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Future Birth 2007

Here we go again with the most popular program for midwives in Australia! This will be our 8th event in this biennial series and once more we have assembled some impressive speakers from overseas for your enjoyment and enlightenment.

Polly Ferguson is the Chief Midwife from Wales where they have used a simple and effective “Pathway” to keep birth normal and reduce caesarean birth rates. Designed and developed by midwives, it empowers them to keep birth normal and resist intervention unless necessary The simple documentation reduces paperwork to a minimum and clearly demonstrates the normality of most labours. It is a tool I think we could useful employ in Australia, and I want everyone to know about it.

Sarah Buckley is well known to many in this country for her writing and presentations on keeping birth normal. There are not many medical voices out there supporting the midwifery model and Sarah is outstanding in her support of natural births. She is an enthusiastic supporter of home births, water births and reducing medical interventions and everyone will enjoy her warm and caring approach.

Marcos Dias is from Brazil, where he is a Consultant to the Ministry of Health on the project being implemented to humanise birth in Brazil. He has worked as an obstetrician in midwifery style clinics and is fervently (as only the Brazilians can be) about improving birth for women, who frequently end up with caesarean births. He was an organiser of the wonderful Conference in Fortaliza a few years ago when 2000 health professionals turned up - it was one of the best events I have ever been involved with. He also facilitated my last visit to Brazil when I presented workshops in Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo. You’ll love meeting Marcos!

Sandy Kirkman is coming again - what a find surprise she was on the last Future Birth tour! Everyone wanted more, ans though this time you will know what to expectI am sure that you will enjoy her presentation on the theme: “Obstetricians are from Mars - Midwives are from Venus”.

The program will follow its usual format, starting in Perth and finishing in Sydney, from March 20 to March 27. We’ll be including Tasmania this time.

Full details will be mailed out later in the year and of course will appear soon on our website. Looking forward to seeing you all again next year.

Posted by andrea at June 08, 2006 05:53 PM