Pregnancy, Labour & Childbirth Online Course(s) & Continuing Education
Access the latest clinical skills and research for Pregnancy, Labour & Childbirth for IBCLC/Lactation Consultants professional training. These Pregnancy, Labour & Childbirth online courses provide practice-changing skills and valuable perspectives from leading global experts. This Pregnancy, Labour & Childbirth education has been accredited for a variety of CEUs / CERPs and can be accessed on-demand, at your own pace.
Becoming Parents: Preparing Parents for the Journey of a Lifetime
With over 25 years’ experience as a relationship counsellor, parents’ group facilitator, mental health educator, partner and mum, Elly Taylor has become an internationally known parenthood preparation and perinatal relationship expert and the award-winning author of Becoming Us. Elly’s passion is preparing parents for a happy and healthy family—at any stage in their parenthood journey, and especially in a challenging world. Her Becoming Us approach includes fathers and partners in all aspects of pregnancy, birth and beyond, harnesses the attachment bond between couples to stabilise them through the life changes and challenges of parenthood and links both parents into community services to support the mental, emotional and relational wellbeing of the whole family.
Elly has served as an advisor for numerous university research projects and her ground-breaking Becoming Us developmental framework has now become a comprehensive multi-disciplinary education and professional training and courses for parents. In a full circle moment, Elly recently trained midwives, allied health and therapy professionals in her local community and now Becoming Us Nest Building Sessions are preparing expectant parents in the hospitals where her children were born. Elly lives in Sydney, Australia with her firefighter husband, their three kidults and an abundance of pets.
Topic: Communication and Conflict - How Connection Supports Both - [View Abstract]
Topic: Including Fathers and Partners to Support Perinatal Mental Health and Marriages - [View Abstract]
The “transition” into parenthood is culturally a time of great joy, excitement and celebration. But our “Bon Voyage” attitude to parenthood appears to be setting families up to fail. Research tells us new parents are struggling: currently 1 in 3 mothers and 1 in 5 fathers suffer from anxiety or depression during the perinatal period. Added to this, a whopping 92% of couples report increased conflict and 67% a decline in relationship satisfaction in the first few years of family. So, what’s going on here? Is there a better way? And what can perinatal professionals do about it?
In this presentation, we’ll first bust some unhelpful myths of parenthood. Next, participants will learn that while parents may expect having a baby is the destination, it’s just the beginning. Parenthood is like travelling deeper and deeper into foreign territory: every new stage has it’s own surprises, joys, challenges and unexpected rewards. And the journey never ends.
We’ll explore ways to prepare parents for the stages of early parenthood (even long after their baby has joined them) in ways that support the mental, emotional and relationship wellbeing of mothers, fathers and parents, so their whole family can thrive.
Andrea Dixon, CNM, reveled in birth from an early age, a maternal great aunt (a London homebirth midwife) her inspiration. From NAPSAC in Ann Arbor, MI, apprenticeship in Boulder, CO and graduating CNM from UCSF in 1987, Andrea covered all the bases in midwifery.
The sole proprietor of Family Way Educational Services, Weed, CA 1988-Present she has home-birthed families in the largest geographical county in northern California, managed a midwife service for Redding Birth Center, served a hospital-based population in the USVI, WomanCare, in MO and homebirth, birth centers (3) and hospital practices throughout Indiana.
Andrea is a long-time instructor of out-of-hospital specific NRP. She developed live B.E.S.T. (Birth Emergency Skills Training) workshops for out of hospital providers, and subsequently, in partnership with Avril Bowens, CPM, HYBRID and ONLINE BEST courses based on Bonnie Urguhart Gruenberg's award winning publication.
Homebirth, homeschooling her daughter (now 33 and presently at the CDC), and a midwifery friendly partner of 38 years, have enhanced her life.
Avril Bowens is the founder and creatrix of the Midwife Method, a midwife-led, supportive and educational online program dedicated to empowering all birthing people with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to thrive through pregnancy, birth and beyond. She believes that maternal and neonatal outcomes can be improved when all obstetrical providers (doctors and midwives alike) collaborate and practice the Midwifery Model of Care and when all pregnant women have access to this kind of care. Until there is a midwife available for every women, the Midwife Method provides birthing people with all the elements of midwifery care that can be delivered in the online format; comprehensive and holistic education, compassionate and consistent support and expert guidance designed to inform, complement and enhance the medical care women receive in their home communities.
