For further details of workshops, please contact BirthRite Head Office (Australia).
Workshop Titles
- Interactive Engagement — The Key to Holistic Midwifery
- Holistic Midwifery: What’s in it for me?
- I Speak Holistic: The language of holistic midwifery
Holistic Midwifery: What’s in it for me?
2 hours
Holistic Midwifery 101. What is this thing called “holistic midwifery”? Whose idea was it? Why did it come about in the first place? How is it different from other types of midwifery? Why should I bother about it? How would it affect my practice of midwifery? How would it affect women and couples in my care? What do women and couples say about it? Is it difficult? Why doesn’t everyone do it? Where do I go from here?
“I Speak Holistic”: The language of holistic midwifery
3 hours
Language is powerful. This applies to both spoken and unspoken (“body”) language and is at the crux of interactive engagement, one of the central tenets of holistic midwifery. We examine the effects on couples in your care of everything you say and do, in light of the goals you (and they) hope to achieve. Learn to refine your language, actions and reactions, to best effect. Learn also to interpret the language of the woman or couple, so that your responses are relevant to their state of mind at the time. Incorporating role plays, this workshop is bound to be a sobering and enlightening exercise for midwives of all levels of experience.
“I Think Holistic”: Holistic midwifery as a lifestyle
3 hours
Midwifery is not “just another job”! In this workshop we construct the “holding” and “supporting” framework that makes holistic midwifery possible and sustains it long-term. We consolidate our occupation into a profession and look beyond to fashioning a lifestyle. We examine professionalism, accountability, transparency, networking, team engineering, peer support, the role of “elders”, professional and personal development, task setting, and looking after yourself, your family and your colleagues.
“I Act Holistic”: Release your inner politician
2 hours
We all know that midwives are not just there to pull babies out. But are you aware of the myriad influences midwives have on couples, families and society? In this illuminating workshop we explore the potentially far-reaching ramifications of the practice of midwifery. We look at how we view ourselves and how others view us. We learn to devise strategies and fine-tune our techniques to make our professional lives as meaningful and satisfying as possible. See yourself as a pebble in a pond and marvel at the ripples. This is what holistic midwifery is all about!
Design Your Parents
2.5 hours
It’s not just about the birth! As a midwife, you are strategically placed to mould the society in which you live. An opportunity too good to miss and too important to treat as an afterthought. This session discusses the underlying philosophy, and the skills and strategies required, for sculpting good parents within a midwifery model of care.
The holistic model of midwifery strengthens each individual and forges a couple’s relationship. It offers them a forum in which to re-examine everything: who they are, their relationship with each other, their family and friends, work, stress levels, finances, their philosophies, beliefs and visions for the future. Under the lens go bad habits, unhealthy lifestyles and the state of the world in general. Deeper issues of life and death, their own and the child’s mortality, swiftly help the couple to raise the bar and to face the future in a mature way. By engaging with the couple holistically, they soon find the courage to speak up, take a stand and, later on, negotiate outcomes for the new family more successfully.
A Truly Holistic Second Stage
2.5 hours
Second stage is a time when many experienced caregivers still lose their patience, their cool and their sensitive touch. This session examines what happens in midwives’ minds once they think the woman might “want to push” or once the woman tells them she does. We will refresh our memory about the delicate physiological intricacies of this phase of birth in the light of the prevalent, well-meant but ill-advised practice of coaching the woman to push when “fully”. This leads us to the importance of breathing and relaxation in childbirth. Learn how to welcome and facilitate second stage in a holistic way, with truly remarkable results for all involved. Uses role plays.
Comments: Better title. Raising the bar.
Interactive Engagement
3 hours
Interactive engagement between woman and midwife is a crucial catalyst for the holistic exchange — spoken and unspoken — of feelings and information. We examine issues of influence, congruence, manipulation and “informed choice”. How to balance responsibility, control, choice and intuition between carer and clients while keeping the holistic goal in mind. How to raise awareness in the couple about the body-mind-connection, and the long-term effects of decisions taken. What sort of questions to ask to set the holistic dialogue in motion.
Comments: XXXX
Clarity
2 hours
“I–self” in relationship to her/his environment (private, public, professional). Self-awareness of strengths and limitations, a pre-requisite to becoming a holistic practitioner. Discover why you fare well in some areas of your work but fall short in others. Issues of self-esteem, self-responsibility and authenticity.
Comments: I–self is too abstract. Your instead of her/his? What are we seeking clarity in? Why is it important?
The Big Stretch
2.5 hours
Pregnancy and birth are wonderful opportunities for healing, initiation, community strengthening, forging of the couple bond, and conscious transition. How to push boundaries for self, couples in our care, peers, and the community we live in, in order to absorb and practise holistic principles and build a stronger, healthier society. Under the lens are beliefs, attitudes, feelings, perceived and realistic limitations. Lively discussions.
Comments: Must have a different title.
Pathways For Holistic Midwifery
Half day
Five areas are going to be explored in detail: peers, structure, environment, people, process. Assessing the status quo of your workplace in each of these areas and designing do-able short, medium and long-term activities/changes by involving yourselves, family members, clients and your local community. Lots of practical suggestions. Group work.
