We are so excited to bring this masterclass to the families of Brisbane, jam packed with quality information on the hot topics when preparing for birth and the postpartum period.

What do I need to know about birthing my baby? Is there more I need to know other than the theory and anatomy of labour and birth? What can I do to make my birth a positive and welcoming experience for me, my baby and my family?

Session 1 - Preparing for Labour
Caitlin Dyer (Mother Down Under) a postpartum doula and hypnobirthing educator

• Informed consent
• Using the BRAIN acronym to get information and make decisions with your care providers during pregnancy, labour and postpartum
• writing your birth plan
• How dads can help

Session 2 - Creating a positive birth environment
Janet Purcell (Birthplace) a registered nurse and birth environment expert

• The simple yet effective steps to creating a positive birth environment

Morning Tea

Session 3 - Pain Relief Options
Corinne Mawn - Birth Centre Midwife

• Pain Relief Options in labour
• Hypnobirthing demonstration
• What role dads play

Session 4 - How to care for your postpartum body and mind
Christine Percy (Go Mum! Group Fitness) a pregnancy and postnatal fitness trainer

• Create your own postpartum care plan
• Healing nutrition
• Healing the postpartum body with exercise
• What rest really looks like
• How dads can help

Panel Session

• Ask our panel a question
• Our panel session will include our guest speakers along with a birth centre dad

Light Lunch

Our speakers include:
Caitlin Dyer (Mother Down Under) a postpartum doula and hypnobirthing educator. 
Janet Purcell (Birthplace) a registered nurse and birth environment expert.
Corinne Mawn - Birth Centre Midwife
Christine Percy (Go Mum! Group Fitness) a pregnancy and postnatal fitness trainer.

​

Where:            Arana Hills Church of Christ
                           2 Bringelly Street, Arana Hills
                           Downstairs Hall - look for FBC Banner
When:             Saturday 2 June, 2018.
                           9:30-12:30
Inclusions:     

• Goodies bag
• Lucky door entry
• Handouts and worksheets
• Morning Tea and Light Lunch

Cost:               $20 per person or $30 per couple
Bring:             Chairs are ergonomic but a cushion might be nice for pregnant mums. 
Please advise of any dietary requirements by emailing info@fbc.org.au when booking. 

Our final antenatal information evening for 2017 is on the topic of Child Safety. 
Do you have questions about safe sleeping. Maybe your little one is now on the move and you need to baby proof the house? 

Kidsafe will talk to us about safety in the home, car and out and about. They have pretty much seen it all so come and pick their brains and get their top tips for keeping kids safe. 

The Baby Wearing Practice will also be there to share the advantages of baby wearing as well as show us the safest way to carry our children in a carrier. They will also be able to answer questions on the best type of carrier for your family. 

All attendees receive a free Bao Bag with goodies and info. 
Bring a gold coin donation and enjoy some supper.
Lucky door prizes and a raffle will also take place on the night. 

Thursday 30 November
6:30pm - 8:30pm
​Chermside Library Meeting Rooms

​Our free information evenings continue with the popular topic of Preparing For Birth. 
We have 3 expert guest speakers lined up that will provide practical information on:

• Cheryl Sheriff from Ideal Birth and author of "Stork Talk" will talk about building your support network, and how to achieve your ideal birth in a hospital environment
• Suzanne Swan, Owner of Yogababy and certified Calmbirth Practitioner will talk about natural pain management techniques for labour
• Christine Percy, Head Trainer at Go Mum! Group Fitness will provide an overview of what exercises you can do in pregnancy to help prepare for labour and early motherhood

More reasons why you won't want to miss this free event:

• Every family receives a free Bao Bag containing information and freebies for new parents.
• Pick up discounted tickets for our Mega Mid Year Raffle. Checkout the prizes or buy your online tickets here
• Lucky door prizes
• Delicious supper provided for gold coin donation

RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW
Our mega mid-year raffle is now on! Funds raised will be used to purchase much needed resources for the Birth Centre such as books for the parent library and birthing aids. If you have had a wonderful experience at the Birth Centre or wish to support maternity choices for women, then please support us by purchasing some raffle tickets or becoming a Friend.
​Prizes include:

1. Kate Veronica Photography Package valued at $650
2. Doula Support Package from The Holding Space (Valued at up to $500)
3. Five Classes at Preggi Bellies (Valued at $125)
4. Embella Blossom Nappy Cake (Valued at $54.95)
5. Norwex kids pack (Valued at $51)

