I recently had the honour of photographing the 29th Homebirth Australia Conference at Brisbane City Hall. The weekend provided a space for like-minded birth workers and the greater homebirth community to share wisdom, evidence, knowledge and stories around their work in, and personal experiences of, the world of homebirth. Keynote speakers came from across the globe and from down the road to impart words of encouragement and inspiration to this small, yet fiercely passionate community.
For those who attended the weekend, those who couldn’t make it, and those tempted to attend next year- I share these photos with you as a reminder and insight into the wonderful weekend it was.
Friday night kicked off the weekend with an intimate audience with keynote speaker, Sara Wickham, and a student midwives circle led by Jane Hardwicke Collings. Sara was presented with a custom made “pinard trumpet”…
Saturday morning hit full swing with a marketplace in the beautiful Brisbane City Hall before the games began…
The Homebirth Australia Conference Goddesses
The fearless Catherine Deveny led the charge as Mistress of Ceremonies and had us howling before we’d finished our first coffee… “putting the ‘bacon’ back into homebirth”.
Sara Wickham on Addressing Risk
“Almost any time we use the word ‘risk’ in relation to childbirth we could choose to use the word ‘chance’ instead. The meaning stays the same but it is no longer cloaked in fear.”
Rachel Reed– Authoritive Knowledge & Informed Decision Making
Homebirth Australia’s most mini spokesperson
Sue Cookson- The Boiling Frog Syndrome, followed by a standing ovation of support
Midwife Jo Hunter on Vexatious Reporting
“Midwifery is the oldest profession on the planet.”
The Red Tent
Homebirth Australia’s Cherie Shuberrie
Handing Down of the Knowledge Ceremony, led by Sonja MacGregor. Inspired by the Blessingway tradition, midwives and student midwives feed beads onto a string to represent the collective knowledge. This is added to at each conference.
Consumer Informed Choice Panel- women telling their stories
Jane Hardwicke Collings and Judy Mort- Students Midwives Circle
Debby Gould & Melissa Brujin of BirthTalk on Birth Trauma – Is Homebirth the Answer
Dr Sarah Buckley– Homebirth – The Safest Choice
The Conference Dinner, Saturday evening. These shots are from early in the night, elegant and civilised.
And that’s exactly where we are going to leave it.
First up Sunday morning- Dr Andrew Bisits, Royal Hospital for Women Randwick
“Anything that interferes with labour is a potential threat to the bond between the mother and baby. This is part of a labouring woman’s instinctive response.”
Catherine Deveny opens her heart and tells us her own truth- and makes me sob behind my camera
Clockwise from top left-
Charlotte Young- The Power of Storytelling
Jessica Offer- The Way to Pippa’s Birth
Hazel Keedle- Women’s Reasons for & Experiences of Choosing a Homebirth After a Caesarean
Talulah Gough- Healing the Mamatoto
Hazel Keedle- Women’s Reasons for & Experiences of Choosing a Homebirth After a Caesarean
My Midwives Ispwich – Collaboration gradually changing one community’s perceptions of homebirth.
Practitioner Informed Choice Panel- Sara Wickham, Andrew Bisits, Rachel Reed, taking questions from the floor
Clare Davidson- WA Women’s Reason for & Experience of Birth with a Private Midwife
Sara Wickham pulls it all together with Own Birth, Own Knowing- encouraging us to work together, sharing our knowledge, sharing our wisdom.
The fundraising raffle contained some rather spectacular prizes- including a vulva puppet- prompting reactions such as this…
The glorious Sonja MacGregor
Jane Hardwicke Collings, School of Shamanic Midwifery, leads a spine tingling closing ceremony… drums, candles, and a sprinkling of magic.
Ok, and one of me with my favourite birth boffin, Sara Wickham. May we meet again.
So there you have it.
Now, will i see you in Melbourne, May 2015?
http://homebirthaustralia.org/