For the past three years, she has loved being the office manager and instructor with Birth Emergency Skills Training® (B.E.S.T.) workshops, as well as co-developer of the Online and Hybrid programs. She has been involved with birth since 1998 as a childbirth educator, doula and then midwife (CPM) and has served birthing families in the home and birth center settings since 2003. Together with her partner, she has home-birthed, home-schooled and raised 3 incredible human beings (17, 23 and 25)!
With an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and desire to support a broader population in attaining their health goals, she returned to school, completing a Bachelor of Science and became a Registered Nurse in 2016. Continuing on with this goal, she pursued a Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Georgetown University which she was unable to complete due to unforeseen circumstances.
Following a devastating motorcycle accident, she put to use her diverse education in herbal medicine, alternative therapies, nutrition, body movement and mechanics, medical training and personal growth and transformation strategies to well surpass her expected recovery, fully heal from the severe injuries sustained and become the healed healer that she is today. B.E.S.T CEUs.
Hypertension and its pregnancy-related disorders are a leading cause of preterm birth, fetal growth restriction and a multitude of emergencies. Despite modern advancements in maternity care globally, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remain at the root of appalling morbidity and mortality statistics. Birth Emergency Skills Training® and GOLD Learning have partnered to present an in-depth examination of these often insidious, yet potentially lethal conditions. It is imperative that all community centered birth workers learn to recognize and respond to these disorders as they develop. Based on the latest research about risks, clinical manifestations, long-term health implications, and effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy, this program includes best practice guidelines and client centered educational resources. Join us and discover how you can play a role in the blueprint addressing this ongoing health crisis.
Jo Gilpin is a Registered Nurse, Midwife and has worked for many years as a Child Health Nurse with the Child and Family Health Service in South Australia (CaFHS). During this time she completed a Graduate Diploma in Health Counselling. She also studied Infant Mental Health at the University of South Australia. She became an IBCLC in 1996.
Her passion throughout has been educating, encouraging and supporting parents to have successful, enjoyable, breastfeeding relationships with their babies. This has been the main focus of her work.
She has worked privately as a Lactation Consultant since 2005. She has published two books, both on breastfeeding. Her most recent is 'Brilliant Breastfeeding: A Sensible Guide'. This was published in October 2018. This book aims to sensitively guide parents and future parents towards fulfilling breastfeeding relationships with up-to-date, evidence-based information. Attention is paid to the many challenges that parents face.
Jo loves what she does and never considers it 'work'. She lives with her husband on Kangaroo Island, which is just off the southern coast of South Australia. Her children and five grandchildren live in Sydney and Brisbane.
A baby’s birth can have a significant impact on breastfeeding outcomes. Medical intervention in normal birthing situations is rife, and globally cesarean rates have soared since 2000. Along with this, breastfeeding rates are less than ideal. A mother who feels a sense of grief about the birth of her baby is consequently more likely to face breastfeeding challenges. IBCLC’s, midwives and medical officers will often begin a breastfeeding consultation by listening to a mother’s unhappy perception of her baby’s birth. This aspect needs to be sensitively supported.
It is high time we take stock and pay more attention to what world health authorities are recommending to improve birthing and thus breastfeeding outcomes. These outcomes can affect a mother’s feelings of empowerment, her physical and mental health. Baby’s health and general development are statistically better when breastfed. There are significant financial savings made by reducing costs in various countries health systems when mothers breastfeed successfully.
There are definite changes we can make, following recommended guidelines and recent research. We can do this individually in our work and also in our affiliations with professional bodies by supporting and encouraging government policymakers and advocacy groups.
These are our future challenges.
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Grace Abruzzo PT, DPT, CAPP-OB, CD(DONA), PYT-C, (she/they) is a licensed physical therapist and trauma healer specializing in pelvic health. A certified specialist in obstetric and pelvic physical therapy, Dr. Grace uses an integrative approach to treating people in preparation and recovery from childbirth, conception, menstruation and menopause. Dr. Grace also spends time in birthing spaces, supporting mamas during labor and birth.
Dr. Grace utilizes an integrative approach to wellness, which includes interventions like education; manual therapeutic techniques, including visceral, myofascial, and internal pelvic mobilizations; yoga therapy; meditation practice; Compassionate Inquiry TM, and Somatic Experiencing TM.
