THE MIDWIFERY WISDOMexperience

YOUR PATHWAY HOME

THE 3 DAY CONFERENCE BEGINS ONfriday

Browse through the presentation topics & descriptions below! Choose to attend whatever presentations you feel fits your needs the most. Categories include: advocacy, business, clinical, self care.

November 10, 11, 12, 2023

*Information subject to change

fridayNOVEMBER 11, 2022

KEYNOTE

Social Justice Leadership in Maternal Child Health: Preparing Transformative Change Agents (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Kristin Effland

Preparing the next generation of midwives and birth professionals to lead as change agents necessitates a focus on social justice. Come learn how we help prepare experienced midwives, doulas, IBCLCs and other MCH professionals to contribute to their field as influential leaders in education, research, policymaking, program management and advocacy to improve the health of birthing people and children. Bastyr University’s Master of Arts in Maternal-Child Health Systems degree program equips health professionals to address the unique health systems needs during pregnancy and the first year after birth. The program emphasizes reproductive justice, interdisciplinary and community partnerships with a curriculum that promotes critical analysis. Leaders emerging from this program support innovative maternal-child health systems solutions to address the health needs of childbearing people and their infants through a social justice lens. Come learn about what aspects of this program you might be able to incorporate into your own work growing the next generation of leaders.

KEYNOTE

The Economics of the 4th Trimester: Navigating Health and Economic Implications (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Sonal Patel

“The Economics of the 4th Trimester” presentation offers a comprehensive exploration of the intertwined health and economic implications of this critical period in maternal and infant care. Often overlooked, the 4th Trimester profoundly influences both maternal-child health outcomes and the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Drawing upon an array of resources, we delve into the multifaceted aspects of the 4th Trimester and its far-reaching socioeconomic effects. We explore the complexities surrounding postpartum care, emphasizing the critical role midwives and pediatric providers play in reducing maternal mortality and improving maternal-child health outcomes. This session highlights the direct and indirect economic costs associated with poor maternal-child health outcomes, underscoring their impact on GDP, including reduced workforce productivity and increased healthcare expenditures. Simultaneously, we discuss the economic benefits of effective postpartum care and the potential for significant returns on investment. By the end of this session, attendees will have a holistic understanding of how the 4th Trimester’s health and economic dimensions intersect. This knowledge empowers participants to advocate for policies that prioritize maternal-child health, contributing to both a healthier population and a more prosperous economy.

saturdayNOVEMBER 12, 2022

SESSION 1: 9:00 AM- 10:30 AM (SATURDAY)

ADVOCACY

ADVOCACY

Barbara Verneus

Afro-Futuristic Birth Worker: Racism, Motherhood & Mental Health (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Barbara Verneus

Are you a birth worker interested in learning the Afro-futuristic ways of healing, nourishing and supporting communities of the African Diaspora? This workshop will focus on: Balancing motherhood, maternal mental health and racial constructs contributing to adverse public health outcomes in the Black community. Thinking forward, building forward and moving forward with an Afro-futuristic approach for the collective as a whole.I created and first presented this workshop in the fall of 2019 and since then some areas have evolved. So consider this 2.0. This workshop is solely for those who identify as Black, Brown and/or Indigenous. When attending this workshop if possible come dressed in all white for ceremonial purposes.

ADVOCACY

Demetra Seriki

Advocacy (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Demetra Seriki

Provide a learning opportunity for community midwives to learn how to recognize community needs for advocacy and how to implement community based interventions and support systems.

ADVOCACY

Confronting anti-competitve pushback as midwives, collectively and individually

Mentor: Hermine Hayes-Klein

US and global evidence is conclusive that healthcare systems have the best outcomes at the lowest costs when they ensure access to midwifery care in both the hospital and community settings. However, midwives continue to face barriers to practice, and pregnant people face barriers to midwifery care, in both hospital and out-of-hospital settings.  This session will address some of the legal and regulatory challenges that midwives confront around the US, and how midwives can advocate  for sustainable, integrated practices in all settings.

ADVOCACY

Elder Midwives’ Legacy: ‘Awakenings’

Mentor: Barbara Grace

Info coming soon!

ADVOCACY

wantina

Neurodiversity in Midwifery (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Wantina Brooks-Roach

This presentation is designed for students and midwives who want to have greater compassion and understanding of the neurodiversity in midwifery.

