Science & Sensibility

If you have a conference to share with our readers, or you have some updated information on a conference already listed, please use our conference contact form to pass the info along.  We will then make sure to update our information!

You can always find the most updated conference list by clicking on the “calendar” logo that resides in the right hand column of this blog!  That will always take you to the current list

 Share your conference schedule updates here.

 

 

2014

April 6-9: NASPOG Annual Meeting, Columbus, OH

2013

November 14-17:  Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health’s  Annual Conference On Birth Psychology in Asilomar, CA

November 6-9:  Birth and Beyond Conference in London, ON, Canada

November 6-8: Perinatal Mental Health Conference, Chicago, IL

November 2 – 6: American Public Health Association Conference in Boston MA

October 25 – 27: CAPPA Anniversary Conference in Destin, FL

October 24 – 27: Midwives Alliance of North America Annual Conference in Portland, OR

October 24 – 25: PSI PMAD Training, Grand Rapids, MI

October 11 – 13: Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum in New Orleans, LA

October 4 – 6: LLL of the Sunshine State Conference in Daytona Beach, FL

September 29 – 30: Bringing Light to Motherhood Training, Los Angeles, CA

September 28-29: VBAC Summit, Miami, FL

September 26 – 29: American Association of Birth Centers Conference in Minneapolis, MN

September 25-26: Midwest Lactation Conference, Indianapolis, IN

September 18-22: Trust Birth Conference in Sydney, Australia

August 29 – 30: PSI PMAD Training, Winfield, IL

August 3: Northwest Area Childbirth Educators Forum, Tualatin (Portland), OR

August 2 -3: Squat Birth Journal Squatfest, San Francisco, CA

July 29-30: Bringing Light to Motherhood Training, Los Angeles, CA

July 26-28: Birth Activist Retreat, Salt Lake City, UT

July 25 – 28: International Lactation Consultant Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia

July 19 – 20: DONA International Virtual Conference 2013, ONLINE

June 21 -22: Postpartum Support International Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN

June 21 – 22: Inequity In Breastfeeding Support Summit in Seattle, WA

June 20-23: 2013 Tongue-Tie Summit,  Orlando, FL

June 15 – 19: AWHONN Annual Convention in Nashville, TN

June 9: The Importance of Core Strength in the Prenatal and Postnatal Client, Elgin, Illinois

June 7-9: Breastfeeding and PSI of Washingtion Professional Training, Spokane, WA

June 5 – 7: Normal Labour and Birth: 8th Research Conference, Grange Over Sands, English Lake District,
UK
May 30 – June 4: ACNM 58th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN

May 24 – 26: LLL Regional Conference – Southern California/Nevada Region, Newport Beach, CA

May 22 – 24: ISPOG Conference, Berlin Germany

September 28-29: VBAC Summit, Miami, FL

May 17 – 19: LLL Leader Education Weekend and Parent Day, Denver, CO

May 16 – 19: American Association for the History of Medicine Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA

May 14: Partners in Perinatal Health 24th Annual Conference, Norwood, MA

May 5 – 6: California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, Sacramento, CA

May 4 – 8: ACOG 61th Annual Clinical Meeting in New Orleans, LA

May 3 – 5: United States Lactation Consultant Association Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO

May 2 – 3: Baystate Medical Center Lactation Services Annual Breastfeeding Conference, Holyoke, MA

April 26: A Day with Jack Newman Workshop, Bellaire, MI

April 22 – 27th: Christian Midwives International Conference in Savannah, GA

April 22 – May 31: GOLD Online Conference 2013 ONLINE

April 15 – 16: PSI PMAD Training, Indianapolis, IN

April 11 – 12: Perinatal Professionals Consortium, West Jordan, UT

April 6: LLL of Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Vermont Breastfeeding and Parenting Conference, Lowell, MA

April 4 – 5: PSI PMAD Training, Jacksonville, FL

April 3 – 7: Midwifery Today Conference in Eugene, OR.