Having a strong understanding of pelvic and vulvovaginal anatomy and physiology is crucial to help prepare the birthing body for childbirth. Whether preparing for homebirth, birthing center, or hospital setting, prevention of injury of the birthing person supports a healing and positive birthing and post-partum experience. Deepen your knowledge of the fascia, pelvic joints, muscles and nerves in the pelvis and learn what the latest research tells us about positioning for labour and birth, spontaneous pushing and perineal preparation and common myths.
Parijat Deshpande is the leading integrative high-risk pregnancy specialist, somatic stress & trauma professional and speaker and author who guides women to improve their pregnancy complications so they can reduce their risk of preterm birth. Her unique neurobiological approach has served hundreds of women to manage pregnancy complications and reclaim a safety and trust in their bodies that they thought was eroded forever. Parijat is the author of bestselling book Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy. She is also the host of the popular podcast Delivering Miracles®️, that discusses the real, raw side of family-building including infertility, loss, high-risk pregnancy, bed rest, prematurity and healing once baby comes home. Parijat professional training is in clinical psychology and she is a Certified Trauma Professional and Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for individuals.
Birth trauma is a preventable complication of pregnancy and providers play a critical role in this prevention. Preventing birth trauma not only supports a positive birth experience for the birthing person, but sets the foundation for optimal post-pregnancy health. This is because birth trauma is a catalyst for various long-term health issues for the birthing person including attachment difficulties, chronic pain, chronic illness, autoimmune diseases, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, as well as an increased risk of pregnancy complications in future pregnancies. Through the study of somatic and somatosensory modalities, as well as years of client work in the high-risk pregnancy population, I have seen clients at risk for pregnancy complications and preterm birth defy medical odds and protect themselves from a traumatic birth in their pregnancies after loss or preterm birth. This presentation will cover the three most important roles of a provider in the facilitation of birth trauma prevention.
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Breaking the Silos: Understanding the Connections Between Labor Interventions and Lactation
Janiya Mitnaul Williams, MA, IBCLC, RLC, CLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Registered Lactation Consultant, and Certified Lactation Counselor who has been supporting nursing families since 2007. She holds degrees from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Union Institute and University in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Health & Wellness with a concentration in Human Lactation respectively.
Janiya is the Program Director of the Pathway 2 Human Lactation Training Program at N.C. A&T SU (NCAT P2P). She also works for the Women’s and Children’s Center at Cone Health as the Co-Coordinator for Doula Services. In 2015 she created Mahogany Milk Support Group in order to promote, encourage, and normalize nursing for Black and Brown families. That same year, Janiya also became the first person of color and Non-Registered Nurse to be hired as a Lactation Consultant for Cone Health’s hospital system.
She is most passionate about creating diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field of Lactation in order to promote better health outcomes for Black and Brown, marginalized, and underprivileged families because they have the greatest lactation barriers to overcome.
Birth and breastfeeding/chestfeeding are intimately woven together although many separate the two. One's labor and birth process however, have a direct impact on how their nursing journey begins. Naturally, most infants can independently progress through the fetal to neonatal transition and produce a baby-led latch within the first hours of life. However, the process of birth is often unpredictable and many birthing families are regularly faced with common or unexpected labor interventions that can adversely affect milk supply and the initiation and receptivity of breastfeeding/chestfeeding for the infant. Some of the most common interventions include: IV fluids, induction of labor, epidurals, and continuous electronic fetal monitoring. These maternity care practices come with unintended consequences that directly impact lactation. Furthermore, studies indicate that many of these interventions are done more for convenience as opposed to medical reasoning. In order to promote, protect and support breastfeeding/chestfeeding for birthing families, providers and other members of the healthcare team should be encouraged to work in tandem; using effective communication and facilitating open dialogue. By including families in every aspect of their birth and postpartum period, self-efficacy and confidence is increased and trust is developed, setting the foundation for increased initiation and duration of human milk feeding.
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David Hayes is an OBGYN with an academic background and a passion for science and its proper application to clinical medicine. He has worked for Médecins Sans Frontières and trained in critical care obstetrics.
