'... Birthspirit belongs to all women and families. She manifests that which has been unsaid, expressing her self in the language of women. Knowing her fills the void that exists from the loss of story telling in our families and our communities. She enables us to see the depths - and to see the simplicity.' more About Birthspirit
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Education

Birthspirit's Midwifery Skills for Emergencies Intensives

This is the 6th successive year of Midwifery Skills for Emergencies Intensives. The practice issues covered in the Intensive support the development and/or maintenance of the midwifery skills necessary to deal with emergencies at home or in other low tech settings. Issues include cord prolapse, undiagnosed breech presentation, shoulder dystocia, postpartum haemorrhage, intravenous cannulation, perineal repair (including suturing) and neonatal resuscitation.

These Intensives are centered on scenario discussions and support evidence-informed practice, with demonstration of relevant midwifery skills with ample time allowed for ‘hands on’ practice. The Intensives are live-in workshops giving opportunities to meet and network with other midwives working in a variety of midwifery environments throughout (mainly) New Zealand and Australia.

See Intensives dates and further information and registration.

Other elective education courses will also be held throughout New Zealand as Maggie’s practice, research and writing commitments allow.

Feel free to contact Maggie at maggiebanks@birthspirit.co.nz or Ph (64) 07 856 4612.

Education

Why have Birthspirit's Techical Skills Workshops stopped?

Birthspirit was the very first compulsory education provider approved by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand to run Technical Skills Workshops as compulsory education in the Recertification Education Programme from 2005. Our Technical Skills Workshops were attended by 208 midwives and we consistently received very positive course evaluations. Equally, after Midwifery Council’s own positive audit, it commended us for our “clearly well received" Technical Skills Workshops. Despite this, Midwifery Council withdrew the ability of any private education provider, including Birthspirit, to be approved to provide compulsory education from April 2008.

We wish to acknowledge the many, many midwives who have contacted us and urged that we continue to seek approval to be compulsory education providers. This is non-negotiable with Midwifery Council.

The good news is, however, we remain committed to providing midwifery education that is appropriate to primary care settings as opposed to obstetric hospitals. As a result, we will continue with the Midwifery Skills for Emergencies Intensives for the 6th successive year and will apply for elective education points towards the Recertification Programme. This course has been attended by nearly 300 midwives and is identical to our Technical Skills Workshops that we have run over the last 3 years. We will, however, be pleased to omit the out of context issues beyond the perinatal period that we were obliged to add to comply with Council’s prescription, for example, referral to well-child services.

Wise Woman Archives Trust (WWAT)

Birthspirit is delighted to support the Wise Woman Archives Trust (WWAT), which is incorporated under the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. WWAT is a new initiative with the purpose of collecting, preserving and making available for research and learning purposes historical materials relating to maternity services in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Trust’s first major acquisition is the secretarial archive of the Domiciliary Midwives Society (Incorporated) – the contents of which can be viewed on the webpage Domiciliary Midwives Society of New Zealand (Incorporated). The DMS, as the Society was known, was established in 1981 to enable practising domiciliary midwife members to communicate efficiently, speak out effectively as one body, and manage their own affairs; to oppose and correct misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the philosophy of home birth and the policies of domiciliary midwives; and, to protect the reputation and interests of all domiciliary midwives by seeking to obtain membership from all midwives providing home birth services. The DMS was very active from the 1980s with the Home Birth Associations and Home Birth Support Groups throughout New Zealand in securing the viability of the home birth option prior to 1990.

Wise Woman Archives Trust is interested in receiving donations of material from individual or groups – maternity consumer or professional - in particular, but not exclusively, of minutes of meetings, correspondence, submissions, newsletters and birth statistics. Archives are housed in Birthspirit Cottage and can be accessed by appointment by contacting WWAT (email: wwat@ihug.co.nz).

Article

Facilitating Breech Birth - Midwifery (and Women's) Business! by Maggie Banks. For full article go to Birthspirit's 'Articles' page or click here.

News

Midwifery Council's competency requirements for practising midwives

All of the on-going competency requirements for practising midwives are set out in Midwifery Council's - Recertification Programme: Competence-based practising certificates for midwives. This and other informative documents are on their website at www.midwiferycouncil.org.nz
Birthspirit Midwifery Journal - Issue 4


Issue 4 of Birthspirit Midwifery Journal is now available. This is published quarterly in February, May, August and November.