April 3 – 6: Breastfeeding; The Gold Standard, New Orleans, LA

March 22: REACHE Conference, in Renton, WA

March 20: New Jersey Birth Network Symposium on Birth Practices in New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

March 21 – 22: 8th Breastfeeding & Feminism Conference, Chapel Hill, NC

March 18: Boston Association for Childbirth Education & Nursing Mother’s Council Breastfeeding Conference, Boxborough, MA

March 6 – April 6: iLactation Conference, Premies, Priorities, and Practice, ONLINE

March 1 – 3: MANA region 1 Conference in Nashua, NH. Contact birthart@metrocast.net for details.

March 1 – 2: CIMS 2013 Forum, Kansas City, MO

February 2-3: When Survivors Give Birth Workshop, Seattle, WA

January 25-26: When Survivors Give Birth Workshop, San Diego, CA

TBA:
9th International Black Midwives and Healers Conference 2013

updated 05/08/13

This list is developed and maintained in partnership with our friends at Birthswell.

 

 

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Conference Calendar, Conference Schedule, Continuing Education, Lamaze International Birthswell, chidbirth education conferences, childbirth conferences, Conference Calendar, conferences, doula conferences, lactation consultant conferences, maternity care conferences, perinatal mental health conferences, perinatal nursing conferences, Sharon Muza

Science & Sensibility is in the process of compiling a comprehensive calendar of all the 2013 conferences that might be of interest to our wide variety of readers and we want your input.  Do you belong to an organization that is having a conference in 2013? Do you have a favorite conference that you look forward to attending year after year?  Is there a dream conference that you have always wanted to attend that you think our blog readers might like to know about?

I love to attend conferences, (Lamaze International’s is one of my very favorites) and love to read through all my choices every year. I also know that obtaining contact hours and hearing the newest information, brought to me by leaders in maternity care topics is essential to being current and up to date.  Also, it energizes me to be with others who share my professional interests.

If you would like your organization’s conference to be considered for inclusion in our conference calendar of items of interest to birth professionals of all sorts, please send an email to  me with the information listed below.

Yes!  I have a conference you should know about! http://flic.kr/p/anMSAM Please send an email to Sharon Muza, S&S Community Manager, with the following information (or as much of it as you have) if you have a recommendation for a 2013 conference to be included in Science & Sensibility’s comprehensive list. Organization Name Organization Website Conference Date Conference Location (City and State) Conference Title (if known) Other information you feel is important Deadline for submission is Friday, January 24th, 2013.

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Conference Schedule, Continuing Education, Lamaze Annual Confernce, Lamaze International, Uncategorized 2013, annual conference, conferences, Continuing Education, lamaze, Lamaze International, Sharon Muza

Lamaze International’s “Six Healthy Conference Practices” will help you to have the best conference experience possible when you attend the 2012 Lamaze International Innovative Learning Forum, thereby insuring a rewarding, satisfying and fun learning opportunity.

This year, Lamaze International is offering childbirth educators and birth professionals, including lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, physicians, perinatal fitness instructors, perinatal education managers, L&D nurses and more, a unique opportunity to enjoy a rich and participatory learning experience in the beautiful city of Nashville, Tennessee on October 26-28, 2012 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel.

The theme of the the Innovative Learning Forum is “Safe & Healthy Birth: The Music of Our Head, Heart & Hands” and is a wonderful recognition of the varied and extensive contribution Nashville has made to American music.  Nashville is known as “Music City” for good reason.  The Nashville Tourism website sums it up beautifully:

There’s a place where music lives. A place where music hangs its hat and puts its feet up on the furniture. A place where people don’t just talk about songs and CDs and lyrics, but live them night and day. That place is Nashville. Music City.

But, while music is the lifeblood of Nashville, visitors will also find a city of culture and history, of haute cuisine, of pro sports, outstanding academics, natural beauty and pure Southern charm. Nashville is a place where the past and the future peacefully coexist and build, one on the other, to create a destination that appeals to the interests of every visitor. This city is alive. You can feel its pulse when you walk down its sidewalks. And, fortunately, you can also hear it almost anywhere you go.

While exploring the city and all it has to offer during breaks in the Learning Forum will surely be enjoyable, the real music (and magic) will be happening in the conference location, where men and women from around the world will be gathering to share, learn, discuss, collaborate, plan and dream about supporting pregnancies, labors, births and parenting experiences that are grounded in science, and offer safety and respect to all families on the road to parenthood.