Raffle will be drawn at 1:00pm on Monday 19 June 2017. Winner will be notified by phone (if purchased at the PBC Expo/FBC Antenatal Info Night) or email (if purchased online).
GRAB YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS NOW
Please support those businesses that have supported this event:
Go Mum! Group Fitness: www.gomumgroupfitness.com.au
Ideal Birth: www.idealbirth.com.au
Calmbirth Brisbane: http://www.calmbirthbrisbane.com.au/about-suzanne/

Each of us come to the Friends Of The Birth Centre after a life changing event which changes how we see ourselves and prioritise our lives. In the months after having your baby you process your birth experience, discover the human limit of sleep deprivation only to push beyond it, read endless pages of conflicting advice, celebrate with friends and family and quietly weep at the struggle and angst of such profound responsibility. In this turbulent time you may feel energised and impassioned to make a difference (other than creating a brand new human being) and that’s when we want to pounce!

You see we have a not so hidden agenda, we want you to join our organisation and share in the many rewarding and sometimes tedious tasks which allow us to keep supporting and spreading the vital message that non invasive continuity of care in birth is available for FREE! Why aren’t there queues of mothers outside the Birth Centre?! We need a marching band!

• tell us your skills and we’ll give you something to do!
• or say what you want to do and we’ll say ‘Hooray!” and let you do it!
• maintain work related competencies and relevant experience while looking noble and altruistic by volunteering
• hang out with fun, relaxed (unless the baby has got it’s own nappy off again) and friendly parents
• make a profound difference for the mothers of Brisbane

If you have an hour or two spare (not any more!) and want to help us where you can please email info@fbc.com.au with what you’d like to do or tell us your skills. Some ideas are: Pregnancy Expo Co-Ordinator Assistant, Librarian, Morning TeaCo-Ordinator, Facebook Manager, Cake Stall and Sausage Sizzle Co-Ordinator (Fundraising Co-Ordinator), Consumer Reps, Marketing, Blog Writers, Website Helpers, Vice President or Vice Treasurer!

We can’t wait to hear from you.

​Here goes!

• Vanessa Gibson from Mums in the Mix was our MC for the day.
• Tanya Love from Tanya Love Photography took all of the amazing photos of the event, and also donated a Raffle Prize to the value of $1500
• Brendan from Beats Bus Productions (Interactive Workshops)
• Dr Sarah Buckley, one of our Guest Speakers. Sarah also donated a Lucky Door Prize
• Cas McCullough, another one of our Guest Speakers. Cas also donated a Lucky Door Prize
• Joe from Y Marketing created the wonderful video that you can now view on our website showcasing the journey so far of the Birth Centre and FBC. You can contact him on Twitter at @YMarketingGuy or call him on 0417 405 665
   
• Victoria from Suze Wild Design was our wonderful face painter.
• Holly Allen from Sensory Play Stations
• Amanda and the team from Cosplay Heroes
• Lesley Hooper provided our fabulous cake.
• Nate and Steph from Uni-Dart Trophies
• Matthew from Endota Day Spa kindly donated several Spa packages for our lucky competition winners.
• Tiffany from Tab Graphics created the beautiful graphics you saw advertising the event.

 

We would also like to thank our Stall holders for participating:

• Eligible Private Practice Midwives
• Australian Breast Feeding Association
• GO Mum Fitness (who also donated a raffle prize to the value of $100)
• Sue Pini - Doterra Oils

 

We are also immensely grateful to Di Farmer, who attended as the representative for the Premier and Minister for Women.
 

And I am sure you would all agree that a MASSIVE thank you is due to ALL of the amazing Midwives who came on the day.
 

It made the event that much more special to be able to share it with the wonderful women who are so much a part of our birth stories.
 

Thank you again to all who were involved (we hope we haven't missed anyone!), and we hope you all enjoyed the day as much as we did!

Are you looking for a way to help serve your community? Would it be a bonus if you could get paid for it?
Health Consumers Queensland (HCQ) is committed to allowing women to use their voice and provide community & consumer perspectives on topics that affect our community.
As women, and mothers within our community, it is easy to get caught up in the busy nature of our day to day lives, as we try and juggle home and work responsibilities, as well as taking the time to enjoy our family and social life.
It is however, our ability and experience juggling all of these roles, that makes us uniquely qualified to provide important insights and opinions on topics that affect our community.

HCQ are currently seeking expressions of interest from Metro North Hospital and Health Service (MNHHS) for two representatives for two different committees.

• Metro North Women’s & Children’s Stream Steering Committee (2 representatives)
• RBWH Women and Newborns Service Line Executive Group (SEG) (2 representatives)

 All roles will be considered for Tier 1 Level Payment, as per the MNHHS policy, with expenses reimbursed.

