2024 India Midwifery Wisdom Experience
We are inviting you for Midwifery Wisdom Collective's very first, one-of-its-kind, India Experience 2024!
Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 India Retreat
Jan. 28 In- Person Skillz & Drillz 10 am-5 pm
Feb. 5-6 Virtual Conference 10am-8pm
Feb. 7 In-Person Skillz & Drillz 10am-5pm
On the cusp of change - evolving maternity care to match the times.
We are reclaiming birth, one baby at a time, and you are invited to join and learn with us.
It’s with the greatest excitement that we invite all birth workers – midwives, obstetricians, nurses, pediatricians, lactation consultants, doulas, and even parents to our 2024 India Midwifery Wisdom Experience!
As we move forward with the times, many of us have realized that the current health care paradigm is not serving any of us effectively: the new families, the birthers, the babies and clinicians.
Birth is as old as humankind. An occasion worth celebrating as the new life and new families are birthed. With our intellect, humans have collectively transformed birth into a cerebral exercise and have sought to measure and track changes from a linear perspective. But birth is so much more than a physical process. It is in fact a whole-body, whole-being rite of passage that takes place inside of the family and the whole community at large.
We, at Midwifery Wisdom Collective, would like to ring the bell for a return to our ancient-knowing of holistic birth while also balancing the modern technology that has saved lives. Our modern approach brings the safety and the sacred process together so that birthing people are superbly equipped to birth on their own terms. Midwifery-based care is the answer to improving safety in childbirth and making it a sustainable practice for the providers.
Limited spots available!
Event Cost:
Virtual Conference
Cost: ₹ 2000
In-Person Skillz & Drillz
Cost: ₹ 1000
Discount for Nurses for BOTH events
Cost: ₹ 1500
We’ve lined up leading experts in childbirth who will speak on a wide range of topics centered on elevating midwifery care.
2024 Indian Midwifery Wisdom Experience Speakers
- Katrina Bolduc
- Brooke Atkinson
- Barbara Harper
- Dr. Sudha Raddi
- Dr. Shoibya Saldana
- Dr. Harini Mariappan
- Joella Folk
- Divya and Chritson
- Augustine Colebrook
- Undavalli Deepika
- Ashwathika Ashok
- Chetana Kulkarni
- Parents Panel
- Divya and Chritson
We are reclaiming birth, one baby at a time
and you are invited to join and learn with us!
The Midwifery Wisdom Collective is an international advocacy, education, and consulting agency, based in the USA. The Midwifery Wisdom Collective was started by our director, Augustine Colebrook, an international educator, practicing midwife with 25 years experience and a public health masters’ degree in maternal/child health systems.
Augustine has had the privilege of being a midwife in all care locations in many different places worldwide. Throughout this incredible journey, she has embraced multiple roles, from the eager student filled with curiosity to the seasoned Midwife navigating the delicate dance of family-centered and evidence based care. She has witnessed firsthand the incredible passion that fuels birth work and, at times, the formidable challenges that it presents. When she couldn’t find the community in birth work, she yearned for, she took matters into her own hands, giving birth to The Midwifery Wisdom Collective in 2015.
Our mission is to create a network of deeply-skilled, balanced and equitable maternity care providers in collaborative and evidence-based practice. We envision walking side-by-side birth professionals- midwives, nurses, doctors and students to make midwifery mainstream.
We’re on the brink of something remarkable. In a rapidly evolving world, where mainstream birth practices are clearly NOT working, where the world faces unprecedented provider shortages and health care deserts, The Midwifery Model of Care is about to be acknowledged as THE SOLUTION! Our Collective’s journey in advocating for birthing families and preserving the sanctity of birth often confronts the complexities of the modern world, complete with its intricate systems and rising expectations. Our journey began humbly, sharing essential knowledge on advanced practice skills that distinguish modern Midwives, building natural birth centers, and midwifery business management. We’ve learned that well-supported Midwives, Doctors and Nurses are empowered and successful.
