Pre-conference workshops

Wednesday 27 August
Pre-conference workshops

Pre-conference workshops are available for conference delegates at an additional cost.

You will register for the workshops as part of your conference registration process. Click here to register.

As there are limited numbers available for each workshop, registrations are subject to availability and will be based on a priority system.

  1. Registered delegates, make sure you register early so you don’t miss out!

    • Students, please note some workshops are only available for registered midwives and there is capped number of students allowed to attend the remaining workshops.

  2. If you are not planning to attend the conference but would like to register for a workshop then you will be added to a waitlist. If there is an available space you will be notified mid August. Please register your interest here.

9.00am – 1.00pm

A | Tūranga Kaupapa
Ngā Māia

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives, and only open to College members. 

COST: $158.00 - College member

  • This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

    This workshop session, brought to you by Ngā Māia Māori Midwives o Aotearoa, enables midwives to explore cultural safety and reflect on Tūranga Kaupapa in practice. The Midwifery Council require that within the 2024-2027 recertification cycle all midwives in Aotearoa must complete 8 hours of Tūranga Kaupapa cultural safety education, and Ngā Māia are their accredited provider. This is a great opportunity to meet your recertification requirements while attending conference and immerse yourself in a wonderfully crafted, immersive education experience. Ngā Māia and the College have partnered to bring you this opportunity at a significantly discounted price – a conference super special!

9.00am – 12.00pm 

B | Aromatherapy essentials for maternity
Sarah Ballard

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member, $40.00 student

  • Aromaternity workshops offer practical evidence-informed aromatherapy education to enable safe use of essential oils during pregnancy, labour and birth, and beyond.

    This in-depth workshop designed to be fun and interactive!  Participants learn what essential oils are and how they exert physiological and psychological effects on the body.  An exploration of six specifically chosen essential oils will provide education and confidence for their use within pregnancy, labour and/or birth.   

    A content booklet is provided, and participants will also make a bespoke essential oil birth blend bottled in a 10ml roll-on vessel to take away.

9.00am – 12.00pm 

C | Enhancing pelvic health: Practical tools for midwives
Melissa Davidson

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member

  • Pregnancy and childbirth bring about remarkable changes to a woman's body, encompassing physiological, physical, hormonal, and psychological transformations. While some women navigate these changes with ease, many others experience significant pelvic health challenges. These can include urinary incontinence (affecting 40-65% during pregnancy and 30% post-partum), perineal tears (up to 85%), levator ani avulsions (15-52%), withdrawal from social and physical activities (50%), and sexual dysfunction (over 15%). These issues can have a lasting impact on a woman's life.

    In this workshop, we will explore simple and effective tools that pelvic health physiotherapists use, which midwives can seamlessly integrate into their practice to enhance patient care throughout the childbearing year. We will also discuss easy-to-implement prevention strategies to ensure the best long-term outcomes for your patients and address common misconceptions about pelvic floor muscles and health.

9.00am – 10.30am 

D | Navigating equitable and best practice for the management of iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnancy and postpartum: What is the evidence, and where are the gaps
Calje Esther

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member, $40.00 student

10.30am – 12.00pm

E | Topical issues for employed midwives
Caroline Conroy, MERAS

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member

  • The health sector is in a period of change. This workshop will provide an opportunity to update and discuss with employed midwives the topical changes that are occurring and their impact on employed midwives.

    Current work that is underway for MERAS that impacts on employed midwives includes:

    • The pay equity claim for those midwives working in the maternity funded sector in primary maternity units or as caseload midwives

    • The senior midwife working party and job evaluation process that commenced in 2024 with Health NZ

    • The MERAS & Health NZ Collective negotiations with a new Collective to be ratified this year.

    • Discussions on the changing skill mix within our maternity services as more new graduate midwives join the workforce and the impact on new graduates and the experienced midwives supporting them.

    • Care capacity demand management (CCDM) and the changes occurring this year and how does this support the work midwives.

    As well as the current work listed above there may well be new issues and opportunities emerging and this workshop will provide a great opportunity for employed midwives to discuss those.

    This will be an interactive, flexible workshop with lots of opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas.

1.00pm – 4.00pm

F | Perineal protection – translating evidence into midwifery practice
Robin Cronin

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member

1.00pm – 2.30pm

G | The culture of deprivation
Isabella Smart

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member, $40.00 student

1.00pm – 2.30pm

I | Tukukura: Exploring practical strategies to help calm the birth space and yourself
Deb Peters

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member, $40.00 student

3.00pm – 4.30pm

J | The app is where it is at
Karen Palmer, Kristina Maconaghie

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member

3.00pm – 4.30pm

K | Perinatal pathological investigations after baby loss: Answering all your questions
Kay Jones

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

COST: $40.00 College member, $65.00 NON-Member

Early bird registrations
open now!