Details and further speakers to be announced as information comes to hand ~ stay tuned !

Timetable to be announced.

Andrew Lazootin ND - Preconception and pregnancy care

Speakers Andrew Lazootin ND - Preconception and pregnancy care Every aspect of your reproductive health is dependent on an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. However, the vast majority of people in Australia have nutrient deficient diets. Women who take the correct supplements during pregnancy help prevent the possible complications associated with poor nutrition and improve the long-term health and wellbeing of their unborn baby. The general consensus is that pre-pregnancy nutritional status significantly affects pregnancy outcomes. Pre-pregnancy nutritional status also influences the prospective father’s ability to reproduce. Once conception has occurred suboptimal maternal micronutrient status of the mother can compromise early embryonic development. Prevention of a significant proportion of birth defects, low birth weight infants, and sudden death infant syndrome has been shown to be possible by detoxification and by enhancement of the micronutrient status of women and their partner’s preconception and by enhancement of the micronutrient status of those women already pregnant. Further risk reduction of adverse pregnancy outcomes (as well as micronutrient status) could be achieved with preconception counselling to avoid smoking, alcoholic drinks, illicit drugs, low calorie diets, over exercise and other unhealthy habits. Such education for people wanting to have children would prevent a significant proportion of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the obvious human misery as well as significant decrease in medical expenses. This talk is to present the latest information on preconception preparation naturally through to birth and after in a laypersons terms.

Andrew’s Biography
Andrew is a father of 12 children (mixed marriage and one fostered son). Andrew became interested in natural medicine 20 years ago when his first son was born, when a simple herbal tea cleared up an eye infection his son had that doctors could not. Andrew runs the Glenelg Blood Morphology and Naturopathic Centre. Always in search of the latest research he attends many seminars and lectures every year in Australia and overseas, just returning from the Medicine week in Baden Baden Germany and the International Mental Health Summit in Melbourne which had a focus on autism. Andrew has a Bachelor of health Science in Naturopathy from the University of New England, NSW, and an Advanced Diploma of Applied Science with Honours as well as many other advanced diplomas and diplomas in natural medicine modalities.

Dr. Rob Hutchings - Natural Alignment for a Healthy Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

Learn why so many mothers can have difficulty conceiving and how to reduce the discomfort of a difficult pregnancy and long and painful labour. The talk will cover how to avoid damaging birthing practices such as forceps, vacuum extraction, C-sections and epidurals and the damaging effects these procedures can have on the newborn baby’s spine causing future ear infections, colic, feeding problems, ADD and SIDS. You will also learn the value of a healthy spine and nervous system for a healthy family.

Rob’s Biography
Dr Rob Hutchings has a Doctorate of Chiropractic and Bachelor of Science in Kinesology. He has practiced in England, Victoria and South Australia on Unley Road and has recently moved his chiropractic office to Glen Osmond Road in Fullarton. The move has provided Rob with the opportunity to work alongside other practitioners including a naturopath, remedial massage and Bowen therapist, acupuncturist and yoga and Pilates instructors. This complements his passion to provide clients with the most holistic health care possible, from conception to old age.

Shabdapriya (Pru Davey) - Prenatal Yoga – Enhancing the Natural Power or ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves’

Prenatal yoga preparation for labour and birth is one of the most intuitively obvious health applications known to women. There is much anecdotal evidence or women’s stories attesting to the lived experience of the ways yoga supported them through pregnancy, labour, birth and parenting. There appears to be central themes based around physical, psychological and spiritual preparation with the process of pregnancy, labour and birth viewed as a transformation to motherhood. These themes cannot be isolated but rather integrated and intertwined in the myriad of changes taking place during pregnancy. Yoga works on the mind and body simultaneously. As with birth it is both a physical and an emotional experience. During this presentation Pru will outline themes of yoga preparation, share her lived experience of women’s stories and present the outcomes of the small amount of prenatal yoga research supportive of natural birth through yoga

Pru's Biography
Pru has been a midwife for 29 years and has been a prenatal yoga teacher for 14 years, training in the Satyananda tradition. During this time pregnant and birthing women have been her greatest teachers and she has used this lived knowledge to weave yoga classes that support women on their journey of preparation for birth, mothering and building families. Pru currently works as a midwife at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and teaches 2 weekly classes of yoga.

Clare Barr

Clare will be presenting a talk on the pelvic floor: its role and its importance during the antenatal, postnatal period and beyond. She will discuss how to maintain correct function of the pelvic floor muscles in order to improve the birth experience, rehabilitation after birth, and prevent common complications such as incontinence and prolapsed.
Clare’s Biography
Clare joined Physiotherapy Pilates Proactive in October 2007. She moved to Adelaide from Melbourne in February 2007 and worked at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Clare recently completed her Post-Graduate Certificate in Women's Health (Pelvic Floor). In addition to working at Physiotherapy Pilates Proactive, Clare is working with renowned Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist, Dr Patricia Neumann.