Today, The Midwifery Wisdom Collective stands as a testament to authentic community support for all professionals who work in childbirth, worldwide. Our mission is straightforward: to provide globally accessible resources at every stage of your journey as a care provider. Our offerings are diverse, from online courses and in-person workshops to business consulting, podcasts, vlogs, blogs, and a range of physical and digital products tailored to today’s Childbirth Professional. Care providers deserve nurturing, too. Let us be your anchor as you continue your journey. The Midwifery Wisdom Collective is not just a resource hub; it’s a vibrant community, now spreading its wings to India. Together, we have the power to shape the future of Childbirth practices and elevate it to the gold standard of care for birthing families across the globe.
- Stuart Fischbein, MD
- Adrienne Leeds, CPM
- Nicole Morales, LM CPM
- Whitney Pinger, CNM MSN FACNM
- Nathan Riley, MD
- Suzanne Arms, BA
- Kimberly Haines, CPM LM
- Sarah Henderson, Midwife
- Sarah Thompson, L.Ac., CFMP
- Lisa Rawson, LM
- Kelleen Peters
- Dani LaVoire, CPM
- Jharna Harvey Ahmai, CPM RN
- Amariee Collins, MPA BS RDMS (Abd, Ob/Gyn), RVT
- Rixa Freeze, PhD
- Leslie Ann Cornwell, CNM
- Wantina Brooks-Roach, CPM LCPM
- Augustine Colebrook, CPM MA-MCHS
- Moriah Melin, CPM RM
- and more yet to be confirmed….
Conference Schedule
Monday, 5th February, 2023
10:00 am – Opening Address – Augustine Colebrook
11:00 am – Keynote By Barbara Harper- Water Birth (Topic Yet To Be Updated)
12:00 pm – Dr. Shaibya Saldana- Busting Myths About Obstetric Violence
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Katrnia Bolduc – Birth Upleveled: Merging The Gap Between True Bodily Sovereignty And Physiological Birth.
3:00 pm – Harini Mariappan –
4:00 pm – Brooke Atkinson: A Doula For Everyone- How Doulas Reduce Trauma
5:00 pm – Divya And Chritson – Natural Birth Story Of A Doctor Couple
6:00 pm – TBA
7:00 pm – TBA
Tuesday, 6th February, 2023
10:00 am – Augustine Colebrook- Postpartum Hemorrhage
11:00 am – Dr. Sudha Raadi
12:00 pm – Joella Folk- Bodywork In Labor And Birth- A Chiropratic Perspective (Yet To Confirm)
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Ashwathika Ashok
3:00 pm – Undavalli Deepika
4:00 pm – Parent’S Panel Discussion On Midwifery Birth Experiences
5:00 pm – Chetana Kulkarni- Finding A Middle Ground-Birth Models In India.
6:00 pm – Closing Note
2024 India Midwifery Wisdom Experience Speakers
We’ve lined up leading experts in childbirth who will speak on a wide range of topics centered on elevating midwifery care.
Barbara Harper
DEM, RN, CCCE, BHT, BHE, CKC
Class Topic:
Five Essential Water Birth Lessons
Barbara Harper is an internationally recognized expert on waterbirth and gentle birth, a published author who founded Waterbirth International in 1987, with one goal in mind – to ensure that waterbirth is an “available option” for all women. During the past four decades Barbara has worked as an obstetric and pediatric nurse, midwife, midwifery instructor, childbirth educator, doula and doula trainer and has used her vast experience to develop unique seminars which she teaches within hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery and medical schools and community groups worldwide. She was recognized in 2002 by Lamaze International for her contributions in promoting normal birth on an international level. Her bestselling book and DVD, ‘Gentle Birth Choices,’ has been translated into 9 languages, including a 2016 Mandarin Chinese edition. She is working on two new books, ‘The Essential Guide to Waterbirth” and ‘The Wisdom of Gentle Birth.” Best known for her Waterbirth Certification Courses, Barbara has dedicated her life to changing the way we welcome babies into the world. She is the mother of three adult children, two of whom were born at home in water, and grandmother of two boys. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is active in the community as a midwifery and doula mentor and Blissborn Birth Hypnosis teacher. Her website is www.waterbirth.org and Instagram @thebarbaraharper and @waterbirthint.