ADVOCACY

Lauren Smith

Community-Based Policy & Advocacy for Birthworkers (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Lauren Smith & Sarah Lopez

Lauren is a community organizer from Colorado with a background in youth advocacy, abortion rights, and social work. While she originally pursued a STEM career, the spontaneous decision to intern with a civic engagement organization shifted her trajectory as she found a passion for racial and reproductive justice. As the Black Civic Engagement and Policy Manager for Soul 2 Soul Sisters and Elephant Circle, she organizes alongside her amazing team to advocate for the needs of her community every day, at the legislature, the ballot box, and beyond. Beyond this work, Lauren has a deep love for music and can often be found perusing record stores, buying concert tickets, and leading her Denver-based a cappella group. She is also a student at MSU Denver, studying to get her B.S. in Social Work.

ADVOCACY

tanya wills

The Problem with Evidence Based Care

Mentor: Tanya Wills

“Evidence based” and “patient centered” are the current dichotomous descriptors used to describe the standard of midwifery care. Few certification boards or medical institutions question this trend. But how does the evidence apply to this person right in front of me – if it even does? This talk will explore the barriers midwives face as they confront the dominance of the “evidence” and offer practical tools toward the goal of discerning “evidence informed individualized care”.

ADVOCACY

wendi cleckner

Sentinel Events - the Stuff No One Wants to Talk About (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Wendi Cleckner

When you live the life of a midwife long enough, at some point your path will cross with a sentinel event. From the moment of the life-changing event, to the hours and days and years following, there is valuable wisdom to be learned through each lived experience. For 90 minutes we will take a deep dive into how to prepare for a sentinel event. What to do immediately following the event. What resources are out there to help you navigate the coming weeks and months. There will surely be moments of processing and all emotions are welcome.

ADVOCACY

Building a Strong Foundation for a Healthy, Happy, Sustainable Midwifery Lifestyle (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Kimberly Haines

Midwifery is not a career, it’s a lifestyle. Every aspect of our life and the lives of those who matter most to us are greatly affected by this lifestyle. We give so much to those around us that we oftentimes lose focus on why we started down this path in the first place. By committing to implement a few golden rules into our lifestyle, midwives can practice in a way that allows us to be mentally balanced, emotionally healthy and financially sustained. It is absolutely possible to learn how to thrive in the chaos of birthwork and more importantly, we truly can find happiness in word of midwifery.

ADVOCACY

The Bones of Grief (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Dani LaVoire

Walking the landscape of Grief is challenging terrain. We struggle with what to say, how to show up and how to use our role as midwives to help weave the threads of strong community. The ways we support each other during hard times becomes the foundation of the support system that holds us. This session will explore what grief is, the ways it shows up in the body and what it asks for. Participants will complete this workshop with the tools to care for the self and our clients through the stressful times that surround loss. We will take a deep dive into complicated definitions of grief as an emotion, but also as a time period, and use this understanding to parse the differences between grief and mourning. As we begin to answer the question, “What does grief ask of us” we will explore the three principles; companioning, support systems and creating meaningful ritual. This session will be held with a strong and skillful container, moments of joy and laughter, moving realizations and soulful ah-has.

BUSINESS

BUSINESS

AMARIEE COLLINS

Business Budgeting for Midwives (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Amariee Collins

Midwives jobs are to take care of clients in the perinatal period. There are many issues when it comes to anyone doing something that they are unprepared to do and with little to know training and education. There is a need for assistance in entrepreneurship in all walks of life and midwifery is not different. We will look into how to start a small business according to your state and how to find that information, how to file for EIN, startup costs, budgeting and bookkeeping, and filing taxes. Understanding the basics of business can help to make life easier with an already unpredictable schedule. If you have already started your business these will be helpful tips to make business easier and if you are about to start your own business this should give a sturdy foundation.

BUSINESS

leslie cornwell

How to Know if You're an Entrepreneur? (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Leslie Cornwell

This session is about defining entrepreneurship, Identifying Opportunities, Creating a Business Plan Tips, Building a Strong Network, Financial Management and Funding, Marketing Strategies
Building a Winning Team, Overcoming Challenges and Failures, Ethical and Social Responsibilities of a Midwife.