Dr. Hayes pursued training in vaginal breech birth during both medical school and his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, at a time when instruction in vaginal breech birth was no longer routinely included in the training of obstetricians in the United States. He has performed an estimated 140 vaginal breech births using traditional obstetric maneuvers in dorsal lithotomy positions. In 2016 he hosted a training session on physiologic vaginal breech birth taught by Dr. Shawn Walker, PhD. Since that time he has been fortunate to many vaginal breech births, including breech-breech twins and primiparous mothers, with a 100% successful vaginal breech birth rate and no significant complications or instrument interventions.
In 2018, Dr. Hayes arranged to host a workshop presented by breech researcher Dr. Rixa Freeze, PhD and was asked to teach the “hands-on” portion of the workshop. As of August 2019 and in conjunction with Dr. Freeze and her organization Breech Without Borders, he has committed full time to training and reestablishment of physiologic vaginal breech birth.
Dr. Rixa Freeze has a PhD in American Studies from the University of Iowa. Her doctoral studies focused on the history of healthcare and medicine with specialization in pregnancy, childbirth, and maternity care. Her dissertation examined why women in North America choose unassisted home births. She worked as a visiting assistant professor for 9 years at Wabash college. Her current research interests include human rights in childbirth, autonomy and informed consent, and vaginal breech birth.
She has published two articles about home birth: “Staying Home to Give Birth: Why Women in the United States Choose Home Birth” (JMWH 2009) and “Attitudes Towards Home Birth in the USA” (Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2010). She recently published the article “Breech birth at home: Outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center births” with BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. In 2019 she published an article about outcomes of breech at home, birth centers, and hospitals (Midwifery Today) and a book chapter “Freebirth in the United States” in the 2020 book Birthing Outside the System: The Canary in the Coal Mine.
Dr. Freeze is the founder and president of Breech Without Borders, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to breech training, education, and advocacy. She also blogs at Stand and Deliver (rixarixab.blogspot.com).
This presentation shows breech birth videos submitted to Breech Without Borders for analysis & educational purposes. In this session, the instructors present videos that show some type of deviation from normal physiological birth. Some of the births resolve spontaneously, while others require assistance in the form of maneuvers. As the videos play, the instructors discuss what they are seeing, point out what was done correctly and what might have been done differently, and give clinical tips to the audience members for when they are attending vaginal breech birth.
Barbara Harper is an internationally recognized expert on waterbirth and gentle birth, a published author of books and journal articles, who founded the non-profit organization, Waterbirth International, in 1988, with one goal in mind – to ensure that waterbirth is an “available option” for all women. During the past five decades Barbara has worked as an obstetric, pediatric, and critical care nurse, midwife, midwifery instructor, childbirth educator, and Blissborn Hypnosis teacher/trainer. She teaches unique seminars within hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery and medical schools and community groups worldwide. Her bestselling book, ‘Gentle Birth Choices,’ has been translated into 9 languages, including Chinese. Her latest collaborative book project was published in May 2021, called Bringing Birth Home. She is also working on a new book project called Gentle Birth Wisdom. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida teaching Blissborn Classes and attending occasional births.
Charlotte Sanchez is a childbirth educator and midwife. Supporting women and their families in the natural home birth process consecutively now for 30 years. As an Atlanta midwife, she believes in a woman’s right to determine her own choice of care during pregnancy and birth. Charlotte received her training through an extensive internship before becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), a program developed by the North American Registry of Midwives. She gained vast experience co-directed a free standing family birthing center in the state of Michigan. As well as founding Pregnancy Beat a national pregnancy website featuring expert articles, videos, birth stories and a community for mothers. It was after attending home births throughout the United States and Canada in places such as Windsor, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, California and Georgia that she now resides in Atlanta. Recently after completing 10 years serving as Vice President of the Georgia Midwife Association Charlotte decided to move forward to pursue her passion with teaching. She specializes in water birth, vbac, twins and breech birth. She has trained highly motivated students who have became practicing Midwives. Personally Charlotte is a mother of four children whom three were born gently into the hands of midwives, with the last a home water birth 25 years ago.
A steady decline in the rate of vaginal term breech birth over the past three decades has led to a resurgence of vaginal breech birth in many parts of the world. The dedication of researchers, teachers, providers, and non-profit organizations has fostered on- going studies, published research, and provided hands-on training. Within that dedicated group of professionals there is a controversy surrounding using water for second stage. There are strong opinions on either side. Dr. Herman Ponette, the head obstetrician at the H. Surreys Hospital in Ostend, Belgium, was the first obstetrician to detail his experience using water immersion for term breech vaginal birth in the early 1980s. Using water as a comfort measure for early labor is not currently in question. Most experienced breech providers have limited experience using water for the actual birth.
