Programme

Early bird registration
extended to:

Friday 25 July 2025

Wednesday 27 August
Pre-conference workshops

These workshops are available for conference delegates at an additional cost and subject to availaibility. For further details on the workshops, including costs please click here.

9.00am – 1.00pm

A | Tūranga Kaupapa
Ngā Māia

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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

9.00am – 12.00pm 

Holding Space Starts Within: Breath, Balance, and Burnout Prevention for Midwives
(Practical Tools to Refill the Midwife’s Kete)
Amy Wray

10.30am – 12.00pm

E | Topical issues for employed midwives
Caroline Conroy, MERAS

This workshop is specifically designed for registered midwives.

  • 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.

1.00pm – 2.30pm

G | The culture of deprivation
Isabella Smart

1.00pm – 2.30pm

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

3.00pm – 4.30pm

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

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.

5.15pm – 7.15pm

New Zealand College of Midwives Annual General Meeting

Thursday 28 August

Our conference begins at 9.45am, giving you the flexibility to travel in the morning and only requiring one night’s accommodation.
For your convenience, there is plenty of onsite parking available at Claudelands.
The exhibition will open at 8.30am, with tea and coffee available to welcome you as you arrive.

9.45am

Mihi whakatau and opening comments

10.30am

Morning Tea amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

11.00am

Whose Agenda and Whose Destiny? What the evidence tells us about midwives as stewards of human rights
Prof Saraswathi Vedam

11.45am

Birth in Aotearoa: panel discussion
This panel discussion brings together a dynamic group of expert speakers who will explore the reality of giving birth in Aotearoa in 2025. This will cover a broad range of topics including outcomes, experiences, the rise of medicalisation of birth, whānau choosing to opt out of the maternity care system, the influence of screening and guidelines, and midwifery responsibility when navigating this landscape. Our experts will also reflect on how giving birth in Aotearoa today compares with an international context.

Panelists include: Prof Saraswathi Vedam, Bronwyn Fleet, Dr Jane Fielder, Caitlin Easter, Claire MacDonald

12.30pm

Setting the Scene: A New Zealand College of Midwives welcome and update

12.45pm

lunch amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

1.00pm

Lunchtime session: Writing for Academic Publication
Join Prof. Caroline Homer, Women and Birth Editor-in-Chief, and Claire MacDonald, New Zealand College of Midwives Journal Co-Editor, to explore how you can turn your research into an academic manuscript for publication.

1.45pm

Concurrent Session A | Click on the down arrow for more session information
Presenting authors are underlined.

  • 1.45pm
    Reframing breastfeeding as sustainability: Using the Möbius Strip to explore interconnected economic, environmental, and personal dimensions
    Rachel Monerasinghe, Tara Officer, Lorna Massov

    2.10pm
    Whakawhanaungatanga in practice: Elevating breastfeeding support for Māori Whānau through the Mama Aroha App
    Amy Wray

    2.35pm
    An examination of wāhine Māori experiencing hapūtanga during a crisis Event in Aotearoa. Sarah Lockwood, Nari Faiers

    3.00pm
    The C word that is Capitalism: What’s risk got to do with it?
    Anna Fielder

    3.25pm
    Critical Midwifery Studies (CMS); a whānau-centred response to dehumanisation
    Annabel Fakhri, George Parker, Heather Came

  • 1.45pm
    Embracing transformative activation of Hauora Māori in midwifery practice
    Tamara Karu

    2.10pm
    Whānau-Centred Care in Action: A hapū wahine’s journey with the DOT Study in the Far North
    Sharlene Peeni, Naomi Waldron

    2.35pm
    Veivosaki Yaga: Centring Pacific voices in midwifery research
    Talei Jackson, Sione Vaka, Janine Clemons, Eleanor Holroyd

    3.00pm
    Succeeding together: A Pasifika approach to midwifery mentoring
    Dinah Otukolo, Shanti Daellenbach, Whitney Amaida, Mary Kensington, Lesley Dixon, Nicole Pihema, Jean Te Huia, Christine Griffiths, Elaine Gray

    3.25pm
    Te Ara ō Hine - Tapu Ora: Māori and Pasifika midwifery workforce initiative
    Ngatepaerua Marsters, Joyce Croft, Crete Cherringto

  • 1.45pm
    Exploring the impact of the Maternity Care Assistant (MCA) role on the transition from student to registered midwife in Aotearoa
    Caitlin Woods, Robin Cronin, Vanessa Jordan, Dianne Wihone, Shekinah Gafa, Katie Groom

    2.10pm
    Sustainable LMC midwifery: Balancing work and family Janine Clemons, Lesley Dixon, James Greenslade-Yeats, Katherine Ravenswood, Nimbus Staniland, Tago Mharapara

