MANA 2021: Midwifery: Traditions & Transformations

November 8 to November 9 2021

MANA members in good standing should log in to get the member discount.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Monday, November 8, 2021

All times are PACIFIC Time

9:00 am

Midwifery, a Path Forward

Midwifery has deep roots in the past, but like any profession it must evolve with the times. This session will explore the realities of pre-industrial revolution midwifery and compare and contrast them to our modern realities.

Sarah Foster

Interim President

10:15 am

Maternal Dental Health: A Holistic approach to Dental Care during Pregnancy

This course will provide an overview for health practitioners on the subject of maternal dental care with a more natural approach. The course will outline the basics of what pregnant mothers should be doing for prevention of dental problems, what products to use and avoid, and oral health issues typically seen during pregnancy.

Dr. Eric Kempter, DDS, AIAOMT

12:00 pm

Navigating intergenerational apprenticeships

Generational differences are bound to come into play in apprenticeships. In this workshop we will talk about the differences between generations and their expectations as well as how preceptors can navigate the possible conflicts inherent in those differences with the goal of training fully competent entry level midwives while not burning ourselves out as preceptors.

Yesenia Guzman

Director of Professional Development

1:15 pm

Oxytocin and the transformation of birth

Oxytocin is a major hormone of labour and birth. As well as facilitating the rhythmic contractions of labour in all mammals, oxytocin also acts within the maternal brain at this time, with calming, connecting and pain relieving effects. Oxytocin activates maternal behaviour in all mammals including by activating brain reward and pleasure centres through the oxytocin peaks of labour and birth. The oxytocin system in labour and birth can be disrupted by obstetric interventions. This presentation draws
from current knowledge, human and animal research, and biological understandings to discuss possible positive and negative impacts of synthetic oxytocin, epidurals, and caesareans on maternal and fetal oxytocin systems. Strategies to fill possible ‘hormonal gaps’ are also discussed.

Dr. Sarah Buckley, MB, ChB, Dip Obst, PhD candidate

2:30 pm

Thyroid in Pregnancy

Our thyroid is one of our master glands when it comes to hormone production and proliferation. The demands of pregnancy cause some changes which are normal. We will briefly cover the basics then go into thyroid dysfunction: recognizing signs, ordering and interpreting lab results, effects on pregnancy and baby. Then we will cover how to support with herbs and nutrition and when to refer for further treatment/co-care.

Yesenia Guzman

Director of Professional Development

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

All times are PACIFIC Time

9:00 am

The Critical Importance Of 'Seeding And Feeding' A Baby's Microbiome For Lifelong Health

MICROBIRTH filmmaker and author Toni Harman explains the microscopic events happening during physiological birth and breastfeeding. When a baby is born, the infant acquires bacteria from the mother’s birth canal, from contact with the mother’s fecal matter, from skin-to-skin contact, from other environmental exposures and from breast milk. The special sugars in human breast milk then feed the bacteria that have come from the mother to quickly colonise the baby’s gut, thus ensuring the optimal training of the infant immune system. However, C-section, antibiotics and formula feeding can impact these natural biological processes with ramifications for a child’s lifelong health.

Toni Harman

10:15 am

Incorporating the Human-Animal Bond into Midwifery and How Not to Get Bitten

Homebirths involve every family member the birthing person would like to have present. Pets are considered a member of the family and midwives need to know how to safely work with and around them. This presentation discusses how to use the relationship between the family and the pet during labor, recognize when the pet is becoming stressed by the events of labor, and develop strategies to reduce the risk of being bitten. This presentation looks at the newest research on The Human Animal Bond, The Ladder of Aggression, what we have discovered about oxytocin, mental health, and pet ownership during the Covid pandemic. Anyone who works around pets during a homebirth will benefit from an understanding of the signs of stress in dogs and will reduce their chances of being bitten while in the home.

Dr. Virginia Cummingham, Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

12:00 pm

Effects of Duration, Quality and Position of Maternal Sleep

This presentation will cover the importance of sleep in pregnancy, average sleep in each trimester and the effects of lower quality and duration of sleep as well as sleep position. Lower sleep quality and shorter duration of sleep has been linked with preterm birth, prenatal and postpartum depression, while supine sleep position in third trimester has been linked with stillbirth. We will explore what the research says about causality and pathways as well as how we can educate our clients to modify sleep behavior and potentially limit their risk of these outcomes.

Yesenia Guzman

Director of Professional Development

1:15 pm

Bringing the Midwifery Model of Care to Everything You Do: How to infuse your practice with compassion and excellence when using pharmacologic therapies

Midwives frequently consider pharmacologic therapy as separate, or least very different, from the other aspects of care we provide, but in this session you will learn practical ways to bring the midwifery model of care to your use of pharmaceuticals in your practice. Including: How to deeply embed informed consent practices into your interactions with clients. Techniques for providing care that is is gentle, holistic, and culturally appropriate. How to get more information when you need it. How to avoid making potentially deadly medication errors. How to appropriately store and organize your medications and reduce your on-call stress related to keeping your supplies and equipment fully stocked and in working order. You will walk away with so many resources and practical tools for bringing excellent and compassionate care to your clients as you see them though the many challenging situations you will face together.

Sarah Hinton, CPM, LM, BSM