From Michel Odent’s 1983 Lancet article on the first 100 water births in Pithiviers, France to a Spanish analysis of waterbirth in hospitals published in December 2023, over 600 retrospective analyses, prospective studies, as well as randomized controlled trials have documented the same results. Water makes birth easier for mothers and better for babies.
Waterbirth Guru, Barbara Harper, will guide us through a review of the most important lessons that water birth parents and practitioners have experienced and researched over the past 40 years.
Lessons which illustrate the infinite potential for each woman to use the healing power of water to assist normal physiologic labor and liberation of the body to experience a hands-off, self-directed birth all while being supported and protected by experienced professionals.
This session gives everyone the opportunity to understand the miracle of why the fetus is safe as it emerges into the water and what stimulates the neonate to begin the sacred journey into life with the regulation of the respiratory and circulatory systems.
At the end of this keynote each person will be inspired to dive deeper into the power of water with a strong desire to change the way we welcome babies into the world.
Dr. Shaibya Saldanha
OB/ GYN, LC
Class Topic:
Obstetric Violence in Metropolises: Myth or Fact?
Dr. Shaibya Saldanha has worked in obstetrics and gynecology for over 30 years with experiences in primary and tertiary government hospitals, missionary hospitals and private practice. As a natural birth advocate and lactation consultant, she has tried to understand the power dynamics between women and their health care providers. The importance of autonomy and informed choice in all aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and the provider’s ability to create a safe space for women is her existential question!
She is also a sexuality activist and a child protection specialist.
We have been constantly told that pregnancy is a natural process and the fact that many women deliver successfully at home, or in health care facilities with very basic services, lets us believe that this is true. But the process of a woman giving birth does not exist in a vacuum. When coupled with a patriarchal mindset, with reduced women’s agency, and the power dynamics of a patient in the health system in India, this form of gender-based violence termed obstetric violence results in long lasting physical, mental and psychological trauma to women.
Respectful maternal care results in not just an enriching and less traumatic birth experience, but also develops a woman’s agency, her confidence in her autonomy, and puts one more nail in the coffin of patriarchy.
We discuss how simple steps by medical staff and caring families can create this shift, from obstetric violence to respectful maternal care.
Katrina Bolduc
CPM, Psychologist
Class Topic:
Birth Upleveled: Nurturing True Bodily Sovereignty in the Physiologic and Psychology of Birth
Katrina Bolduc is a firm believer that a person’s pregnancy, labor, and birth are one of the most powerfully pivotal moments in their life. She honors family units and embraces individualized family center care.
Katrina received her Associates of Science Degree in Psychology in 2007, her Bachelors of Science Psychology Degree in 2009, and graduated from National Midwifery Institute in 2021. Katrina earned her Certified Professional Midwife, CPM, in early 2022 and has proudly been attending births and supporting families since 2016, entering the birth field through prenatal yoga, doula services, and childbirth education. With a passion for helping others, Katrina fell in love with the aspect of supporting, encouraging, and helping others grow, with compassion, respect, understanding, and a commitment to meet each individual where they are at.
Katrina is a wife, a mother of three incredible children, an ironman triathlete, lover of nature, animals and everything birth. With a heart for helping, and a passion for pregnancy, birth, and beyond she is dedicated to the field of midwifery and enjoys teaching and supporting healthcare workers and families alike.
This session will intricately explore the connection between true bodily sovereignty, the physiologic process, and the psychology of birth. Addressing the intricate interplay between physiological processes, and mental well-being, this session advocates for a holistic approach to maternity care that supports individuals throughout the childbirth journey. Emphasis will be placed on defining and understanding true bodily sovereignty, exploring the psychology of birth, understanding the physiological aspects of birth, and empowering individuals through education. We will delve into the importance of a comprehensive, woman-centered approach, while aiming to inspire healthcare professionals to bridge the gap between them, fostering an environment where birthing individuals feel empowered, supported, educated, and capable of embracing the transformative journey of childbirth with confidence and resilience.
