What does your work involve?
Knowledge, experience, enthusiasm, energy and the dedication to share it with pregnant couples as an active birth pre-natal educator, in independent private practice for 20 years, a professional birth support person (doula), for over 150 births in over 20 years and Childbirth course facilitator.
My work involves a wide variety of facets but mostly it is to do with connecting with the wide variety of interested couples who attend my classes and require guidance, reassurance, encouragement and uplifting motivation as they prepare for their “Transition Into Parenthood“.
Why have you chosen to do this type of work?
To be able to provide the help and support that pregnant couples need in a fun and informative way.
As a young pregnant woman expecting my first baby I received great help through the pre-natal classes I attended and wonderful support from my partner to achieve the birth I wanted to achieve.
I understand the anxiety, challenges and concerns that expectant couples face and felt highly motivated to undertake the training and provide really effective and positive education and preparation for them.
What is your advice for a woman about to approach labor?
Gain courage and determination from the courses you’ve attended – be cared for by caregivers who are sensitive to your needs; midwives or an obstetrician who listens and cares – have a birth plan clearly communicated to your partner, extra support person, midwife and any other birth attendants.
During labor: Stay in the shower or bath as long as you wish!
Why are you teaching ?
It’s an extraordinary course to be able to offer to pregnant couples!
Calmbirth® provides positive visualization, relaxation using breathing and consciously relaxing muscles
and good guidance for women on how to work with their body during the labor and birth process rather than against it.
Based on the philosophy by a UK obstetrician Dr. Grantly Dick-Read that childbirth pain is caused by fear and tension.
He describes the fear tension pain cycle and how women who are prepared properly for labor and birth are quite capable of birthing normally without intervention or drugs.
The idea being that the more relaxed a woman is during her labor the more comfortable she will be.
The course is designed to explain these concepts, to women and their partners, and to provide a forum to master the
skills by drawing on the resources within very effectively.
Underpinning all of my work in the Transition Into Parenthood classes is the same philosophy with calmbirth® training and that is encouraging, supporting and guiding family bonding between a couple as they prepare for the birth of their baby.
Focusing on the role of the value of each parent, the importance of mothers and equally the importance of fathers in the life of their unborn and newborn baby – with this in mind by encouraging enjoyment rather than stress and fear during the period of the pregnancy and birth it creates the space for a more conducive atmosphere for good solid family bonding. Relaxation, joy, hope, courage, determination, togetherness creates good strong loving relationships.
In a nutshell, that’s what it is all about.
There are times when women attend on their own without their partners, for a variety of reasons, and of course this is perfectly fine.
Women love the way they feel so empowered after these courses, they feel uplifted, with more courage and determination in the most positive way.
Facilitation Roles?
Independent Childbirth and Parenting Educator in registered business “Transition Into Parenthood” pre-natal classes.
calmbirth® practitioner since 2006 trained by Peter Jackson midwife Bowral calmbirth founder
Qualified with Community Organization Parents Centres Australia.
Advanced Childbirth Educator and Trainer with the National Association of Childbirth Educators
(NACE) National Editor of the “Interaction” Journal of the National Association of Childbirth Educators, since 2003
Supervisor for the Associates in Childbirth Education training for Graduate Diploma Students (VETAB Accredited)
Professional birth support person at more than 150 births. Including Delivery Suite, Birth Center, Operating Theater, Home births and Water Births.
Consumer Representative for Maternity for the SESAHS South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service
Committees
The Sutherland Hospital Birth Center Development Committee2003/4/5
UTS Bachelor of Midwifery Planning Committee 2003/4
St George Hospital Homebirth Development Committee
Certified HypnoBirthing ® Instructor since May 2004 Certificate no. 1922-04
Former Karitane post natal depression telephone support counselor
Former trainer and presenter at “Doula Express” in Sydney for doulas – professional birth support)
Presenter at national conferences around Australia (see below)
Regularly attends conferences, seminars and workshops to remain up-to-date.