Clare has a special interest in Women's Health/Continence issues, and the role of the pelvic floor in Spinal and Respiratory condition management. Clare is passionate about enhancing each client's quality of life, by helping them to have confidence and autonomy in management of pain and/or movement dysfunction.

Jodie Benveniste - 5 ways to a blissful pregnancy

1. Make your own choices
Other people may not want the responsibility of caring for your baby, but they do want to tell you how you should do it. Trust your own instincts.
2. Respect your body
Fortunately, pregnancy can teach us a new respect for our body. Our body can create, grow and birth a baby. Respect that.
3. Simplify and slow down
Eliminate the superfluous, focus on what’s important, and begin to prepare for your new life with your baby. By simplifying, we open up to a bigger and richer world.
4. Weight Gain - see the whole picture
By watching the scales we only see part of the picture. By tuning into our body’s needs for food, exercise and rest, we see the whole picture.
5. Choose comfort
Can’t find clothes to fit your pregnant shape? Some days you may feel more heffalump than sleek seňorita. On those days, perhaps comfort is enough.

Jodie's Biography
Jodie Benveniste is an author and parenting expert with a unique approach. A mother of two children, Jodie has a background in psychology, consulting, and academic research. Jodie is the director and founder of Parent Wellbeing - an organisation dedicated to helping parents improve their quality of life. Jodie uses books, workshops and speeches to guide and mentor parents, and brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to her work. She is the pioneer of a Work Family Flow, a unique approach to the work family issues, and has been researching work life issues for over a decade. Her warmth, empathy and passion offer comfort, inspiration and insight. Jodie is the author of 5 books including Little Bundle: Comfort and inspiration for new parents and Full Belly: Comfort and inspiration for pregnancy and birth.

Rachel Combe – Benefits of Pilates in Pregnancy

When Rachel qualified as a physiotherapist she began to explore the benefits of Pilates in the dance population, having done 18 years of classical ballet herself. After having worked in Outback Australia for Broken Hill Hospital and Royal Flying Doctors Service, Rachel moved to Cambridge, UK where she gained her accreditation as a Pilates Trained Practitioner. When she moved back to Adelaide in July 2002, Rachel opened Physiotherapy Pilates Proactive which now has branches in Stirling, Parkside and Littlehampton. Rachel is also a Certified Polestar Pilates Practitioner in Rehabilitation and Mat and holds a Certificate IV in Pilates Instruction. She regularly mentors on internationally recognised Polestar Pilates courses held in Adelaide and recently gained her Diploma in Professional Pilates Practice. Rachel has a special interest in pregnancy care and post-natal exercise as well as osteoporosis management. The three practices offer physiotherapy treatment rooms, a fully-equipped Pilates studio and a large carpeted area for Pilates Mat classes where over 50 Mat classes are on offer. The eleven physiotherapists working at Physiotherapy Pilates Proactive are highly qualified and all have a passion for Women’s Health. Jane Deere and Clare Barr are also qualified in pelvic floor examination.

Jenny Blyth - Making Space for the Baby

There is a middle path that meanders between 'trust your instincts' you will know how to birth naturally and then 'if you don't' you can have medical intervention. You can take this path in pregnancy -preparing for birth through body-awareness and skills that literally make space for yourself, body and baby to embrace and integrate changes. Enjoy learning about practical skills for natural birth in this workshop.

Jenny’s Biography
Jenny Blyth has been working with natural birth for over 25 years, supporting women through pregnancy, birth and early parenting in SE Queensland. She is deeply interested in the evolution of birth wisdom, and encouraging parents toward self-responsible, satisfying birth experiences through simple body awareness, preparation and strategies for birth. Jenny also facilitates Birthwork Support Training Workshops, the annual Women's Dreaming Camp, is the author of 'Birthwork' – a compassionate guide to being with birth, and co-creator of the film 'The Big Stretch'- insights about birth.

Peter Jackson - The Role the emotions play in pregnancy and childbirth.

In modern pre natal preparation the emotional state of the mother should be given a place of central importance. As far back as the early 1900’s Dr Grantly Dick Read discovered the significant role played by the emotions in reproduction. What to Read in the early 1900’s was observation, contemporary science confirms in many ways how the mother’s physiology during labour and birth is profoundly influenced by her emotional state. Given the expanding contemporary understanding of the role emotions have on the wellbeing of the mother the author argues that not enough attention is being paid in our pre natal preparation to this aspect. It is also becoming increasingly evident that the mother’s emotional state has a profound influence on her developing baby. Using contemporary science this paper expands on Read’s insights into the role the emotions play in pregnancy labour, birth and beyond.

