Active Birth Taranaki was honoured to host the 2011 National Home Birth Aotearoa Conference, and what a time we had!

We believe that having a positive birth experience affects the way we parent our children, and the decisions we make concerning all things family. The more people who view, or ideally, experience childbirth as a fundamentally positive opportunity for growth and empowerment, the more our communities will glow.

Our conference goal was to:

• Nurture and Inform in Pregnancy and Birth
• Inspire and Educate in Parenting
• Connect and Encourage in the Community.

There were tears, laughter, and tears of laughter (the latter often thanks to our eloquent and irrepressible MC, Ross Bennett). Huge thanks to our fabulous speakers Maralyn Foureur, Pennie Brownlee, Dave Owens, Lauren Porter, Maggie Banks, Charissa Waerea, Tihikura Hohaia, Angela Worthington, Suzi Hume, Aunouska Myer and Andrea Vincent who inspired and educated us all with grace and honesty.

Click on these links to find out more about our presenters and their subject matter. You can also view many of the speakers’ presentations by clicking on their names below:
Dave Owens
Maralyn Foureur
Charissa Waerea
Angela Worthington
Andrea Vincent/Suzi Hume/Aunouska Myer
Lauren Porter
Maggie Banks

We are keen that the learning from conference is internalised and implemented and we hope that the workshops really helped you take something back to your communities. Working groups are also being formed around five community initiatives:

1) Face of Birth movie release – nationwide Feb 2012 (www.faceofbirth.com)
2) Maternity Manifesto – buy in nationwide (www.maternitymanifesto.org.nz)
3) National Magazine/Social Media
4) Whenua Gardens
5) Establishing a Birthing Unit/Maternity/Midwifery Resource Centre

If you would like to implement one of these projects in your region, to share your knowledge or experience, or simply to be kept in the loop, please email info@todayschoices.org before the end of November 2011.  Carla will forward your info to those already working on these initiatives.

On the Saturday night of conference, many of us were lucky enough to attend the New Zealand premiere of BIRTH, a play by Karen Brody (preceded by a sumptuous feast thanks to chef Jurgen Annemans). A very honest retelling of five women’s birth stories, the play had something we could all relate to. US playwright Karen Brody is very keen to hear your feedback so it you have something to say about the play, please email info@todayschoices.org.

Thanks again to all of you lovely people for coming and adding your hearts, heads and stories to conference.

The Active Birth Taranaki Team