Business

Making Money at Ancillary Birth Businesses

Mentor: JaLisa Taylor

Info coming soon!

BUSINESS

augustine colebrook midwife

The Holy Trinity: Boundaries, Informed Decision-making and Risk Assessment (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Augustine Colebrook

This session is designed for midwives and midwifery students wanting to reduce their own liability, increase their patient satisfaction rate, and decrease their own stress levels in practice.

BUSINESS

Contracts, and Forms & Waivers, Oh my! (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Kesha Chiapanelli

There’s a need in the birth professional community for legal information relevant to the subject matter; midwives, perinatal coaches, and lactation counselors need subject matter experts. This session is for all birth professionals. Participants will discuss and learn about contracts, forms, and everything that they’ll need to elevate their business and make their practice go more smoothly.

BUSINESS

Hacks for busy midwives

Mentor: TBD

Info coming soon!

BUSINESS

Billing Tricks for Midwives

Mentor:Katie O’Day

Info coming soon!

CLINICAL

Clinical

Adrienne Leeds

Itching and Puking and Hives, Oh My! (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Adrienne Leeds

Our amazing livers perform numerous functions. How are they affected by pregnancy? Explore and differentiate liver-related dysfunctions including PUPPP, pruritus gravidarum, hyperemesis gravidarum, intrahepatic cholestasis, HELLP syndrome, and acute fatty liver of pregnancy. We’ll examine both conventional management and holistic approaches to collaborative care.

CLINICAL

Pelvic Floor Considerations for the Midwife (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Alicia Baker

This continuing education course consists of live, interactive learning which will be completed on-site at the Midwifery Wisdom conference. This continuing education course provides a thorough introduction to pelvic floor anatomy, pelvic floor function, dysfunction, and the role of the pelvic floor therapist. It also defines and teaches skills and knowledge regarding abdominopelvic screening via questionnaires, interview, palpation, and observation. Considerations of the pelvic floor during labor will be discussed regarding birth progression. Postpartum considerations will be discussed with a specific focus on urogynecologic conditions including prolapse and pelvic organ descent, various pelvic pain diagnoses, and abdominal wall rehabilitation. The participant will be able to learn specific screening skills for these conditions that when missed have a significant negative impact on a woman’s health and quality of life.

CLINICAL

Stillbirth is Still a Birth: Holistic Care for a Fetal Demise (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Andie Wyrick

It is heartbreaking to look at loss in its sweet small face. We are midwives, and sometimes difficult is a path on the roadmap to love and support families. Stillbirth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes, at 1 in 160 births in America. In developed countries, the most dominant risk factors associated with fetal demise are non-Hispanic black race, nulliparity, advanced maternal age, obesity, preexisting diabetes, chronic hypertension, smoking, alcohol use, having a pregnancy using assisted reproductive technology, multiple gestation, male fetal sex, unmarried status, and past obstetric history. Although some of these risk factors may be mitigated, many can not. A significant proportion of stillbirths remains unexplained even after a thorough evaluation due to decreased autopsy rates and protocols that hinder classification and assessment. The approach and timing of birth after a loss depends on the gestational age at which the demise occurred, obstetric history, and what the parents desire. Midwives should weigh the risks and benefits of each choice with their clients and consider community standards. Client support should be holistic. Additional considerations should be made to fulfill the laws and regulations of your state. Referral to a bereavement counselor, community support group, or mental health professional can be helpful and should be navigated with an individualistic approach. Exploration into the experience of the birth team, including the birther, partner, siblings, midwife and assistants should be considered. Midwives should be well versed in culturally sound mourning and communication skills when attending a demise.

CLINICAL

Ashley Musil

Ehlors-Danleos-Syndrome in Pregnancy (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Ashley Musil

This presentation will go over what EDS is, how it is diagnosed, and how it may impact pregnancy. The focus is primarily on hypermobile EDS and the potential complications and comorbidities which may need to be managed in the midwifery setting.

CLINICAL

GYN Mixed Bag: STI's, Vaginitis and UTI's (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Aubre Tompkins

This presentation will give an overview of the epidemiology, screening recommendations, treatments (both allopathic and alternative when appropriate) of selected STI’s, vaginits and urinary tract infections.