Convener of the St George and Sutherland Shire Homebirth Support Group
Other Qualifications
PCA Breastfeeding Counselors Course, 1988
PCA Childbirth Educators Course, 1989 (12 months part-time course)
Karitane Mothercraft Society Post-natal Depression Telephone Support Counselors, 1990 (conducted by Ms Kerry Lockhart, Deputy Director of Karitane, 6 week short course)
CERT IV Workplace Training, October – December 2002
Certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner Training, May 2004 (conducted with midwife and hypnotherapist Peter Jackson, HypnoBirthing Practitioner and Trainer for Australia)
Seminars and conferences attended:
Parents Centres Australia (PCA) Conference, Macquarie University, 1986
Legal, Ethical & Social Issues Pertaining to Childbirth Conference, Sydney University, 1989
Nursing Mother’s Assoc. of Aust. Conference, Melbourne, 1989
Parents Centres Australia Workshop for Educator’s and Midwives, RHW Paddington, 1989
Associates in Childbirth Education Workshop “Presentation Skills for Educators”, 1990
Associates in Childbirth Education Workshop “Coping with Grief – Educators and Parents”, 1990
Associates in Childbirth Education Workshop “Waterbirth – Dr Michel Odent”, 1990
Associates in Childbirth Education Workshop “Teaching Skills for Childbirth Educators”, 1991
2nd International Homebirth Conference Sydney University, 1992, featuring Sheila Kitzinger, Janet Balaskas, Dr. Marsden Wagner, Ina May Gaskin
RHW Workshop for CBEs and Midwives – Update on Birth Center Philosophy , 1993
National Association of Childbirth Educators (NACE) Conference, “Into the Future” , 1994
National Association of Childbirth Educators (NACE) Workshop, “Childbirth Education – Choices”
Nursing Mother’s Assoc. of Australia (NMAA) Conference, “Breastfeeding“ , featuring Professor Peter Hartman, 1996
Childbirth and Parenting Educational and Resource Service (CAPERS) Teaching Skills Course, Sydney, 1997
Independent Educators Workshop with Swedish Pediatrician Lennart Righartd on Bonding and Attachment Early Parenting, 1998
Royal Women’s Hospital Waterbirth Seminar by the Birth Center Midwives, 1999
Homebirth Australia National Conference, Byron Bay, 1999
Associates in Childbirth Education (ACE) Seminar “Enhancing Midwifery”, 2000, featuring Pat Brodie, Lynne Staff and Nicky Leap
Bi-monthly workshops throughout 1999/2000 with the Independent Childbirth Educators Alliance, skill sharing
South Eastern Health Workshop “Raising Child Protection Issues in Parenting Education Programs”, Lynne Clune, 2000
South Eastern Health Basic Training for Childbirth and Parenting Educators
South Eastern Health Mentor Training by Lynne Clune and Jane Svensson, 2001
Midwives Association Seminar, held at RHW, “Women and Violence”, 2002
South Eastern Health Lactation Department seminar “Breastfeeding”, 2002
International Lactation Consultants Conference, Sydney , 2003
Training / talks / presentations provided
Julie regularly welcomes student midwives, student childbirth educators, and student doulas attending her ante-natal preparation courses
Conducted a 2 day seminar at Tamworth for the New England Area Health Service, “Making Groups Work”, for midwives and childbirth educators in the region, focusing on adult education, group dynamics and facilitator skills, 2002
Conducted 2 day seminars at Tamworth and also Armidale for the New England Area Health Service, February 2003 and May 2003
Speaker on “Fatherhood Issues” at the April 2001 NACE Conference and also at the CAPERS Conference as well as presenting the “Fatherhood Issues” activity. Very well received at both conferences.
Presenter at the ACE Grad Dip Course 6 day workshop held in Sydney in 2002, 2003, 2004 and again in 2005. Topics included “How to Present Parenting in Groups” and “Facilitating Groups”.
Presenter at the Birth International Conference in Auckland New Zealand March, 2008. Topics: “Teaching Birth: Reducing Fear” and “Parenting 101”
Presenter at the Birth International Conference in Novotel, Brighton, Sydney, Australia March, 2008. Topics: “Starting a Childbirth Education Practice” and “Giving Birth”.