Join us as we highlight the pivotal role midwives play in nurturing a collaborative and respectful partnership with birthing individuals, ensuring that their unique physical, emotional, and psychological needs are met with sensitivity and expertise.
Dr. Sudha A Raddi
Principal, KLE Belgaum, RN
Class Topic:
Case studies on the role of nurses in enabling normal births in hospitals
Dr. Sudha A Raddi is a Master Trainer for Virtual Capacity Building Program for midwifery faculty, organized by INC & UNPFA, and a Master trainer for Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program. She has a Phd in Nursing. As the Former Dean and principal at KLE University Institute of Nursing Sciences, she has been instrumental in setting up the Midwifery stimulation lab. She is the
Principal Investigator in several Midwifery projects in India, UK, Australia and USA. She has organised many international and National conferences and workshops. She has a total of 42 international and 18 national publications in her credit.
Do we need midwives?, Michel Odent had once asked.
Midwifery led care can play a critical role in promoting physiological births, and reducing over medicalization. Ministry of health and family welfare and Indian Nursing council have brought out guidelines for Midwifery services. Midwife led care is paradigm shift which can address many of the issues that our country continues to face.. The Lancet series on Midwifery (2014) highlights that were midwives are educated, trained and deployed to provide the full scope of the competencies as described by International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), they can provide 87% of the services needed. There are an estimated 1.1 million midwives documented globally and far more who provide care to women and their families but are not officially counted.
In 2015, India became one of the 193 countries to commit to the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). Core Health Indicators are Maternal mortality & Infant mortality. Maternal mortality can be effectively controlled by Increase in Institutional deliveries through National Health Mission and Midwifery practices to centre stage can improve quality of care around birth and decongest higher levels of facilities. A strong midwifery cadre provides quality childbirth care to our mothers and newborns. It ensures care with dignity and compassion and promotes a positive child birthing experience. Approximately 85% of pregnancies and births do not require specialized obstetric intervention.This robust evidence base led the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to recommend midwifery-led settings as the safest birthplace for healthy women experiencing uncomplicated pregnancies in the United Kingdom. Case studies in India have strengthened the evidence of the role of nurses and midwives in India in enabling normal births.
Augustine Colebrook
CPM, CIM, MA-MCHS
Class Topic:
Modern Postpartum Hemorrhage Practices
Augustine is an internationally recognized midwifery educator, experienced business executive, and veteran midwife with a heart focused on the underserved, marginalized, and under-resourced. She respects the importance of being empowered and undisturbed during labor, and balances this attention to the sacred with 25+ years experience attending births in hospitals, birth centers, and homes in rural, urban and suburban environments in more than 10 countries worldwide. In addition to her midwifery training and certifications, Augustine has a public health master’s degree from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA where she majored in Maternal/Child Health Systems. Her life’s mission is to mainstream midwifery and deconstruct the culture of fear and misinformation that surrounds the maternity world globally.
Each year, about 14 million women experience PPH, resulting in about 70,000 maternal deaths globally. Even when women survive, they often need urgent surgical interventions to control the bleeding and may be left with lifelong reproductive disability. In an effort to prevent these deaths, obstetrical interventions like vigorous fundal massage, sweeping clots, manual placenta removal and bi-manual compression are now routinely applied in India, often causing excessive pain, humiliation, increasing the risk of infection and even even causing nerve, and ligament damage or causing uterine perforation. Join Augustine, a 25 year veteran midwife with experience in all care environments to explore balanced care: identifying and treating low-risk births with no intervention and high-risk births with appropriate, modern, and timely interventions. Birth is never one-size-fits-all: hemorrhage prevention and treatment requires individualized, evidence-based care.