This session will examine the pros and cons of facilitating breech birth in water from a provider perspective. A brief discussion of fetal reflexes and newborn transitional physiology will be included as well as a summary of the current research. Using photos, video of breech waterbirths, and video demonstration on models of hand positions and techniques to assist with a breech birth will introduce the participant to this topic and create an interest for further research and investigation.
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Dr. Yale Nogin is the creator of The Hero Dad™ Program taught at Piedmont and Kennestone Hospitals in Atlanta, GA and is the author of The Hero Dad’s Infant Manual. He has been teaching classes for expecting, new and adopting fathers over the last 15 years and counting.
His program focuses on empowering men with relevant principles, skills, systems and behaviors that earn respect from their partners which enable the couples to co-create a relaxed home environment. Being a new father with an Infant management system, post-partum support skills, and a system for “listening to understand” help new fathers feel confident and willing to participate early on which helps keep them invested in their family.
Dr. Nogin is passionate about preventing the fatherlessness epidemic from getting worse. The time surrounding birth is a crucial time to equip men with skills to help navigate the many changes and responsibilities that come with being a parent and partner so men want to come home at night.
The perinatal period is a pivotal point in lives of both expecting mother and father. This time period can prove to be a perfect opportunity for the birthing community to help men engage with their upcoming role and responsibilities of fatherhood and “husband-hood w/baby”. If we are able to positively influence men to be engaged with their new family from the beginning we can increase the odds of positive birth outcomes. Unfortunately, men report to feel “left out” and “marginalized” during the prenatal visits, education and delivery. To create a change and help create better family outcomes we must work together to bring men more into the fold during this time period. We will discuss ways in which the birth community can help men such as being more conscious of where men are emotionally during the perinatal visits and by using positive reinforcement of what new relevant fatherhood and masculine behavior looks like such as the ability to listen and understand our partners, self-awareness and self-control as well as our openness to grow and learn these modern behaviors and skills that most men today have not been exposed to in order to the respect they are seeking from their partners and children.
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Denise Love is a dynamic international speaker and educator.
She is passionate about life and compelled to support women through their many transitions in life. With an ever developing interest in life and death, she walks the path with many around death, particularly women whose babies die, either in utero, at birth, or soon thereafter.
With a Masters degree in nursing, living and working in remote villages in Asian countries as well as Australia, she is determined that women and babies be treated respectfully within their cultural expectations.
As a childbirth educator and an instigator of the introduction and training of doulas in Australia 20 years ago, Denise identified the vital need for birthing women to ""find their voice"" and trust their ancient internal ability to birth their babies. This recognition was stimulated by the developed world's highly structured interventionist and medicalised birthing paradigms and seemingly inflexible protocols and practices. Birth matters and so does the way we all die. Combining direct language, ritual and acknowledgement of grief when a baby dies, Denise brings a refreshing attitude and approach.
In her early years, practising as a Registered Nurse in remote indigenous communities, Denise gained valuable insight into how to trust our innate ability to birth, live fully and die. Denise's view has since been further reinforced through her work with vulnerable marginalised villagers in developing countries, where death is accepted as just a normal part of living.
Death is an extraordinary “thing” in our society. Since the invention of modern medicine, death has become the enemy, the unexcepted, the unacceptable, something to fight against, and a failure. Notwithstanding the fact that death is the only known certainty in life, we are shocked and overly distressed about it. There seems to be a hierarchy in death, that children shouldn’t die. It isn’t too many years ago that a mother expected with her large family that she would “lose” 2-3 children. That is still my experience in developing countries. I bring with me balance of modern medicine working together with educated mothers, and traditional expectations and practices, to try and find that balance in our work.
I will be discussing a baby as meaning from the moment of conception through to first year of life. We will explore the concept that as health professionals how our own thoughts, feelings, fears and beliefs influence how we respond to a mother and her family. The behaviours and expectations of the people around her influence her grief path, therefore we need to be clear and conscious in our communication. Examine rituals and behaviours that can alleviate some of her devastation, relief or pain.