The Six Healthy Conference Practices include:

1. Taking advantage of pre-conference workshops that maximize your learning and minimize your travel expenses.

Participate in a pre-conference workshop for nurses by attending the Lamaze Evidence-Based Nursing Care: Labor Support Skills Workshop with Judith Lothian, PhD, RN, LCCE, FACCE on Thursday, October 25, or the Lamaze Childbirth Educator Seminar presented by the Lamaze Accredited Childbirth Educator Program at Duke AHEC, Wed., October 24-Friday, October 26.

Join your choice of interactive learning sessions, with a list of presenters who are guaranteed to be engaging, dynamic and memorable. Attend film showings, review the poster presentations and participate in morning exercise sessions throughout the weekend.  You will leave energized and exposed to new research and trends and teaching ideas sure to enrich your own classes.  The learning opportunities will be bountiful during your entire time at the conference as Lamaze provides you with an interactive breakdown of the preceding keynote sessions into three different perspectives: Head, Heart and Hands.

4. Getting a taste of Nashville and southern hospitality by joining in on Friday and Saturday night organized social events.

The best restaurants in Nashville have Lamaze International at the top of their reservation list, with tables reserved just for conference attendees on Friday night all around town.  Saturday night finds you kicking up your heels and tapping your toes to the best line-up of singers, songwriters and musicians the city has to offer at the “Music City Celebration.”

5. Networking, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones can be a top priority.

The opportunity to meet and mingle, share tasty refreshments and explore the exhibit hall and its many shopping opportunities with other birth professionals will be another highlight of this year’s conference.  People come from all over the world to attend (and exhibit at) the Lamaze International Conference every year, and this year will not be any different.  Meet the board members and staff of Lamaze International, attend the annual Lamaze membership meeting and applaud this year’s FACCE inductees.  There will be plenty of time to circulate, meet your colleagues from across the globe and discuss all the conference going-ons.

6. A 2012 Virtual Learning Forum experience is available for those who can not attend in person this year.

Lamaze International recognizes that not everyone who would like to attend the annual conference is able to join in person every year.  This year, if you find that traveling to the conference is not possible, please consider attending virtually from your home or workplace.  Better yet, join in with other professionals in your community and share that experience.  You will be able to register and participate virtually in the four keynote presentations, so you do not have to miss these exciting learning opportunities.

Register now! Early Bird Ends 9/24.

If you have not yet registered for the 2012 Lamaze International Innovative Learning Forum, please do not hesitate to register now!  Early registration allows you to take advantage of early bird conference pricing,which will save you significantly on conference fees,  guarantees you the special conference rate on housing at the hotel and will help you to have plenty of time to prepare travel plans and arrangements for what is sure to be a fun and exciting time in Nashville. Be sure to follow the Six Healthy Conference Practices to enjoy what will be the best conference ever!

Are you planning to go?  Do you need a roommate? What is getting you excited about the upcoming Innovative Learning Forum?  Will this be your first conference?  What have you enjoyed about previous conferences you have attended?  Share your plans,  thoughts and hopes for this conference in our comments and let us know that we can expect to see you! 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Conference Schedule, Continuing Education, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Lamaze News, Science & Sensibility, Uncategorized annual conference, Childbirth Education, conferences, Continuing Education, Healthy Birth Practices, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Lamaze annual conference, Lamaze International, nashville, nursing continuing education, Sharon Muza

I just returned from Cancun, Mexico, where I was attending DONA International’s 18th Annual Conference and helping DONA to celebrate their 20th birthday.  I was lucky enough to be selected to present a concurrent session on “The Paperless Doula- Virtual Paperwork Tips and Tricks” and attend many fabulous sessions with international speakers during the four day conference.

During my time at the conference, I was struck by how many familiar Lamaze faces and names I was meeting.  I caught up with Ann Grauer, DONA International Director of Education, (and LCCE) and asked her exactly how many Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators were registered for the 2012 conference.  I was surprised to learn that 37 LCCEs were in attendance at this year’s DONA conference!  I was so proud to see that Lamaze International was a major sponsor of the 2012 DONA Conference and our presence was everywhere.  Lamaze International members and certified educators were Keynote Speakers, Concurrent Session Speakers, serving on the board of directors of DONA and peppered throughout the audience. LCCEs and trainers, Elena Carrillo and Guadalupe Trueba taught a Lamaze workshop before the conference and were the recipients of the Penny Simkin Award this year.