    2.35pm
    Digital midwifery developments in South Auckland community midwifery services
    Isabella Smart

    3.00pm
    Workplace bullying in midwifery: Insights from a survey of New Zealand midwives
    Vasudha Rao, Beth Tootell

    3.25pm
    A new approach for inclusive midwifery study design: New Zealand College of Midwives research collaboration. Amy Taylor, Rea Daellenbach, Shanti Daellenbach, Claire MacDonald, Jacqueline Martin, Talei Jackson, Annabel Farry, Violet Clapham, Shaqaiak Masomi

  • 1.45pm
    Labour will progress where māmā feel safe:  Constructing birth-place decision making in four primary birth centres
    Mary Kensington, Sarah Lovell, Christina Ergler

    2.10pm
    Midwifery decision-making culture: An ethnographic study
    Christina Walton

    2.35pm
    Shifting baselines: A retiring midwife reflects on statistics from when practicing as an LMC in the 1990s and notes some changes
    Tricia Thompson

    3.00pm
    Passion, politics and midwifery on 40+ years of midwifery autonomy and midwife. Women partnership Brenda Hinton, Anne Sharplin

    3.25pm
    Midwives’ experience of personal/professional risk when providing continuity of care to women who decline recommendations: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies
    Priscilla Ford, Susan Crowther, Nimisha Waller

  • 1.45pm
    Te Tohu Waihonga – Aotearoa New Zealand clinical practice guideline for Neonatal Hypoglycaemia
    Jane Harding, Violet Clapham

    2.10pm
    Stillbirth and neonatal loss to South Asian women in Aotearoa New Zealand
    Robin Cronin, Esti de Graaff, Kate Bartlet, Lynn Sadler, Heena Lakhdhir, Rachel Simon-Kumar, Roshini Peiris-John, Wendy Burgess, Lesley McCowan, Ngaire Anderson

    2.35pm
    When a baby dies: Stories from the bedside
    Kay Jones, JudithMcAra-Couper, Tania Fleming

    3.00pm
    Is it time to change the conversation? Our pēpi are still dying
    Fay Selby-Law

    3.25pm
    Working with indigenous nations to co-design Stillbirth awareness for prevention resources, the ‘WINDS’ project: A case-study in non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal co-design
    Jane Warland

3.45pm

afternoon Tea amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

4.15pm

Keynote presentation 
Dr Ihirangi Heke

5.00pm

Humans vs Robots: Who is in charge?
Don’t miss this humorous debate in which teams of unforgettably funny and thought-provoking speakers will spark reflection and consideration of the role of technologies in contemporary midwifery practice.
his is not your average academic debate—expect a lively exchange of wit, wisdom, and wild speculation as two teams go head-to-head on questions such as:Will robots take over decision-making in healthcare settings?

  • Is it still possible to opt out of AI and digital technologies in modern healthcare systems?

  • Can AI be integrated into deeply human aspects of healthcare without losing personal connection?

  • Which digital tools are genuinely improving healthcare delivery—and which ones are just hype?

  • What are the hidden risks of relying on technology in highly personal and sensitive areas of healthcare provision?

  • How do women and whānau really feel about tech becoming part of their birthing journey?

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a midwifery professional, or simply someone who enjoys a good laugh paired with critical thinking, this debate promises to be both entertaining and enlightening.

Debate teams include: Dr Lara Hopley, John Magaskill-Smith, Dr Ihirangi Heke, Emma Farmer

5.40pm

MIDWIVES MINGLE: Kai, laughter and good times!

Friday 29 August

8.30am

Welcome to our final day

8.35am

Joan Donley Memorial Address
Bronwen Pelvin

Joan Donley (1916 - 2005) was a key visionary when it came to birth and midwifery in New Zealand. Her tireless work led in no small part to the system we have now. Prior to the Nurses Amendment Act 1990, Joan felt that the role of the midwife had been undermined and could vanish altogether if not protected.

In 1985 she published Save the Midwife (New Women’s Press), which charted the history of the profession and placed midwifery in New Zealand within the political sphere.

In 1989 she played a key role in the establishment of the New Zealand College of Midwives. In the same year she was made an OBE in for her work in birth advocacy and midwifery.

Her work placed New Zealand midwifery in a position to be a world leading system. These successes were a result of tireless work and lobbying. As we reflect on these past challenges, we also need to look forward, with Joan’s vision in mind.

8.55am

Keynote presentation 
Supporting wellbeing: Strengthening the future of midwifery
Prof Caroline Homer

9.40am

The Becky Fox Inaugural Māori Midwifery Oration
Korina Vaughn

10.00am

Morning Tea amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

10.30am

Concurrent Session B | Click on the down arrow for more session information
Presenting authors are underlined.

