Participants who register for this course have the option to attend the course live-online and/or watch the recorded session later. The recording will be available to all registrants for a 6-week period after each session, and access is provided on the next business day. This allows participants who may not be able to attend live-online to still benefit from the course content.
Course Description:
This course is intended for healthcare and wellness professionals that work with pregnant individuals and are looking to help improve their clients labour and birth experience. This course will guide participants to empower their clients to have a positive birth experience using a blend of current evidence and standard birth care practices, using compassionate and trauma-informed care.
Course Objectives:
Foundations of Birth Care
- Review current statistics, standards of care, and evidence-based practices in childbirth.
- Describe the roles and scopes of practice of various birth care providers and birth workers.
- Examine current trends in childbirth and critically evaluate common myths.
Trauma-Informed and Patient-Centered Care
- Understand what obstetric violence and birth trauma are and their prevalence
- Apply trauma-informed principles to care in the perinatal period.
- Equip clients and their support persons with tools to advocate effectively during pregnancy and birth.
- Recognize and address clinician stress and burnout, and implement strategies to support well-being.
Anatomy, Physiology, and the Experience of Birth
- Develop an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of birth, including the nervous system, pelvic anatomy, hormones, and fetal positioning.
- Explain the stages of labour, pushing, and birth.
- Explore the complex nature of pain during labour and birth.
Clinical Skills and Labour Support
- Learn to teach clients a variety of comfort measures to support labour and birth.
- Explore evidence-based approaches to birthing positions and pushing techniques.
- Review common birth interventions and their indications.
- Translate theoretical knowledge into practical strategies for clinical practice.
Common Pregnancy-Related Conditions
- Provide an overview of common pregnancy and pelvic health conditions
- Apply clinical reasoning through case studies to support clients with these conditions during labour and birth, including:
- Positioning strategies to reduce back pain and tailbone discomfort
- Pushing techniques to minimize pelvic pressure and improve comfort
Preparation for Early Postpartum Recovery During Pregnancy:
- Prepare clients for early postpartum recovery as an extension of birth planning.
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Educate clients what to expect for key postpartum considerations, including:
- Normal recovery milestones
- Signs and symptoms requiring medical attention
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Recommend strategies and supplies to support early healing and recovery, including:
- Care for surgical incisions, perineal tears, and episiotomies
- Management of postpartum pelvic pain
- Optimal nursing/feeding positions to reduce strain and support rest
- Provide guidance during pregnancy to plan for early postpartum activity progression, including rest, walking, and gradual return to function (e.g., stair use, breathing, and gentle mobility).
Engage in case studies and group discussions to integrate and apply course concepts in clinical scenarios.
This course includes a $50 discount code for the How to Structure a Partner Birth Prep Session in Clinic course.
Audience: This course is open to all healthcare and wellness professionals.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule
Time: This course runs over 6 evenings, from 5:30pm-9:00pm ET (Toronto) each evening. Please convert to your local time zone.
Delivery Format
Live attendance is not mandatory for this online course. Enjoy a 6-week period to access and review the course recordings, which is sent out on the next business day following each session. We understand that life can be busy, which is why we offer you the freedom to access the course recording(s) during the time-limited viewing period.
Instructors
Anita Lambert
Anita Lambert is a pelvic health and orthopaedic physiotherapist with a focus on perinatal care. She’s the owner of Holistic Health Physiotherapy, the creator of the Bump to Birth Method, cohost of the To Birth & Beyond podcast, mentor and coach to pelvic health physiotherapists around the world and mom of 2 energetic little ones.
Growing up as a ballet dancer and athlete, Anita was always fascinated with how the body moved and healed. Her love for dance and sport led her to become the team therapist for the McMaster University women’s rugby and basketball teams, and later, President of Healthy Dancer Canada and an on site physiotherapist for Canada’s Ballet Jörgen.
Five years into her physiotherapy career, her clinical practice niched down to focus on pregnancy, pelvic health, birth prep and postpartum recovery while still working with dancers and athletes of all levels during these stages of life.
Anita is passionate about helping pregnant clients connect more with their body including pelvic floor plus help them stay active during pregnancy while providing evidence based birth education and strategies as they prepare for an informed and empowered birth.
She is equally passionate about empowering her postpartum clients to navigate their recovery and return to activities they love including all forms of exercise, sports and dance without pain and pelvic floor symptoms whether they are 10 days or 10 years post birth.
Having worked as a physiotherapist for nearly 15 years, she enjoys coaching and mentoring pelvic health physiotherapists who are diving into the area of perinatal care to help them increase their skill set and confidence in this area as well as to build a thriving clinical practice.
Outside of work, you can find Anita strength training, practicing yoga or Pilates or enjoying the outdoors and spending quality time with her husband, daughter and son.
Robyn Synnott
Robyn Synnott is a Registered Physiotherapist of over 15 years, and a pelvic health physiotherapist for over a decade. She has a trauma-informed practice helping women and gender-diverse individuals with pelvic health concerns and persistent pain. She works for the Hamilton Family Health Team providing these services to those who could not otherwise afford it. Robyn also teaches continuing education courses for allied health professionals through Pelvic Health Solutions on how to practice trauma-informed care and how to support clients through labour and birth. She is a fierce advocate for women, gender-diverse individuals, and marginalized people in the community and in healthcare.