In talking to Ann Grauer, former DONA President, she informed me that when she served in the president’s position in 2005, she required the entire DONA board to take a Lamaze workshop, as she felt that the values and principles of the two organizations were so similar.  Being a member and certified by both DONA and Lamaze, I have long been aware of how like minded and compatible both organizations are, but was struck with how closely both these groups support each other, share membership, and have the core principles of supporting normal birth, evidenced based medicine and informed choice for birthing women and their families at their core.

In Cancun, I met up with Lamaze International’s President-Elect, Tara Owens Shuler, MEd, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, for a few minutes, during a break in the conference action, to talk to her about DONA and Lamaze International’s unique relationship.  Tara commented that there is a “natural pipeline between the doula and the childbirth educator” and that DONA and Lamaze have had a strong unity and association for a long time.  Tara shared how she believes that both organizations are leading the way in working for women and  share the common bond of being long time advocates for normal birth.

Tara noted how both DONA and Lamaze are expanding their reach internationally, with both organizations holding workshops and trainings around the globe and making a concerted effort to develop membership beyond North America.  Our groups face the same challenges.

Tara shared how this was her first DONA International conference and she was delighted to participate and glad that Lamaze International could have such a strong presence in sponsorship and in participation by members.  Tara said that she had a new vision on how strong and committed doulas are and was especially moved by the singing of DONA Nobis Pacem at the closing ceremony of the conference.  Tara was struck by how much DONA International had accomplished in the 20 years since it was formed by Penny Simkin, Annie Kennedy, Phyllis and Marshall Klaus and John Kennell.

Tara stated how she hoped that both organizations can continue to collaborate and share resources, as they work to celebrate birth and support women during the childbearing year.  I was glad that Tara, a DONA certified doula herself, could come and join in the conference and represent Lamaze in such a professional and graceful manner.

I look forward to learning more about how Lamaze International and DONA International can work together to help promote normal birth, offer support for women during their pregnancies, labors, births and postpartum periods, while furthering the practices that are evidenced based and produce positive outcomes for mothers and babies.

If you are an LCCE and attended the DONA International Conference, please let us know your thoughts and experiences while in Cancun.  If you are not an LCCE, did attending the conference encourage you to pursue training with Lamaze?  I would love to hear your experiences.  Please comment here.

 

 

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Doula Care, Evidence Based Medicine, Lamaze Method, Push for Your Baby, Science & Sensibility, Social Media Childbirth Education, conferences, DONA, doulas, Lamaze International, Sharon Muza, Tara Owens Shuler

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services Mother-Friendly Forum and I’m happy to report that I made it to Austin ahead of the big North East storm. I have been to all but one CIMS Forum in the past 5 years, slinging infants to a couple of them. They just keep getting better, in my opinion.  The CIMS Forum is where The Birth Survey, a grassroots project to improve transparency in maternity care, was born several years ago. Last year we got phenomenal presentations about the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network and Dr. Michael Lu’s research on racial and ethnic disparities in birth (pdf), among others.

This year we’ll hear about the results of a 3-year multi-stakeholder national project to create a blueprint for maternity care reform, get an update from documentary producer and book author Ricki Lake, and hear from experts including Judy Norsigian, Nancy Lowe, and Penny Simkin.

Could I be more excited to present (twice!) among these amazing leaders?

Henci Goer and I will be giving a round-up of “ah ha” moments from our 3+ years (ouch) analyzing the obstetric literature in preparation of the forthcoming second edition of Obstetric Myths versus Research Realities.  I’ll also be presenting with About.com‘s Robin Elise Weiss and blogger Jenn Johnson from BabyMakinMachine.com about the potential for blogs and other social media to promote consumer engagement and mother-friendly birth.  Speaking of blogs, blogger and perinatologist Chukwuma Onyeije got me (and Hilary from MomsTinfoilHat) hooked on the Prezi presentation platform. Here’s the Prezi I put together for my portion of the blogging talk.

Amy Romano Uncategorized conferences, mother-friendly childbirth initiative