  • 10.30am
    Midwifery and abortion care
    Ange Conner

    10.55am
    An update on bereavement care: Navigating the sensitive journey of loss during the termination of second trimester
    Kay Jones, JudithMcAra-Couper, Tania Fleming

    11.20am
    Experience of providing midwifery led early medical abortion services – What we’ve learned in the first 18 months
    Lisa McTavish, Maggie Walker Mendez

    11.40am
    A midwifery led early medical abortion service in Kaitaia
    Shelley Tweedie, Leeann Fox

  • 10.30am
    Reimaging midwifery education: A flexible pathway for health professionals
    Liz James, Pip Wright

    10.55am
    The unified Bachelor of Midwifery programme research community of practice
    Rea Daellenbach, Cara Baddington, Sally Baddock, De Cleaver, Scott Klenner, Jacqueline Martin, Jonathan Ryan, Jamie Smiler

    11.20am
    How do Primary Birthing Centres build a community of care to support primary birth?
    Sarah Lovell

    11.40am
    The experiences of neurodivergent midwives in Aotearoa: Findings from an appreciative inquiry study
    Amy Taylor, Suzanne Miller, Annabel Farry

  • 10.30am
    Midwife-led rural ultrasound project: Bridging a gap in early pregnancy care for rural whānau
    Shanti Daellenbach, Shelley Tweedie, Violet Clapham

    10.55am
    Traditional birth practices and midwifery care in remote Papua, Indonesia
    Harridhil Silmi

    11.20am
    Midwives as agents of change: Relationally embedded empowerment within Ethiopian midwifery
    Jolene Wescombe

    11.40am
    "Hard work"
    Lakshmi Venkataiah

  • 10.30am
    Maternal Pertussis vaccination - pēpē's protection
    Jane Morphet, Mary Nowlan

    10.55am
    Power to Protect programme
    Sheila Fowlie

    11.20am
    Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua: Honouring the experiences of Māori whānau through newborn hearing screening and follow-up care
    Genevieve Choi, Holly Teagle, Suzanne Purdy, Andrew Wood

    11.40am
    Continuum of progress in congenital CMV screening: What is the target for Aotearoa New Zealand?
    Angela Deken, Holly Teagle

  • 10.30am
    A description of the Delivering Optimal weighT gain advice in pregnancy (DOT) study intervention and the enrolled population
    Kirsten Coppell, Naomi Waldron, Monique Williams, Nicole McGrath, Beverley Lawton, Kendall Stevenson , Mel Rackham, Katrina Sharples, Rosemary Hall, Trudy Sullivan, Kim King, Helen Paterson

    10.55am
    Maternal satisfaction in outpatient-balloon catheter vs inpatient-vaginal-prostaglandin randomised controlled trial (the OBLIGE trial)
    Robin Cronin, Michelle Wise, Emilie Robertson, Jessica Wilson, John Thompson, Billie Bradford

    11.20am
    Interpregnancy weight change in priority populations in Aotearoa New Zealand
    Emma Le Lievre, Per Kempe, Robin Cronin, Rosemary Hall

    11.40am
    Episiotomy and risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury at vaginal birth: A retrospective cohort study
    Robin Cronin, Meghan Hill, Aimee Humphries, Jessica Wilson, Amanda Harvey, John Thompson, Lynn Sadler

12.00pm

Lunch amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

New Zealand College of Midwives – College connection Informal drop in lunchtime session, where you can connect with College representatives, stay informed, and hear the latest updates, including a Class Action update.

1.00pm

Keynote presentation 
Dr Tina Ngata

1.45pm

The next generation of Midwives: Reflections on learning and future contributions

Students from each undergraduate school have been invited to reflect on what they have learnt during their undergraduate programme and what they will bring to midwifery as the new generation of midwives to join our profession.

2.30pm

Lightning Talks  
Enjoy dynamic 5-minute Lighting talks, delivering insightful and engaging bursts of knowledge on a range of compelling topics.

2.50pm

afternoon Tea amongst the exhibitors, alongside poster presentations

3.20pm

Lightning Talks  
Enjoy dynamic 5-minute Lighting talks, delivering insightful and engaging bursts of knowledge on a range of compelling topics.

3.40pm

Midwifery continuity of care: panel discussion
This panel discussion brings together a fantastic group of speakers who will consider what continuity of midwifery care means in Aotearoa in 2025. Panellists will explore the evolution of our midwifery-led model of care to support both whānau and midwives, and will answer the question of whether continuity of care is still achievable, and whether it still matters

Panelists include: Prof Caroline Homer, Renee Termatt, Tamara Karu, Michele Lord

4.30pm

Reflections and Conference Summary

4.45pm

Conference concludes