCLC. She knew then that she could help make a difference and change it so that more families could have GREAT lactation care! That path started by Summer being "raised" by La Leche League, going to support groups and becoming an Accredited Leader and then sitting for her IBCLC Boards. After 5 years of LLL Leadership, She weaved her way into the clinical setting and spent 10 years as the hospital IBCLC giving GREAT care to postpartum families. In 2019, she moved onto her next chapter, left the hospital world, and now has been operating her full-time private practice helping local families in Kansas City and virtually helping families all over the world. Additionally, Summer has a YouTube channel which is her way of continuing community outreach in a relevant way for the fast-paced social world. She really loves creating videos that are short, bite-sized and easily digestable so that families can watch at any hour of the day, many tell her, even while breastfeeding and pumping!

To fully support their clients’ health throughout gestation, birth, and nursing, midwives need to know about herbs. Not a lot; in fact, what most midwives need to know can be learned in few hours. Wise use of herbs is especially important during pregnancy and lactation. Using herbs instead of drugs to allay problems protects both mom and fetus from harm. Even more importantly, the abundant nutrition available from select herbs – like stinging nettle, oatstraw, comfrey leaf, and red clover blossoms–has a much more profound influence on maternal health than any supplement and can make the difference between an easy birth and a complicated one. Herbal medicine is simple, safe, and effective at all times in a woman’s life, including during her childbearing years. Here are the things I think it most important that a midwife know about herbs and herbal medicine.

Susan Winograd, PT, owns and operates a private Pelvic Health and Wellness practice in Boca Raton, Florida called Pelvicore Rehab LLC.
She specializes in Woman's Health, Men’s Health issues, and Pre and Postnatal Care.
She has earned a Scar Release therapy Certification from Acumed and is certified in the Wurn Technique and Clear Passage Approach. Susan earned a masters degree from the College of Staten Island in 1998. In her 22 years of clinical experience she has gained extensive knowledge in the treatment of various populations such as orthopedics, manual therapy, geriatrics, pediatrics and men/women's pelvic dysfunction, and prenatal/postpartum care.
She has continued her post graduate educate through seminars with The Herman and Wallace Institute, MPS Scar Release Therapy, Myofascial Release, The institute for Birth Healing, Clear Passage Therapies, and is pursuing education in Cranial Sacral therapy with the Upledger Institute and Total Body Balancing with the D’Ambrogio Institute.
Susan enjoys teaching workshops throughout South Florida on pelvic health and wellness related topics.
Her hands-on treatment approach of treating the whole person has often led her to discover the primary or contributing cause of pain, dysfunction, or imbalance was pelvic floor related.
Her passion and commitment now is treating, healing, and educating her patients and healthcare providers with pelvic floor dysfunction using a whole body approach to relieve pain, restore optimal function, and improve quality of life.
She is committed to providing the highest quality of individualized that care that every patient deserves.

-Professor of Pediatrics, Incharge Neonatology at TN Medical College & BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai-2009 onwards.
-University teacher and examiner for undergraduates ( 25 years) & postgraduates ( 20 years)
-Lactation Consultant-IBCLC (USA)- 2010 
-Awarded FIAP-Fellowship of Indian Academy of Pediatrics for outstanding contribution, 2007
-National trainer for Breastfeeding & Lactation Management (1992), BFHI (1994), HIV (1999), IYCF (2006 ), Neonatal Resuscitation Program (2009), Kangaroo Mother care ( 2014)
-Over 60 research papers published in reputed journals
-Over 100 papers presented at national and international conferences
-Have co-authored two hand books and written four chapters related to breastfeeding / Kangaroo Mother Care
-Won eleven awards for research papers at conferences
-Won & Adjudged as one of the 10 winning photos of  the WBW Photo Competition of  WABA (2013)
-Breastfeeding Coordinator  for IAP, Mumbai-(2009-15)
-President of Mumbai Breastfeeding Promotion Committee-2013-15

Suzanne Colson, PhD, MSc, BA, is a midwife and a nurse. Her thesis introduced a new breastfeeding paradigm called Biological Nurturing and won the prestigious English Royal College of Nursing Inaugural Akinsanya Award for originality and scholarship in doctoral studies. Suzanne is an Akinsanya scholar 2007, and a Visiting Principal Research Fellow at Canterbury Christ Church University. She is an honorary member and a founding mother/leader of La Leche League France. She is also on the professional advisory board of La Leche League of Great Britain. She has more than 40 years clinical experience supporting breastfeeding mothers in both hospital and community settings. Suzanne is the author of numerous articles, research papers, a book, translated into 4 languages and three DVDs. Retired from active midwifery practice, she organizes 5-day biological nurturing certification workshops, remains available for clinical consultation, and lectures widely across the world.

Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk is a research scientist fascinated by babies’ innate capacity to connect. Since 1993, she has been based at the University of Dundee (Scotland), within the School of Psychology, where she now holds an Honorary Post. In 2011, she stepped away from a full-time academic post in order to establish an independent training enterprise, the aim of which is to help the public understand what science now understands about the importance of emotional connection for human health and happiness. She works internationally with organisations keen to think more deeply about fostering connection, compassion and resilience. In the last 5 years, more than 40,000 people have attended her speaking events. Suzanne’s core aspiration is to strengthen awareness of the decisions we take about caring for our children — because those choices are integrally connected to our vision for the kind of society we wish to build. More information is available on www.suzannezeedyk.com.

Swati Scott is a well accomplished community dietitian and lactation consultant working in Victoria, BC, Canada. Her experience spans across public health, acute care, primary care, education and most recently in community health. She has focused extensively on maternal- infant health and nutrition in the early years. She fervently helps families make mealtime the bridge between nutrition and a time for connection. She believes that prenatal nutrition, breastfeeding, healthy family meals set the stage for robust health. She continues to play an active role in local, provincial and global committees that serve maternity, infancy and the early years. She keeps herself updated with new research and continues to solidify her knowledge and skills through participation in baby friendly networks and conferences on childhood nutrition and perinatal health.

Dr Sylvia Murphy-Tighe is a midwife, public health nurse and Lecturer in Midwifery at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Ireland. Her research interests include vulnerability, maternal and infant health and community engagement. Her doctoral research was funded by the Health Research Board Research (Research Training Fellowship), and defended her PhD in 2017. She developed a grounded typology of concealed pregnancy in order to increase understanding of this phenomenon. She has brought The Spaces Between Us Visual Art Exhibition to Ireland from Australia in order to raise public awareness of concealed pregnancy and the tragic outcomes that can ensue and her research has featured in radio & TV interviews. Dr Murphy-Tighe has many practice-based links to maternity and community-based nursing and NGO services. She is a co- investigator on the PART-IM project (UL) which is a participatory health research projects involving migrants and is currently leading a pilot study of a training programme involving community nurses enquiring about domestic violence and abuse. She is also an active member of @CA18211 Devotion an EU COST Action working on birth related trauma and PTSD. Additionally she is supervising masters and doctoral researchers in the area of perinatal mental health. Dr Murphy-Tighe has several ISI publications https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sylvia_Murphy_tighe and is a member of the Health Research Institute at the University of Limerick.