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• Ariane Beeston, Director of Clinical Content at COPE: Centre of Perinatal Excellence, presenting on Perinatal Mental Health - What midwives need to know.

In this session Ariane Beeston  will provide an overview of the importance of perinatal mental health and how these impacts on expectant and new parents at this vulnerable life stage. The presentation will highlight the importance of screening all expectant women to identify those at risk of, and experiencing common condition like depression and anxiety.  We will also direct you to quality free training and resources to support you as midwives, and the emotional and mental wellbeing of those in your care.

• Dr Nigel Lee, midwife and NHMRC Emerging Research Leadership Fellow at the University of Queensland, presenting on Sterile Water Injections: From midwifery voodoo to (almost) accepted practice, and beyond.

In 2010 the use of sterile water injections (SWI) in Australia was almost unheard of or a much derided  ‘underground’ midwifery practice. In 2026 SWI is now recognised as a recognised evidenced based procedure for managing labour back pain in many clinical guidelines across Australia and internationally, despite ongoing scepticism from some quarters.  Midwifery clinician researchers from universities, city and regional hospitals, across a number of countries collaborated to facilitate this change in practice.    This presentation will explore current research into SWI, best techniques, recent innovations, potential for the future and how developing the role of the clinician researcher now is essential to tomorrow’s midwifery.

• Melanie Francis, Clinical Midwifery Educator at GynZone, presenting on Diagnosing perineal lacerations after birth.

This online workshop will support graduate midwives to build confidence and competence in the assessment and diagnosis of perineal lacerations following vaginal birth — a fundamental skill in midwifery practice.

• Alecia Staines, founder of Maternity Consumer Network, presenting on Consumer Engagement to Achieve Respectful Maternity Care.

Specifically Priority 2 of the woman centred care strategic direction for Australian maternity services, which mentions all care providers upholding the respectful maternity care charter, engaging with consumers and measuring appropriate outcomes. 

• Boe Calvert, Research Midwife & Midwifery Specialist at Global Women's and Newborn's Health Group, presenting on WHO Consolidated guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of PPH.

The session will include an overview of the PPH prevention roadmap, key evidence informing the recommendations, including the WOMAN I and II and EMOTIVE trials, and a review of important clinical considerations such as anaemia, iron infusions and the physiology underpinning PPH risk. It will also discuss medications including heat-stable carbetocin and tranexamic acid (TXA), and explore practical challenges in measuring blood loss, including the use of calibrated drapes and weighing.

• Esther Bacon, Stakeholder Engagement & Relations Consultant at Nurse & Midwife Support, presenting on Refill your cup; wellbeing and mentorship for graduate Midwives.

This session explores the critical role of self-care and wellbeing in sustaining a safe, fulfilling midwifery career, particularly during the transition to practice. It will also introduce the mentorship program offered by Nurse and Midwife Support, as well as our national support line, showcasing how you can feel more supported in your professional journey.

• Professor Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery and Director of Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University, presenting on Reducing Unnecessary Intrapartum Interventions.

• Dr Jen Hocking,  Breastfeeding Information Advisor at Australian Breastfeeding Association, presenting on Supporting breastfeeding mums: starting the journey. 

Professor Hannah Dahlen

Hannah Dahlen is Professor of Midwifery, Director of Research and HDR and Midwifery Discipline Lead in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Hannah is a leading midwifery researcher in Australia, with an international reputation as an outstanding midwifery scholar. This is demonstrated through publication of over 200 papers and book chapters, despite only being an active researcher for the past 10 years and maintaining clinical practice. Hannah has presented at over 100 conferences and seminars since with half of these being invited national and international keynote addresses.

Dr Jennifer Hocking

BA | BN | GradDipMid | MMid | PhD | RM RN | FACM
Jen worked as a midwife in the Australian public maternity system for 20 years, has taught undergraduate midwives in the tertiary sector and completed a PhD that was a focused ethnographic study of lactation consultant practice. She now works for the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a breastfeeding information advisor. Jen is a fellow of the Australian College of Midwives.

Dr Nigel Lee

Dr Nigel Lee is a midwife and senior research fellow and NHMRC Emerging Research Leadership Fellow at the University of Queensland. His passion for research is underpinned by many years of clinical experience, predominantly in labour and birth care. He has led several multicentre randomised trials and the first qualitative studies into the use of water injections for pain relief during labour. These studies have established the efficacy, safety and most effective techniques of the procedure contributing to the implementation across Australia and internationally. He has also undertaken and published research into strategies for reducing perineal trauma. 

Esther Bacon

Esther is the Stakeholder Engagement & Relations Consultant at Nurse & Midwife Support. With over a decade of experience as a midwife across diverse roles in public maternity care in Melbourne, Esther brings deep insight into the challenges and rewards of the profession. In recent years, she has expanded her expertise in service improvement, project management, and policy development. In her current role, Esther is dedicated to building awareness of the vital services that support Australia's nurses and midwives on the front line of healthcare.

Dr Megan Cooper

Dr Megan Cooper is a midwife, academic, and clinical researcher whose career is anchored by a single guiding purpose: to leave the world a better place than she found it. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland (UQ), holds full academic status at Flinders University, and was recently appointed Head of Discipline for Midwifery at UQ — a role that reflects both her scholarly leadership and her deep commitment to shaping the future of the profession.

Megan's research is built on listening. With a program of work centred on the experiences of women and practitioners, she is dedicated to translating evidence into clinical practice and policy through the lens of woman-centred care — a philosophy she brings equally to her teaching and mentorship of the next generation of midwives. Her leadership extends across the discipline: she is Chair of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) SA Branch and the JBI Women's and Children's Health Expert Reference Group, a member of the Guidelines Leadership Group for the LEAPP guidelines, and UQ's representative on the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery.

Megan holds qualifications spanning midwifery, health sciences, education, and business administration, complemented by a PhD focused on water immersion for labour and birth. Her contributions have been recognised through numerous honours, including the 2024 South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award for Research and Innovation, Fellowship with the ACM, and as a finalist for the Midwife of the Year category at the 2025 ACM Annual Awards.

At the heart of everything Megan does is a firmly held belief that a united voice is stronger than any individual. Her work — in research, education, policy, and practice — is a sustained commitment to collective action in pursuit of better outcomes for midwives, for the profession, and most importantly, for the women, families, and communities they serve.

Melanie Francis

Melanie Francis is a dedicated and experienced midwife, completing her Graduate Diploma of Midwifery in 2016. Having worked in public and private maternity sectors in Melbourne and the Middle East, she has gained a broad range of clinical expertise. Melanie has worked as a Clinical Midwifery Educator in Melbourne, and holds a Masters of Primary Maternity Care from Griffith University. In 2024, she joined GynZone, who partners with health services and universities to enhance educational opportunities for midwives. Mel is deeply committed to empowering midwives to expand their clinical skills and advocate for their full scope of practice.

Alecia Staines

Alecia Staines is a classroom teacher, founder of Maternity Consumer Network, mother of 6, completing her HDR on Respectful Maternity Care implementation. She is been a maternity consumer representative for 15 years and is passionate about women having local maternity service access, continuity of midwifery carer and respectful maternity care. She's led some of the largest maternity advocacy campaigns in the country including the Bush Babies campaigns.

Ariane Beeston

Ariane Beeston is the Director of Clinical Content at Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) and the author of Because I’m Not Myself, You See: A memoir of motherhood, madness and coming back from the brink.

Boe Calvert

Research Midwife & Midwifery Specialist, Global Women's and Newborn's Health Group, Burnet Institute

6 CPD hours