Note: Two-part class, A1 and B1; you may sign up for one or both days. Midwifery is an art that requires practical thinking, medical know-how, a strong intuitive sense and emotional understanding. Learn how all these elements combine and work together creating a firm foundation of good care.

Learn the art, the essence and the subtleties of midwifery care in this full-day workshop designed for all midwives and aspiring midwives. Our experienced teachers share their wisdom and love of midwifery in a way that will nurture your interest and make you feel welcomed to the world of birth.

Observing cultural traditions and their impact on pregnancy and birth is fascinating. In addition to nutrition and positioning, Angelina will discuss remedies, techniques and customs from Mexico, whose origins go back thousands of years. Discover simple techniques that promote healthy pregnancy and birth. We will learn how to use a rebozo, a very useful tool in all parts of the childbearing cycle. You will have time to practice using a rebozo so you will really understand how and for what to use it. From the first labor contractions to the first days after birth, we will learn how midwives work with both normal birth and problems that arise. We will learn ways to manage breech, move stalled labor along and much more.

All are welcome.

From earliest history, women have shared their personal experiences of strength and healing. Stories wrapped with love and trust in the birth process have transmitted wisdom and confidence to each generation. Come to share or just to listen.

This intensive study day is designed for existing and would-be midwifery educators and those with an interest in this area. Students will also benefit from this class. The diverse experience and approaches these midwifery educators bring from around the country and the globe will enhance your knowledge in this area.

Experience a full day of information about the use of herbs, homeopathics and other natural remedies in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. An extensive reference book will be given to class participants. Slides will be shown for plant identification and there will be demos for making herbal tinctures, oils and salves and homeopathic solutions from pellets. Come and learn some new tips and uses for your favorite remedies. This class is for everyone. “Lisa gives more tips and remedies in this single class than most of us get in all of our schooling,” says Jan Tritten.

The midwife is the expert in normal birth, including variations such as twins, breech and VBAC. We need to create a future where doctors work in their area of expertise: surgery and complications. In this paradigm we can create miraculous marvelous births for more mothers and babies. Birth, when undisturbed, including first breastfeed, is the strong foundation upon which we can begin a peaceful world.

Elizabeth will explore the reasons for and the negative consequences of the inappropriate or excessive application of technology—drugs as well as instruments, machinery and surgery—in birth. Learn your role in protecting pregnant and birthing women and how current research actually supports the use of less intervention in birth. Discover how to establish the appropriate and careful use of technology.

Learn how to help pregnant women keep healthy to prevent or reduce hemorrhage. Learn about herbs and how to access and administer them. Other alternative methods will be discussed in this information-packed course.

It is essential that midwifery be an autonomous profession. Autonomy is very important in protecting mothers from the devastating experience of medicalization in birth. This is one of our most important issues in midwifery, and a key to keeping joy in midwifery practice.

Learn about issues on tears and repairs and about both prenatal and intenatal tear prevention. What do you do if a tear occurs? Learn when to stitch and when you do not need to. Learn alternatives to stitching.

Identify and examine the clinical, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of prenatal care. We will learn how to evaluate and nurture the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of pregnant and birthing women. We will share some unique ways to facilitate great outcomes in our own practices.

Explore women’s ability to birth in a sacred way. When women find their own way of birthing, it is up to us, their practitioners, to facilitate the process, not change it. We will familiarize ourselves with the sounds and movements of second stage when women are in environments conducive to the primal birth dance. We will also review second stage research from a midwifery point of view, focusing on how maternal positions and associated birth environments affect childbirth outcomes.

How much attention do you pay to fetal position? Malposition is frequently cited as the primary cause of “failure to progress,” which, in turn, is a major indicator for cesarean section. Learn how you can stem the tide in your practice by assuring the best position possible ahead of time.

Prematurity is often preventable. We will discuss the best ways to prevent it. We will discuss the methods we tried over the years; various treatments which have been in vogue; and the things we think work and those which really work.

Most women can be relatively comfortable throughout labor if they have tools for relaxation, support and confidence. Much of the pain in childbirth is caused by fear and anxiety. Fear increases tension, which increases pain, which increases fear. Midwives and doulas can use methods to reduce fear and tension in order to reduce pain.

We were called to the profession of midwifery to be powerful in our protection of women. We are midwives in order to help restore to women the knowledge they need for a joyous birth experience. We answered the call to serve women and their babies to the best of our abilities.

Diane will give us her perspective on how midwifery will fare in the future.

A spa pass will let you enjoy the wonderful spas in this charming town of Bad Wildbad. You may buy a spa pass for €34 (good 17–21 October).