CLINICAL

Jharna Ahmai

Beyond the Edinburgh: A Holistic Approach to Recognize and Respond to Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Jharna Harvey Ahmai

Per the CDC, between 1 in 7 but more likely 1 in 5 birthing people are known to have a variation of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD). 50% of those have a pre-existing underlying sign which are part of a thorough health history analysis. However, a significant 50% of those 1 in 5 have never had a sign of any mood disorder prior to pregnancy and birth. Midwives are on the front lines of recognizing these mood variations and are often in the unique position of having built a trusting relationship with the client at risk. Together we will explore the difference between “Baby Blues” and clinical depression; between “Nervousness” and Anxiety Disorders or debilitating OCD. We will also delve into how to recognize and act on birth related psychosis as well as touch upon trauma-informed care in the client with Chronic PTSD (C-PTSD). Throughout, we will discuss holistic approaches to address the above mood disorders as well as the nuances and circumstances that require supportive expertise when out of our scope of practice.

CLINICAL

Hemorrhage - Beyond Postpartum (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Lisa Rawson

While exploring uterine hemorrhage we will also discuss non conventional ramifications of those experiences-for the birth worker and the client. Through conversation, study and story telling we will examine the uterus beyond pregnancy and postpartum. Recognizing that The Womb, whether it bears children or not, is its own living force that can also cause destruction. This course is for you if you have unresolved trauma thru hemorrhage as a patient or birth worker. This course is for you to explore the dynamic of full circle understanding of the mind/body/heart connection we have in this work to The Womb. We will explore beyond our PPH meds and there will be time for breaks, trauma response and reflection.

CLINICAL

Palpation and Bodywork for Fetal Positioning (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Nicole Morales

This presentation offers insight into contrast  in process focused palpation from outcome focused palpation, the 3 maternal structures that can be palpated in relationship to the fetus, understand changes in research methods over time for female-bodied anatomy.

CLINICAL

Progesterone in Pregnancy (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Sarah Thompson

Progesterone is an endogenous hormone produced, primarily, by the maternal corpus luteum in early pregnancy and the placenta in later pregnancy. We know progesterone is essential for health conception and pregnancy, yet the majority of the research on progesterone referenced today comes from studies done in the 1950s and 1970s. New and advanced research is beginning to highlight the gaps in progesterone understanding, testing and use in prevention and management of pregnancy and postpartum complications. In this course we will review progesterone function and physiology, address nutritional and other functional components that can affect progesterone levels, and discuss the newest research studies on progesterone that include Pope Paul VI Institute, PRISM, and PROMISE.

CLINICAL

Kristine Lauria

Crazy $h!t They Didn’t Teach You in Midwifery School (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Kristine Lauria

This session will cover rare and unusual cases encountered in a variety of settings while providing maternal/infant health care. Case studies will be presented and the process of diagnosis and treatment/resolution will be discussed for each case

CLINICAL

WISDOM Pearls: Clinical Scenarios and Strategies to Enhance your Midwifery Practice (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Whitney Pinger

WISDOM Pearls: Clinical Scenarios and Strategies to Enhance your Midwifery Practice is a presentation designed for midwives to hear an engaging distillation of some of the rare clinical scenarios I have observed and the core clinical strategies I have developed, utilize, and rely on over my 40+ years of clinical practice. We will cover Uterine Impaction, Labial Hematoma, Goddess Pose, Resting Queen’s Pose, Lunging, Fecal Impaction, Midwifery Pearls and The Patterns of Labor, and the External Nudge, all within the context of ACE Awareness. These are scenarios and strategies that will deepen your Midwifery WISDOM.
nathan riley md