Dr Parimala V Thirumalesh
MBBS, MD - Paediatrics, MRCPCH (UK)
Class Topic:
From the Lens of the Babies: Compassionate newborn care
Dr. Parimala is a Professor & Senior consultant in Neonatology & Paediatrics at Aster CMI hospital, Bangalore. After scoring a gold medal in MBBS, she chose to do
MD in Paediatrics from Airforce Command hospital, where she became a University rank holder. After that she moved to UK to do MRCPCH at the Royal college of Paediatrics and Child Health, in London, followed by PGDIP in Neonatology from Cardiff University, UK.
She has a collective, vast work experience of 24 years both from NHS, UK and India. She is the author of Amazon Best Seller and Golden Book Awards winning book “Baby101” a guide to parents and caregivers of babies between the age of 0 to 1 year. She founded the newborn first aid mobile app “savebabycpr” available in Google play store.
At birth, most babies start breathing on their own during the physiology changes from fetal to neonatal circulation. However, some babies need help getting started – a few more than others. Dr. Parimala, a neonatologist will be sharing new updates on the life saving skill of neonatal resuscitation which will cover timing of optimal cord clamping, resuscitation with room air vs. oxygen, management of meconium-stained amniotic fluid in a vaginal birth, monitoring neonatal vitals during resuscitation and thermoregulation for preterm newborns. Neonatal resuscitation should be learnt and practiced by every care provider who works in the field of childbirth, leading to better outcomes and reduced trauma for the neonate.
Dr. Sneha Shah
PT, MIAP, CCCE (USA), CLD (USA)
Class Topic:
Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening v/s Relaxation Techniques in Pregnancy
Sneha is a trailblazing serial entrepreneur whose mission in life is to make the women’s reproductive journey beautiful and empowering. She has an experience of over 16 years as a clinical physiotherapist working in women’s health. She has founded three organizations Maatratava, The Birth Home (Karnataka’s first midwifery led natural birth centre offering water births), and now FemFirst all focused on providing exceptional health and wellness solutions for women.
Sneha is a game changer in the industry, with her extensive knowledge of cultural, psychological and psychosocial aspects of reproductive phases of woman’s life, making her an invaluable resource for women seeking healthcare solutions.
She has attended over 200 births in different hospital settings, and is a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Her influence is sure to leave a lasting impact on women’s health and wellness.
Have you considered that the conventional approach of focusing solely on pelvic floor strengthening exercises during pregnancy might need a shift? Current insights suggest that prioritizing relaxation over developing strength can be crucial in preventing perineal tears and promoting a smoother, shorter pushing stage during labor.To adapt to this evolving perspective, learn tools and techniques to incorporate relaxation into the prenatal preparations for a smother labor and birth.
Brooke Atkinson
CPM, Doula
Class Topic:
A Doula for Everyone – How Doulas Reduce Trauma
My most important role is being a mother to my five children. I began my career in birth work in October 2006 after giving birth to my first child. It profoundly altered me in the best and most beautiful way. It made me want to support others in their own journey. After a long career as a labor doula, birth assistant, and childbirth educator, I obtained my CPM in October of 2020. I have been blessed and honored to have some of the best mentors, both locally and internationally, throughout my years in birth work. I have a special love for attending breech and twin births at home. I am passionate about giving families information and choices to make independent decisions for themselves and their babies. You will often find me taking classes on all things related to birth or running a midwifery practice. Over the years, I have served on the Board of Directors for North Carolina Friends of Midwives, NC Herb Association, and Carolina Birth Junkies.
Don’t midwives do the same things as a doula? Do clients really need a doula if they are working with a midwife? Where do a doula’s loyalties lie? At what point in labor does a doula come? Are doulas just for birth? What are the benefits of having a doula? Join us as we answer these important questions and dive into how doulas reduce trauma for the mother, support the birth partner, and educate their client.
Dr. Joella Folk
LM, Chiropractor
Class Topic:
Bodywork in labor and birth- a chiropratic perspective
Dr. Joella Folk has been providing specialized holistic pregnancy and newborn care as well as childbirth support for 20 years. She earned degrees in Human Development (2000), Chiropractic (2005), and Midwifery (2014). She is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Licensed Midwife who has cared for over 1200 pregnant women and around 1000 infants. Her care is sought after for pain in pregnancy or postpartum, complications related to fetal positioning, and newborns after traumatic births or having feeding difficulties. Her care focuses on education regarding the daily posture and habits which cause most of the discomforts and weakness of pregnancy/postpartum and specialized chiropractic adjusting.