Health consumers and community members who would like to express interest in joining this committee need to:

•  Register as a member of HCQ's Consumer Network. If you are not already a member you can fill in this form and return it to info@hcq.org.au
•  Email a completed Expression of Interest form to info@hcq.org.au  by 5pm, Fri 27 March 2015.

Download the forms below:
Expression of Interest: Metro North Women’s & Children’s Stream Steering Committee
Expression of Interest: RBWH Women and Newborns Service Line Executive Group (SEG)


 If you have any further questions about these positions please contact Melissa on 07 3316 2917 or melissa.fox@hcq.org.au

Are you looking for an opportunity to showcase your skills in a way that allows you to give back to the community?
Imagine doing this, as well as meeting and working with some amazing women at the same time!
Sounds great, right? We would love for you to join us at our AGM later this month and show you how you can do exactly that!
An opportunity exists for you to help set the direction of Friends of the Birth Centre for 2015, and be a part of helping to create events such as the 20th Birthday party of our wonderful Birth Centre.
There are so many ways that you can help, from cake stalls, helping out at the Pregnancy, Babies & Children's expo, advertising, contributing your voice to our online magazine, and so much more!
Any contributions are welcome, whether large or small, and we encourage as many of you as possible to come and join in the discussion.
So come and see us on January 31st and find out how you can help!
Let's get ready for a fantastic 2015 for Friends of the Birth Centre!

It is well documented that traditionally women's work such as nursing, midwifery, teaching, child care, and mothering is undervalued, and has traditionally been described as “instinctive” rather than something that can be learned and something that is worthy as a profession (i). We see the impact on a daily basis: from the stay-at-home mum who has to face the “what do you do all day?” questions, to ridicule of fathers who take time away from careers to care for their children. We see it in the poverty of those caring full-time for a family member (ii), even though their dedication and love may save us (as a society) money by keeping people out of costly institutions. We see it in the low pay of those in both aged care (iii) and child care (iv).
One family friend was surprised when I reacted because he summarised my role as emptying bed pans. The fact that I am a professional in Intensive Care, who spends my time monitoring changes in my patient, assessing, prioritising and acting decisively to ensure the best possible outcomes for my patient's physical and emotional well-being, providing care for them and their family and liaising other skilled professionals such as the ICU doctors, medical speciality teams, social workers, physiotherapists, dieticians, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, cultural liaison officers.... You get the picture.

Firstly my day starts providing a breakfast that promotes nutrition by including protein, complex carbohydrates, fibre and essential fats. I also encourage a healthy attitude towards food and work to prevent future problems with obesity by not pressuring him to eat more that he wants. I then aid him with his elimination needs to sit on the toilet. As he likes to have a book read to him while he poos, it also aids his language skills, increases his vocabulary, and may even assist him with dispute management! Then we ensure regular hygiene by wiping bottom, washing hands, washing face and brushing teeth, which (depending on mood) may initially be met with reluctance that is generally overcome with diversional acitivity, such as “look at the soapy bubbles” or “where are your big dinosaur teeth”. I then try to ensure optimal temperature regulation by trying to convince him to wear clothes, which also doubles as a good form of exercise for both of us as I have to chase his naked bottom all around the house.
Some time at the park may be described as health promotion (wearing sun protection), and increasing gross motor skills, strength and exercise tolerance. That beetle we find on a tree initiates an age-appropriate science lesson, along with the discussion about the solar system (or why we can't see the moon and stars during the day), promoting natural curiosity and learning. Some snacks at the park help to stabilise glycaemic levels, promoting further activity, growth and metabolism, along with emotional stability.
We have the encouragement of social skills as we negotiate turns on the swing with other children. Then we also have the emotional support and counselling required as having to leave the sandpit and go back home for lunch is clearly a traumatic moment. I aid his emotional processes and allow him to work through his grief to the best of my ability, and promote skin integrity by removing him from his very sandy clothes.
He's fallen asleep in the car, and I manage to transfer him to the bed without waking him (hurrah!) promoting his rest, recuperation and growth. I then use this moment to have an uninterrupted cup of tea (double hurrah!) and plan a nutritionally optimal lunch, after which we practice fine motor coordination skills with drawing and basic counting skills by building blocks. We then promote the development of imaginary play (and future intellectual development) as he plays with his toy oven and makes me “cups of tea”. Social development and emotional attachment is further aided by the arrival home of my husband (Daddy, my Daddy!), and also allows me to throw together a meal that hopefully,  will allow optimal growth and sleep-producing hormones. Well, we can but hope.
This is not to say that anything I do is out of the ordinary, only that the role of parents is not generally articulated. This is has all been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but sometimes putting words to what we do allows us to recognise its value. The work of all mums and dads who are looking after their children the best way they know how is important beyond measure, it's never “just” being a mum or a dad. So congratulate yourself, and recognise the the importance of you. For you are a warrior in the soft art of caring, and to a little someone, you may just be their world.