Psilocybin Use in Pregnancy & Postpartum May be offered during Barbara's talk

Mentor: Whitney Pinger & Nathan Riley

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies are remerging as novel therapeutics for a wide range of mental and emotional dis-eases. In the early- to mid-20th century, research into the “mind-altering” actions of psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT, was rapidly establishing itself in the medical community. Over the 1960s and 1970s, the “war on drugs” forced psychedelics researchers to leave these promising therapeutics behind. Over the past decade, however, as the benefits of psychedelic therapies – most notably the classical psychedelic compound psilocybin along with 3,4-methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine (MDMA), not classically considered a “psychedelic” but extremely therapeutic – have become undeniably beneficial for many subsets of our population, including those experiencing post-traumatic stress, survivors of sexual abuse, and treatment-refractory depression. A specific population where psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is beginning to venture is into the space of birth trauma. Trauma-informed care is emerging as a distinct specialty in and of itself, and it will likely become a necessary corollary of patient-centered midwifery and obstetrics care. Given the slow pace at which new therapies are adopted and integrated into the conventional medical model of obstetrics care, out-of-hospital midwifery practice provides an opportunity to explore the indications and applications of these novel therapies into birth work for the betterment of the mental, emotional, spiritual, and, perhaps, even physical wellbeing of birthing women and their partners.

CLINICAL

Augustine-Colebrook

Reducing Your Transport Rate with Proper and Timely Cervical Assessment

Mentor: Augustine Colebrook

Some transports are absolutely necessary, but all too often, community-based midwives find themselves sitting bedside at a normal vaginal hospital birth wondering what they missed OR have to fend of disgruntled and resentful messages from postpartum clients wondering WHY they were transferred. Join senior midwife, Augustine Colebrook for this indepth and experiential presentation, as we use case study, cervical models and video to demonstrate not only when and how to properly check for progress, but what to do with the information you find.

SELF CARE

SELF CARE

The Inner Workings of Me: Self Care is Health Care (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Ana’Neicia Williams

Participants will have the opportunity to explore how self care is essential in midwifery care. Participants will be guided through how to utilize reflective practice to combat burnout and compassion fatigue.

SELF CARE

ilka fanni

Somatic Practices of Self Healing - How to Use Embodied Touch for Nervous System Reset, Preventing and Treating Burnout, and Self Care (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Ilka Fanni

Burnout, trauma, anxiety, are part of a birth worker’s life. But it doesn’t have to take over. The body is wise. It knows how to heal itself. We will learn Somatic – body based techniques to reset the nervous system, ground and center. We will use embodied touch and movement to practice self care. Because you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

SELF CARE

Self Care is Divine Work: Self Care Conversations About Cannabis in Midwifery (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Kelleen Peters

Self-care is a topic that emphasizes the practice of taking deliberate actions to prioritize and maintain one’s physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being. It involves engaging in activities and behaviors that promote self-nurturance, relaxation, and personal growth. Self-care is a proactive approach to holistic health that recognizes the importance of self-preservation and self-renewal. It involves dedicating time and energy to self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-improvement. The concept encompasses various dimensions, including physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of well-being. Prioritizing self-awareness, personal growth, and relaxation. By engaging in self-care activities, individuals can enhance their physical, mental, and emotional health, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

SELF CARE

moriah melin

The Field That Holds Us (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Moriah Melin

As birth workers we are skilled in the art of “holding space.” But who and what are holding space for us? We are also skilled in the art of listening to our intuition. But where does our intuition come from, and how can we fine tune our ability to access the information housed within it? Weaving physical exercises, Moriah Melín will lead a group exploration into the micro and macro elements of The Energetic Field that Holds Us. Her intention is to plant somatic seeds within the physical and energetic bodies of participants, so that they know what the field feels like, and how to lean deeper into it.

SELF CARE

Holistic Options of Self-Care for Birth Professionals (offers CEUs)

Mentor: Ruth Shepard

A Midwife has to balance clients, family, a business, continuing education, and often other employment that can strain any person physically, psychologically, and nutritionally. Learning to support one’s mental/emotional health, along with physical health with non-toxic, and even detoxing alternatives, and stress-relieving techniques can add tools to the midwifery bag of tricks that improves one’s vitality, as well as health, and stamina to be the best Midwife one can be.

SESSION 2: 10:40 AM - 12:10 PM (SATURDAY)

SESSION 3: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM (SATURDAY)

SESSION 4: 3:40 PM - 5:10 PM (SATURDAY)

sundayNOVEMBER 13, 2022

SESSION 5: 9:00 AM- 10:30 AM (SUNDAY)

SESSION 6: 10:40 AM - 12:10 PM (SUNDAY)

BUSINESS

TBD

Mentor: TBD

Info coming soon!

SESSION 7: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM (SUNDAY)

notSURE JUST YET?

That’s ok! let’s stay in touch.

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