She has combined the skills and knowledge of both professions to create protocols for improving pregnancy and childbirth outcomes by optimizing the function of the female pelvis. She is currently developing teaching programs for both chiropractors and birth providers. Her goal is to increase the access to specialized pregnancy chiropractic care around the world as well as increase birth providers’ skills in working with asynclitic presentations and shoulder dystocia while protecting newborn neurophysiology and avoiding unnecessary trauma. She looks forward to teaching in the United States and internationally. Her practice is in Kitsap county, Washington State, USA.
More and more mothers are discovering the many benefits associated with chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. Combining chiropractic, informed decision making and personalized medical care provides mothers with the best opportunity to have a positive pregnancy experience and easier childbirth. Much of medicine has failed to focus on the specific needs required to fully support the female population and this has remained true in providing care during pregnancy and preparation for childbirth. All too often pain is dismissed as a normal part of pregnancy when it is often one of many warning signs that the body is not functioning optimally. The neuro-biomechanics of the spine and pelvis not only contribute to quality of life but also impacts fetal positioning in pregnancy and the efficiency of the birth process. Understanding and optimizing the neuro-biomechanics of the spine and pelvis is the specialty of Chiropractic. Providing specialized care involves patient education regarding posture and daily movement habits, appropriate strengthening recommendations, and personalized chiropractic adjusting protocols for increasing function of the spine and pelvic joints and communication between those with the brain and nervous system. In this presentation Dr. Joella Folk, DC, LM will discuss how chiropractic works and why it is impactful on the experience of pregnant women and their childbirth outcomes.
Dr. Undavalli Deepika
BDS
Class Topic:
Cross training Health Care professionals in Midwifery
To Be Added
Dr. Divya, MBBS &
Dr. Chritson, Endodontist
Class Topic:
Natural birth story of a doctor couple
Dr Divya Priya and Dr Chritson are parents and trend setters in their own right. Dr. Divya, since childhood had only one ambition, to be a doctor and felt that was her calling. After joining med school she developed a keen interest in obstetrics. After college, when she got an offer to work as a Medical Officer and Family Physician in a natural birthing center, she felt drawn immediately and her curiosity was piqued. After learning and understanding the Midwifery Model of Care and attending births with the midwives, she decided to opt for this care when she became pregnant. Dr. Chritson was fully supportive of the decision despite having a mainstream medical education. Having experienced Midwifery Care, they have become avid advocates of informed decision making and the power of listening to the woman’s body.
Our experiences inform the ways in which we navigate the world. Having gone through the rigors of the medical system in the form of education and practicing as doctors, deciding to birth in a natural birth centre with midwives was a pivotal decision in our lives. Having had a straightforward, pleasant experience during the pregnancy, we had quite the curveball thrown at us during labor and birth. We are sharing our thoughts and experiences of our body, mind and soul as doctors who had many decisions to make during the birth, how we chose what to do with information and inner knowing and did what felt right in the moment. Birthing with midwives has been transformational and has set us on a path of being confident parents and better doctors!
Dr. Ashwathika Ashok
BYNS
Class Topic:
Infertility treatments, the naturopathic way
Dr. Ashwathika is an incredible professional in Naturopathy and Yoga, specializing in holistic health. She is currently working as a Medical officer at RK Nature Cure home . She’s known for her impactful sessions like ‘Happy Periods’ that have empowered hundreds of women on menstrual health. Her creation of the ‘Happy Periods’ menstrual tracker reflects her dedication to women’s well-being. She’s passionate about integrated healthcare and particularly focuses on lifestyle disorders, especially in the realm of women’s health.She had her hands on training with midwifery for 8 months under Ms.Augustine Colebrook and is continuing to explore various aspects of it . It’s admirable how she’s established an online clinic, House of Nature Cure, providing invaluable services in Yoga and Naturopathy. She truly embodies a positive approach towards holistic healthcare with a motto of ‘Health for all’.
