♦    6 – 13 May 2016

Since the first of the modern water births in New Zealand over three decades ago, water birth has been embraced by women as a popular choice to facilitate drug-free labours and gentle births of their babies. Correspondingly, it has become an integral aspect of many midwifery practices and is now available within some hospital environments.

Birthspirit’s Water Birth Workshop provides the opportunity to establish and/or enhance evidence-informed practice around the safe and effective use of water during labour and/or birth).

This course content:

•  Recognises regional, national and international differences and contexts of waterbirth;
•  Reflects critically on issues relating to waterbirth;
•  Considers evidence-informed practice for the use of water during labour and/or birth; and,
•  Explores practice experiences and problem solving.

How is the workshop run?

This week-long fully online workshop is run on Birthspirit Moodle. It is taught using videoed lectures, a live classroom, slides, videos, posted readings and discussion forums. (You can test your basic computer system requirements and internet speed here to make sure you can successfully participate in live classrooms before you register. A headset is essential to participating orally in the classrooms, video camera is optional.)

Course material is available online at 5pm Friday, 6 May 2016. It is expected that participants will set their own learning timetables ensuring they have engaged with the videoed lectures, movie clips, readings and discussion forums prior to the 1 hour live classroom on Thursday, 12 May 2016. The live classroom is at 9.00am and repeated at 3.00pm (NZST). (You can check a world clock here as to which time – 9.00am OR 3.00pm – is best for you to attend). If participants are unable to attend the live session a recording of this will be available for viewing the following day but energetic connecting with each other in real time can be a powerful accelerant to our learning and understanding, so participants are encouraged to attend these at scheduled times. The course material remains available to participants for a further week beyond the Workshop.

Facilitator

Dr Maggie Banks (PhD, RM, RGON) has worked in a variety of practice settings, first as a nurse (from 1972) primarily in women’s health and neonatal intensive care, then as midwife (from 1987). A self-employed midwife in home birth practice since 1989, Maggie combined the role of midwifery educator with practice from 1998-2014. She has regularly taught throughout Australasia, as well as having been a guest speaker at conferences held in the Australia, US and Canada. Maggie is the author of Breech Birth Woman-Wise and Home Birth Bound: Mending the Broken Weave.

Cost NZ$75.00

Register for the Workshop now.

Recertification programme/Continuing education

This Workshop is approved by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand as elective education and has been allocated 5 elective education points.

Continuing education for other than New Zealand midwives: 5.75 hours minimum.

Full attendance Attendance Certificates will be awarded to those who fulfill the Attendance Certificate criteria requirements.

What did previous participants say about this workshop?

• I am keen to offer waterbirth as an option for the women in my care but have had very little experience in the practice. I have found your lectures, reading material and video clips informative and inspiring. 
• The video clips are awesome. It becomes obvious which practice is good…I thought the forums were also great. Getting to read about different midwives experiences and perspectives on practice.
• Insightful, informative, evidence based.
• This was my first online workshop eva & once I got the jist of it, I really enjoyed it! I found it very well presented in a logical format that was easy to access…Being able to study from home, when it suited me [was valuable]. Being able to log in & out of the workshop & review course material several times over if I needed with reference to readings & the video clips. I found Tony’s technical support vry helpful!