Women’s and babies’ human rights have been violated in today’s birth environment. We need to take a long hard look at our practices and protocols and make sure we are putting motherbaby first. Join us to see in what ways we can propose good birth practices that respect human rights. It is way past time. We will review the many different ways we can be with women giving them respect, dignity and informed choice. First, do no harm. We will also talk about the Global Midwifery Council and give an update on its activities.

Birthing women are sacred ground. We will share stories and ideas that express why birth is such a profound, intimate and deeply remembered experience for women. We will discuss the emotional, spiritual and environmental factors important to all birthing women and babies. We will explain how birth practitioners can learn to understand and respect the holy ground upon which they walk whenever they are caring for a mother, baby or family. If birth were respected as sacred by everyone, we would not be suffering the current crisis in birth care. We would see birth as the gift it is: a teaching gift to all involved.

Our teachers present different ways to provide the homebirth client with the highest standard of care. They will explore the homebirth model and why it is best for mothers and babies.

Imagine having sexual abuse in your childhood, and then during the stress of labor, your midwife says “relax, surrender, trust your body.” For women with a history of sexual abuse, this can bring up powerful and conflicting emotions. Learn how to detect the signs and symptoms of past sexual abuse and how to help the birthing mother address them.

Angelina will discuss positioning, remedies, techniques and customs from Mexico. The origin of these techniques and traditions goes back thousands of years. We will learn how to use a rebozo, a very useful tool in all parts of the childbearing cycle.

Gail will share her brilliant insights and findings on the hormonal states of mother and baby and the interaction that occurs. She will cover how we can facilitate the process without disturbing motherbaby.

The midwifery way of continuity of care can last a lifetime! Midwifery intelligence and care is needed long after the baby is born. Learn ways to weave natural healing modalities into your midwifery practice so that you can continue working with the families you love!

Learn techniques to turn breech babies and develop skills for vaginal breech birth. Breech birth is not for beginners, though everyone is welcome to attend this class. We will begin with basic skills and review the hands-off approach.

The importance of positioning, maternal sense of control and flexibility to approaches will be shared as well as how to do an early diagnosis. Prevent cesareans by understanding how to prevent and fix posterior presentations.

Please join us in this global visioning session for birth and midwifery. Your ideas are needed. We will break in small groups to work on issues. Each will have a facilitator. These are not classes but work groups. Bring your ideas. We will meet in our workgroups for an hour and a half and return with a short report from each group. Work group topics may include but are not limited to the following:

The cabaret is for everyone to show their many talents whether in song, dance or whatever you do that you would like to share. Take your idea to Tine Greve, our mistress of ceremonies for this event.

The way we express our knowledge and power in words is as important to the well-being of the childbearing family as how we use our hands. A woman during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood is especially vulnerable to both the negative and healing effects of our words.

How do we get a long labor to progress? Long labors may be associated with complications ranging from social or emotional issues to physical problems. We will learn methods for helping women move along in labor. Analysis of myth and reality will also be discussed. Learn prenatal factors that may help allay looooong labors.

Do you have such a zealous concern for motherbaby that it makes your heart crazy when you see the lack of nurturing at this vulnerable time? Join us and sing, ponder, chat and scream with us at a world that does so much to negate the heart woman has inherited. Talk about how to quench a thirst that only giving birth in power can fulfill.

Lisa will explain the physiology of pain in these areas and present remedies you can make or buy to help women with these two very real areas of affliction. Lisa brings over 53 years of midwifery and herbal experience and a great sense of humor to her sessions.

The puzzle of preeclampsia is finally being solved. Learn the latest theories of how preeclampsia develops, new criteria to detect the condition, and how to discern between the various hypertensive states of pregnancy. Knowing more about these puzzling conditions can help us identify those at risk, reduce the incidence, and improve outcomes.

Share the techniques you’ve perfected in your practice or bring your questions to this roundtable of tips on a wide variety of topics. Previous sessions have included facilitating effective contractions, dealing with prolonged labor, preventing perineal tears, helping the slow-to-start baby and holistic first aid. This is always a much-appreciated session, for its sense of sisterhood and inspiring information.

Jan Tritten: “I was at a conference in Mexico when I heard this mistranslation of ‘Evidence-based Medicine.’ It resounded so much with me that I knew we had to cover this important subject.” So much supposed research is poorly done, old or manipulated. We will cover the double standard applied to subjects such as midwifery and alternative therapies. Included will be medicine as pseudoscience and medical myths posing as research.

As birth practitioners, it is our first and foremost duty to protect the women and babies in our care. How can we help them negotiate what has become a minefield in pregnancy and birth, allowing birth to become the miracle that it should be? Join us as we close the conference in love and honor of each other and the important work that we do.

Germany Waterbaby parents will demonstrate Neonatal Watertraining, Sauna for Motherbaby and Babyswimming. Register at the conference at the “Wasserbabies” desk or e-mail Cornelia Enning at hebinfo@gmx.de.