Birthspirit Midwifery Journal focuses on the regeneration and furthering of knowledge that promotes, supports and protects the healthy (on all levels) continuum of pregnancy, labour and birth, breastfeeding and early mothering.

The journal will be of interest to midwives and midwifery students, childbirth educators, doulas, lactation consultants, maternity managers, and other maternity and newborn health professionals, as well as pregnant and/or breastfeeding women and their families.

Both print and online versions are available - further info
Birthspirit's Mind, Body & Spirit Workshop - January 2010

Birthspirit is delighted to announce its first week-long, live-in midwifery workshop which embraces the mind, body and spirit of midwifery. This workshop runs from Sunday 17th January 2010 through until Saturday 23rd January. Throughout this time you are provided with onsite accommodation, nutritious meals and refreshments and a beautiful space to immerse yourself in the tradition of the wise-woman midwife ... read more

Maggie Banks - home birth midwife

Maggie has been a home birth midwife in the Waikato since 1989. After some time out to complete her PhD thesis (Out on a limb: The personal mandate to practise midwifery by midwives of the Domiciliary Midwives Society of New Zealand (Incorporated), 1974-1986) Maggie has now recommenced home birth practice and is available to provide care for women who plan to birth at home after May 2008.

She lives in Tamahere, which is between Hamilton city and Cambridge, and cares for women who live up to an hour’s drive from her home. How far away from you does she live?

If you wish to consider having Maggie as your midwife please phone (07 856 4612) or email her (banks@ihug.co.nz) to discuss this. Frequently asked questions.

Book news

New titles in stock:

Understanding Diagnostic Tests by Anne Frye - seventh edition now in stock

Acupuncture in Midwifery by Sharon Yelland - second edition

Shiatsu for Midwives by Yates & Anderson

The Art & Soul of Midwifery edited by Lorna Davies

HIV in Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jane Kennedy

Complimentary Therapies for Pregnancy & Childbirth by Tiran & Mack - second edition

Wise Woman Archives Trust (WWAT)

.Joan Donley (1916 - 2005)

Joan Donley was born and raised in Canada and immigrated to New Zealand in 1964 with her husband and five children. Joan, already a nurse from 1938, undertook midwifery training at St Helen’s Hospital in Auckland in 1972 at the age of 56. In 1974 Joan commenced domiciliary midwifery practice providing home birth services in Auckland.

Joan played a major leadership role throughout all aspects of midwifery in New Zealand by motivating midwives to take control of midwifery and supporting consumers to fight for the home birth option. She initiated founding of the Home Birth Association in Auckland in 1978, the Domiciliary Midwives Society (Inc.) and the New Zealand College of Midwives.

In her pivotal paper titled Midwives or moas? presented at the 1988 National Midwives and Obstetric Nurses Special Interest Section of New Zealand Nurses’ Association Conference in Auckland, Joan proposed that midwives form the Aotearoa College of Midwives “to promote midwifery in order to survive as a profession”. While it underwent a name change, this prompt would result in the founding of the New Zealand College of Midwives at that Conference. This paper along with The domiciliary midwife: her role and professional status in the community and The midwife as an independent practitioner begin the series of Joan’s papers written in the 1980s, many of them unpublished, which will be reproduced electronically by the Wise Woman Archives Trust, thanks to the kind permission of her daughter, Dee Pigneguy.

Midwifery wisdom

Joan Donley's Compendium

"There is no other book quite like this one and we have waited a long time for it.  It challenges conventional ways of thinking yet has been thoroughly researched, is based on evidence and makes good sense.

Written with her usual wit and humour, Joan provides a complete compendium of information to answer any question about having babies and keeping healthy. It will be a valuable resource for midwifes and is a must for all women wanting a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby ... " (Go to Joan Donley's Compendium)

There is limited stock of this book left, and it will not be reprinted


Website updated 4 December 2009
         


Birthspirit is the website of Birthspirit Ltd, 15 Te Awa Rd, RD 3, Hamilton, New Zealand
Email: maggiebanks@birthspirit.co.nz or tonybanks@birthspirit.co.nz Phone 64 7 856 4612 Fax 64 7 856 3070

Birthspirit and the 'B' styled symbol at the beginning of the name Birthspirit are registered trademarks belonging to Birthspirit Ltd. All intellectual property rights in that name and symbol, together with those relating to this website, belong to Birthspirit Ltd.

Webmasters: Tony Banks and Sam Banks