Treating Infertility: The Naturopathic Approach
Infertility, a challenging journey for many, often invites exploration beyond conventional treatments. This presentation delves into the realm of naturopathy as a comprehensive pathway towards addressing fertility concerns.
Naturopathy’s core principles emphasize holistic wellness, embracing lifestyle adjustments, dietary enhancements, herbal remedies, and complementary therapies. Stress management techniques, nutritional optimizations, and the integration of herbal supplements emerge as focal points in nurturing fertility health.
This discourse aims to illuminate the naturopathic philosophy in cultivating fertility wellness, offering insights into a holistic framework that prioritizes individual well-being on the path to parenthood.
My focus is on uncovering the possibilities of naturopathic fertility treatments, embracing their patient-centered approach and holistic perspectives, empowering individuals seeking natural and comprehensive solutions to infertility.
Chetana Kulkarni
CIM, CLEC
Class Topic:
Finding a middle ground-birth models in India.
Chetana Kulkarni wears many hats as a Certified International Midwife, a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor, a La Leche League International Leader, a Lamaze trained Childbirth Educator, Birth Centre Consultant and an entrepreneur in birth business. Her heart, skills and experience lies in bringing about peaceful, and practical transformation in community based birth in her city of Bangalore, and as an extension throughout India. She firmly believes that access to good quality, inclusive reproductive health care for families, from adolescence through to menopause, is crucial for a just and better society. She is an advocate for modern midwifery because, while midwives are as old as humankind itself, this profession has the potential to save more lives and increase joy. Chetana’s compassionate, skilled care of her clients is a step towards solving the maternity care crisis in India.
Global evidence is conclusive that healthcare systems have the best outcomes, at the lowest costs when they ensure access to midwifery-led care. However, India doesn’t currently have enough midwives to make any meaningful difference, so we must explore other options.
In 2023, after graduating, my midwifery education in a low-tech, high-presence natural birth center, I had the opportunity to broaden my experience in three more very different environments.
I invite you to join me as I share my journey in photos and birth stories, attending births in a high-tech obstetric hospital with vast resources and world-class technology; a rural Indian hospital with only a 4-bed L&D department, and finally a modern Homebirth. I will be comparing & contrasting birth in these four types of facilities available in India and inspiring participants to add midwifery model of care touches wherever possible.
Parents panel
Join us for a parents’ panel discussion where mothers and fathers will share their experiences of birthing in various locations in India.
Let’s learn more about why some families opt for midwifery model of care and how it not only impacts childbearing but influences other parts of family and community life.
We will be conversing about today’s birth culture in India and what future families and birth professionals can learn from their collective experiences.
The Transformational Retreat
Rest and reflect as Augustine and others lead you through a series of exercises to free blockages and up-level in all areas of your life.
Plus, laugh with your sibling midwives around the beach, take naps, and dine on delicious food while you repair and unwind from the most stressful 2 years any of us have ever lived through!
The Denver retreat is sold out but there are still spots for the 2024 India retreat! Register below!
The Conference as well as the Skillz & Drillz portions are still currently available! Limited spots for both, register now below to hold your spot!
hands on TRAINING FOR MIDWIVES, DOCTORS, NURSES & STUDENTS
Join us for a round-robin, 11 stations for hands-on clinical skills practice with life-like models, real-life drills, and qualified mentors to support your learning and practice.
On Jan. 28 from 10 am to 5 pm, at Coimbatore
On Feb. 7 from 10 am to 5 pm, at Shantinagar, Bangalore
Custom pick your way – whatever you need to advance your career – we’ve got you covered.
It's Time to Retreat!
Its been a crazy couple years – you’ve probably been busier than ever. And yet, we all know how important rest is for the nervous system?
January 24 to February 7, 2024 will be a time to recharge your battery and gain new perspective! We will revive our love of this profession, while we enjoy some beach time, jungle adventures, delicious food, multi-cultural connection, and exploration of the marvelous people, places and animals of southern India! Additionally, Midwifery Wisdom is putting on a local conference during your retreat, and requests for proposals to lecture on various midwifery subjects is welcome.