Peter Jackson - Overview of calmbirth® pre natal programme

calmbirth® is designed to build a foundation with contemporary factual knowledge and give the couples an opportunity to examine their present beliefs and feelings about their approaching labour and birth. The programme has the potential to dismantle the fear, stress and anxiety experienced by many women during pregnancy and childbirth. The three important foundation factors addressed by calmbirth® for natural childbirth are understanding, confidence and fearlessness. Three main areas covered in the programme are:
- One of the foundational principles of calmbirth® is Dr Grantly Dick Read’s “Fear – Tension – Pain syndrome which is supported by contemporary research scientists such as Dr Candice Pert and Dr Bruce Lipton.
- Dr Herbert Benson’s extensive research into the normal physiological response of Relaxation which is the opposite to the well know fight and flight response which Dr Grantly Dick Read accurately described in his Fear – Tension – Pain syndrome. The programme highlights the importance of self care and use of the person’s subconscious resources to create confidence, understanding and to dismantle fears not only around labour and birth but for all areas of life.
- Bonding and Conscious Parenting draws on the research findings of Dr David Chamberlain, Dr Bruce Lipton and Dr Thomas Verny to name a few. Their evidence shows the importance of pre natal education and the relationship between the mother, father and baby.

Peter’s Biography
Peter Jackson offers over 36 years experience in General, Midwifery and Psychiatric disciplines of Nursing. He is a member of the NSW Nurses Assoc. NSW Midwives Assoc and trained in Subconscious Mind Therapy. As a midwife working in a country hospital for 20 years, Peter witnessed mothers whose experience of childbirth was one of fear, anxiety and trauma. Peter has developed calmbirth®, pre natal programme which helps mothers rediscover their birth power and joy. In 2006 the programme was extended to include training for calmbirth® practitioners.

Peter Jackson, Phone 02 4821 1156 ; email: pjackson@calmbirth.com.au, website: www.calmbirth.com.au

Kemi Nekvapil – Nourishment through natural birth and food cultures within the home.

If we go to all the trouble of creating a wonderful experience around the birth of our children, why would we not make the same effort with food? This talk will look at the importance of food within families. How we can use the preparation, eating and sharing of food as firm tools to connecting with our families and communities. With so much worry around food (as with homebirths)the joy and wonder of preparing food with each other and then sitting down and eating it together has become at least a chore and at worst does not happen at all. There have been studies to show that eating disorders, teenage isolation, social skills, language development and self esteem can all be affected by the simple pleasure of sharing food with others. Creating food traditions in your home is a fantastic journey that opens up so many possibilities around the nurturing of your family. And it is all so much more nourishing than getting your child to eat her peas!

Kemi's Biography
Kemi Nekvapil is a mother of 2 young children, which she birthed at home. After 17yrs as a chef and baker she now has a business called Food Traditions which aims to inspire families and communities to create traditions with food. She runs private and community based workshops for parents and children, gives talks, creates food events and writes for Kindred magazine as well as her own e-newsletter.

Lea Papworth - Acupuncture and Pregnancy

The presentation will focus on what acupuncture can treat (as it tends to be thought of more just for aches and pains) with particular emphasis on:
Birth preparation which softens the cervix facilitating easier deliveries.
Induction, for overdue babies
Breech babies, or delayed head decent
Treatment of nausea and vomiting
Aches and pain- back ache etc
A workshop teaching partners acupressure for pain relief in labour will be spoken about if time permits.

Lea's Biography
Lea Papworth is a midwife, who trained as an acupuncturist 8 years ago. Since graduating she has specialised in the treatment of pregnancy and its associated complaints, ranging from early pregnancy through to prolonged gestation. She completed her Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, focusing on Women’s health at the University of Western Sydney in 2005. Her care now centres around healthy pregnancy, and encouraging a natural birth, and caring for women with medical complications such as gestational diabetes.

Roslyn Donnellan – Fernandez – ‘Revering Birth: An Intergenerational Responsibility’

This presentation advances the claim that promoting conditions for beautiful birth is both an intergenerational responsibility to ensure healthy relationships, and a sustainability strategy to realize healthy communities and a healthier society. Current practices surrounding pregnancy, birth & early parenting directly mirror and reflect broader community values, conceptualizations and beliefs, demonstrating, “As life is reproduced, so is culture and society,” (Cherniak & Fisher, 2008). It is possible to replace a ‘culture of crisis’ with a ‘culture of confidence.’ This path requires ongoing conscious individual and collective action and effort, (Steiner: Intuitive Thinking As A Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom, 1995). Having supported families in a variety of settings, Roz shares some insights, including her 8 S’s, (‘from safety to surrender …’, Donnellan – Fernandez 2008), for achieving a satisfying birth experience amidst cultures of contradiction!