Comments: XXXX
Ingredients For A Holistic Pregnancy
Half day
For midwives approaching midwifery-led group care or one-on-one midwifery care. Practical suggestions how to design antenatal visits that are conducive to a couple’s growing and maturing: observe, validate, simplify, delegate, excite the couple, build community. Highly practical.
Comments: XXXX
Antenatal Workshops — With a holistic focus
Full day
For midwives not engaged otherwise in antenatal care, birth and parenting classes are an invaluable opportunity to influence couples holistically and invite them to face their upcoming birth, parenthood and change of life-style fully. Lots of group work, discussion, and the odd film clip to stimulate your thoughts.
Comments: XXXX
The 36 Weeks Visit: Last opportunity for effective holistic intervention
2.5 hours
For midwives wanting to incorporate some limited antenatal care. How to use this antenatal visit in particular as an opportunity to assess how everyone is travelling. A chance to reflect on the recent journey of the woman/couple, to adjust course (if necessary) and assign tasks and responsibilities for the impending birth and parenthood. A last chance to tune the woman into the birth challenge ahead and to put everyone involved in the care of this couple in the picture to achieve holistic congruency at birth. Highly practical.
Comments: Last opportunity?
The Holistic Midwife at Birth
Half day
See yourself as conductor, overseeing and arranging anyone’s involvement in the serenade of birth: The labouring woman is the virtuoso, the first violin, if you like. Entries and exits to fit into the score at the right tempo, right key, right bar and right volume. Rehearse scenarios with colleagues and doctors how to behave at birth. How to “bridge worlds” and delicately juggle the conflicting demands of women at birth, concerned (or obstructive) peers and other professionals, the “system”, and your own family’s needs, without going insane. Keywords for this session: knowledge, sprituality, self-awareness, environment, presence, trust, respect. Normalise, simplify, delegate, observe, advocate. Working with breath and relaxation. Clearing blockages. Debriefing, story-sharing, leaving. Lots of practical suggestions for orchestrating the harmonies of childbirth.
Comments: XXXX
Long Latent Phase and Long Early Labour
2 hours
“Labour is as labour does.” How many phases of labour are there? Why do some women take a long time to “establish”? How to invite the woman to accept her entry into the timeless cocoon called labour. How to validate her experience, her struggle, her pain. How to strengthen her and make her feel looked after during the long hours of labour “knocking on her door”. Exploring the possibility of home-support in latent phase/early labour. Labour buddies, networking, support for the father.
Comments: Its not timeless to the woman!
The Pain!!! (Midwife’s or Woman’s?)
2 hours
Pain is a signal, not a threat! Identify your own issues around the pain of labour. How to understand pain and work with pain instead of trying to “manage” it. How to gently and cleverly harness the woman’s internal coping resources above and beyond current “conventional approaches”. The need to be PRESENT. You are the woman’s most effective pain relief.
Comments: XXXX
Obstructive Challenges
2 hours
It’s all in the mind!? Holistic approaches to higher than “normal” levels in women of apprehension, fear, obstruction (internal and external), trauma, abuse, depression. Explorative. Practical. Scenarios.
Comments: XXXX
Bonding, Bonding, Bonding
2 hours
The baby is born. You can breathe a sigh of relief. Just the third stage and you’re done. Or are you? What do you have there? A woman, a baby, and maybe also a partner — two, or three, individuals. Is that the best you can do? Was that the aim of the exercise? One of the tenets of holistic midwifery is that you all came together to create a family. The relevant individuals need to be bonded to each other to create the family, just as individual atoms need to be bonded to each other to create a molecule. You’ve given the baby to the mother and they’re bonding away. But are they? And how are they bonding?
In this important workshop we first look at the theoretical aspects of normal attachment and the consequences of non-attachment or pathological attachment. We move on to look at the influence of upbringing, environment and significant people on the quality of attachment. Without a skerrick of hubris, we assert that the midwife is — or should be — among those significant people. What you as the midwife do and say, at and after the birth, is crucial. Being sensitive to the moment and its inherent physiological, psychological and sociological significance. Reflecting on your or your unit’s current practice. Brainstorming for improvements involving self, the couple, colleagues and the hospital. How to “celebrate” the arrival of new little persons and to give birth the status it deserves in this society. The whole issue of holistic support post-birth, in hospital and/ or home. Discussion, practical suggestions.
Comments: XXXX
Holistic Boobs
1.5 hours
Reflection on the inhibiting and facilitating ingredients to wholesome breastfeeding. Pathways to the mother’s mindset pre-and intra lactation. Being playful with breasts. The father’s attitude and its effect on breastfeeding. Recognizing when to support a woman’s (express or silent) desire not to breastfeed.
Comments: Perhaps too playful a title!
Thoughts on Conflict
2.5 hours
For midwives experiencing distressing or debilitating levels of conflict with their peers or with the system in which they work. Conflict is viewed in a positive light as an opportunity for growth and a force that can potentially strengthen and heal. Strategies are advanced for constructively harnessing and channeling its potentially destructive energy. Relationship values. An intense workshop involving role plays.
Comments: Title is too passive — empower them! The job is not supposed to be this painful! What are “relationship values”? How will they feel, or what will they be able to do, at the conclusion? Job satisfaction. Morale. Conflict’s potentially destructive energy.