This epic, 10-day adventure only has space for fourteen. Don’t delay, this will fill up fast!
- Stuart Fischbein, MD
- Adrienne Leeds, CPM
- Nicole Morales, LM CPM
- Whitney Pinger, CNM MSN FACNM
- Nathan Riley, MD
- Suzanne Arms, BA
- Kimberly Haines, CPM LM
- Sarah Henderson, Midwife
- Sarah Thompson, L.Ac., CFMP
- Lisa Rawson, LM
- Kelleen Peters
- Dani LaVoire, CPM
- Jharna Harvey Ahmai, CPM RN
- Amariee Collins, MPA BS RDMS (Abd, Ob/Gyn), RVT
- Rixa Freeze, PhD
- Leslie Ann Cornwell, CNM
- Wantina Brooks-Roach, CPM LCPM
- Augustine Colebrook, CPM MA-MCHS
- Moriah Melin, CPM RM
- and more yet to be confirmed….
not SURE JUST YET?
That’s ok! let’s stay in touch.
Event Schedule
Conference (5th February, Monday - 6th February, Tuesday)
Monday, 5th February, 2023
10:00 am – Opening Address – Augustine Colebrook
11:00 am – Keynote By Barbara Harper- Water Birth (Topic Yet To Be Updated)
12:00 pm – Dr. Shaibya Saldana- Busting Myths About Obstetric Violence
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Katrnia Bolduc – Birth Upleveled: Merging The Gap Between True Bodily Sovereignty And Physiological Birth.
3:00 pm – Harini Mariappan –
4:00 pm – Brooke Atkinson: A Doula For Everyone- How Doulas Reduce Trauma
5:00 pm – Divya And Chritson – Natural Birth Story Of A Doctor Couple
6:00 pm – Yet To Be Updated
7:00 pm – Yet To Be Updated
Tuesday, 6th February, 2023
10:00 am – Augustine Colebrook- Postpartum Hemorrhage
11:00 am – Dr. Sudha Raadi
12:00 pm – Joella Folk- Bodywork In Labor And Birth- A Chiropratic Perspective (Yet To Confirm)
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Ashwathika Ashok- Topic?
3:00 pm – Undavalli Deepika -Topic?
4:00 pm – Parent’S Panel Discussion On Midwifery Birth Experiences
5:00 pm – Chetana Kulkarni- Finding A Middle Ground-Birth Models In India.
6:00 pm – Closing Note
Denver Tech Center
7007 S. Clinton Street
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80112
303.799.6200
A block of rooms have been reserved for this event at a special rate of $109 a night. The cutoff date for this special rate is 10/16/23 at the close of business.
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JOIN US IN ITALY THIS MAY 2023!
Join us for an all-inclusive, luxury retreat on the coast of Tuscany, Italy with other midwives ready to uplevel their lifestyle!
Your Pathway Home
You don’t want to miss this! Join us November 2023 in Colorado!
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Let’s speak to the elephant in the room… You know, that unique experience that is being a midwife, let’s talk about it.
Being a midwife in a culture without integrative medicine is tough. Birthing people want your help, but as you make life safe for them, you make life less safe for yourself. Not to mention all of this:
- Burnout, exhaustion, and lack of backup
- The threat of persecution or prosecution
- Loneliness and fear
- The struggle of having to reinvent the wheel
- The heartache of poor outcomes or fetal demise
- Feelings of failure or shame
- The desperate need to tell your side of the story
- Financial insecurity
- Frustration trying to get clients the care they need
- The list goes on
As a community lets navigate this together.
You’re not alone, at least you don’t have to be anymore. Here at Midwifery Wisdom, we take some of the weight off. You don’t have to keep re-inventing the wheel. We are experts in creating a midwifery business, practice, and a life outside work.
Join the collective & build a thriving midwifery practice. Find balance, gain clarity, welcome to your virtual midwifery home.