Roslyn’s Biography:
Roz is a mother and practicing midwife who has attended birthing families in their homes, in birth centres & in hospitals since 1994. She has formal qualifications in midwifery, nursing and human lactation. Roz is a present recipient of the WCH Midwifery Fellowship at CYWHS in Adelaide, where she is undertaking a 5 year retrospective analysis of the Midwifery Group Practice service. Currently she holds academic status at Flinders University and participates as an occasional teacher in the 3 year Bachelor of Midwifery program. For the past 15 years Roz has actively contributed to local, state and national voluntary, professional and government taskforces in relation to midwifery education, regulation, workforce, policy & service improvements to maternity services in the Australian context.

Arnaum Walkley – “Baby Makes Three": How to develop United Parenting Skills.

This presentation will focus on encouraging parents- to -be, to be aware of the importance of being on the 'same page' as each other when raising their child. The major outcome of this awareness will enhance raising a child in a safe, secure, harmonious home. Parents will also be offered the opportunity to create a more intimate relationship utilising positive, empowering, loving communication skills. Skills they may then pass on to their family. Often parents- to -be are unaware of some of the decisions they are yet to make, relating to the well being of their child and the outcome for the family. Naturally much of their focus is on Birthing choices and outcomes of a healthy gentle birth at this wondrous time. When parents are united in their Parenting they are as one, a team making the best decisions they can for their children. They feel safe and held when discussing their desires, dreams, expectations, and also their fears and how to heal them by creating positive loving outcomes. Discover tools to enhance communication skills, and how to ask difficult questions constructively. Focus on what you want to create, and be aware of positive outcomes. Create abilities to find the resources within each other that you require. Being able to address any negative patterns of behaviour or beliefs from the past, in a loving safe way will assist those problems to remain in the past. Being informed in your choices and having the skills to create a safe, nurturing, loving environment for your family is your child's birth rite.

Arnaum’s Biography
Arnaum has enjoyed supporting, and nurturing parents and their families as a Parenting Counsellor for 25 years. She pursued her passion for assisting parents in developing their own individual, unique conscious parenting skills, by achieving a Diploma in Early Childhood Studies. She then became a Nursing Mothers Breastfeeding Counsellor for 15 years. Arnaum has also been involved in committees in N.S.W., Queensland and South Australia supporting and encouraging Homebirth, Natural Birth, and all Birth and Parenting matters. She has raised two grown sons, and enjoyed Nannying many children over the years. In 2008 Arnaum became an accredited Humanistic Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner, which enables her to assist people in making powerful, healing changes creating excellence in their lives.

Lucy Perry - Hamlin Fistula Hospital

2009 marks 50 years since Dr Catherine Hamlin AC and her late husband Dr Reg Hamlin OBE arrived in Ethiopia to begin their work helping destitute women who suffer from obstetric fistula. Lucy Perry is a photographer and art director who works for the Hamlin Fistula Trust in Australia on a probono basis. Hear about the amazing work of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital including the long term vision of the hospital and what Oprah Winfrey did when she visited! Also see some of Lucy's photography from her last trip to Addis Ababa .

Lucy Perry - The Role of a Doula

Doulas have been supporting pregnant and birthing women for centuries but the concept has really only just taken off in modern birth management in Australia . Find out about the many benefits of a having a doula, how to find a doula and what to expect from your doula before, during and after childbirth. What does she carry in that mysterious doula bag and how does your doula work as a team with your partner? Also hear about what it takes to become a doula from Lucy Perry, an experienced doula and webmaster of Australia 's largest online doula directory.

Lucy's Biography
Lucy is a mother of three, two of which were born at home. She is an experienced doula or childbirth support partner and is called to attend births once or twice a month. Lucy is the founder and webmaster of Australia 's largest online doula directory and is the author of a number of published articles on the subject of childbirth support. Together with her husband Bruce, Lucy runs Beer + Bubs workshops at pub in Sydney where she teaches first time dads how to support their partner through childbirth. Lucy is also an art director, photographer and copy writer.

Belinda Maier – How to achieve control of and joy in a hospital for childbirth

Simone Fitzgerald – Reflexology in Pregnancy, Labour and Post-Birth.

Download Brief for Presenters

If you are interested in taking part in this awesome day please contact us via beautifulbirth(at)homebirthsa.org.au