09.30 – 10.00                      Introduction

10.00 – 10.45                      Birth Philosophy Exercise

                                            - introducing models of birthing

                                            - exercise to explore personal approach/philosophy to labour & birth

                                            - give out exemplar philosophies

10.45 – 11.35                      Birth Environment Tool Kit

                                            - place of birth

                                - nesting instinct

                                            - tips for birth room ambience

                                            - birth environment checklist

11.35 – 11.55                      Coffee

11.55 – 13.00                      Posture/Positions for 1^st & 2^nd Stage

                                            - why movement/posture is important

                                            - options for 1^st stage

                                            - optimum giving birth positions

                                - practical tips for assisting birth in upright postures

                                - practical simulations

 13.00 – 13.40                     Lunch

13.40 – 14.40                      Skills for ‘Working with Pain’

                                            - differences between working with pain and pain relief approaches

                                            - antenatal education tips

                                            - physical/psycho/social support options for women

                                            - supporting through transition

                                            - telling the difference between physiological and pathological pain

                                            - clinical scenarios (group work)

1440 – 14.50                       Hannah’s Birth (DVD)                    

14.50 – 15.10                      Coffee

15.10 – 16.00                      Practical tips for Normalising Higher Tech Labours

                                            - slides

                                - groups and feedback

Programme Day 2

9.30 – 10.15                        Skills for Protecting the Perineum

                                            - hands on or hands poised

                                - antenatal massage technique                                 

                                            - birth postures that protect the perineum

                                            - role of episiotomy

                                            - to suture or not to suture

                                            - group work and feedback

10.15 – 11.30                      Skills for sussing out rhythms (1^st stage)

                                            - from labour progress to labour rhythms

                                            - labour care with minimal or no V/E’s

                                            - observation tips for sussing out rhythms

                                - belly mapping

                                - tips for prolonged labour & posterior position

                                - clinical scenarios (group work)

11.30 – 11.50                      Coffee

11.50 – 12.50                      Skills for sussing out rhythms (2nd stage)

                                            - latent 2^nd stage & early bearing down

                                            - interpreting the signs of second stage onset

                                            -  women’s behaviours in 2^nd stage

                                            - tips when there is delay

                                            - clinical scenarios (group work)

12.50- 13.30                        Lunch

13.30 – 14.20                      Skills for Physiological Third Stage

                                            - when is it appropriate

                                - components of a physiological 3^rd stage

                                - cutting the cord and neonatal transition physiology

                                - tips for birthing the placenta

                                - blood loss and time

                                - group work exercises

14.20 – 15.00                      Antenatal Education

                                            - programmes that improve normal birth outcomes

                                            - their style & content

                                            - group work to improve local packages

15.00 – 15.20                      Tea

15.20 – 16.00                      Audit Ideas & Open Forum

                                - reviewing local practices where you work

                                - what’s working well

                                - what could be improved

16.00 -16.10                        Evaluation & Close