An opportunity to encourage awareness and support for women whose birth experiences, either by necessity or informed choice, brought their beautiful children into the world as 'belly-born" babes.
It is a chance to celebrate ALL birth experiences, and to highlight the vast range of emotions that accompany a Caesarean birth, which can often be misrepresented as the 'easy' option.
To celebrate, I am sharing the story of my daughter's Caesarean birth, and I encourage any of you who have also had a Caesarean birth to share your experiences - either below in the comments, or by sending us your story to feature on the website.
We are all Birth Centre Mums - regardless of whether we birthed in Birth Centre, or our personal circumstances meant our journey included a Caesarean birth, we all have benefited from the fantastic Continuity of Care model, and Midwife support that makes the Birth Centre the amazing facility that it is!

I fell pregnant for the first time a few months shy of my 34th birthday. Due to some ongoing health conditions concerning my thyroid and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, we were not actively trying for a baby, rather we were aware that pregnancy may indeed not come easily for us when we did decide to enter the 'trying to conceive' phase of our lives. So, safe to say, finding out we were expecting was a surprise, but a very welcome one.
 

Once the news sank in, we were both incredibly excited and happy about what was to come, but my anxious mind immediately went into overdrive trying to process what this meant in terms how my health would affect the pregnancy.

My pregnancy progressed relatively uneventfully, and my mind was put at ease when blood tests showed that my thyroid levels were remaining consistent, which meant not only was my baby developing well, but my general health was good as well. 

After researching all of my options for my Pregnancy Model of Care, Josh and I decided on giving birth in the Birth Centre, and after a tense wait of first seeing if we were successful in securing a place in the Birth Centre through the ballot (we were!!), I then had to wait and see if my obstetrician would sign off on my acceptance, wiht Birth Centre only able to accept low-risk pregnancies (my thyroid and PCOS issues could have me considered as high risk). Thankfully, after passing TWO 3 hour glucose tests with flying colours (not the most enjoyable part of the pregnancy, that bright green drink is the worst!!) I was accepted into the Birth Centre and met my wonderful midwives Annie, Corinne and Tania. 

The middle part of my pregnancy flew by. I was doing a lot of research and reading regarding Hypnobirthing techniques and principles and was eagerly awaiting the moment I would welcome our baby into the world. 

I wanted to try for a natural, drug-free birth, in a calm and relaxed environment with my partner, and trusted midwife by my side, and I was hopeful that with being in the Birth Centre, and armed with my Hypnobirthing techniques and knowledge, that this would be my experience. 
​
Josh and I spoke many times however, that it was important that we be flexible in our expectations for the birth, and our birth plan, and that our ultimate priority would be to bring our baby into the world safely and healthy. 

At 20 weeks, along with finding out we were being blessed with a healthy baby girl, our anatomy scan showed that she was comfortably settled in breech position, and that her head measurement was on the larger end of the scale. None of this raised any red flags for us, or my midwives at the time, and I happily marched towards my third trimester.

One of the benefits of the Birth Centre model of care, and one of my key motivators for wanting to birth in that environment was the continuity of care aspect. I had gotten to know my midwife team extremely well, and they informed and supported me as a first-time mother. I trusted them implicitly and felt incredibly comfortable with them and looked forward to our 'catch ups' at my appointments.

When I reached 32 weeks, it was recommended that I have additional ultrasounds to check the position of the baby, as she was still in breech position, with her head tucked up near my ribs, and facing towards my back. Scans at 34 weeks showed she was still comfortably tucked up in the same position, and measurements showed that her head circumference was still measuring big. This raised some concerns for a natural birth, with regards to the potential risk of her getting 'stuck' in the birth canal as she would be coming feet first, and her head measurement being what it was.
 

My midwives were incredibly supportive, and discussed all of my options with me, but the possibility of Caesarean was raised should my baby not turn into the correct position before birth. A Caesarean was something I wanted to avoid, as I truly wanted to experience labour and birth, and also, the idea of surgery just didn't sit well with me. My midwives guided me with information and suggestions including particular exercises to encourage her to move into position, chinese acupuncture and many other natural methods to encourage movement, all to no avail. 

Despite all of this, there was the reminder of the additional consideration of our baby's head size - whilst in proportion, the size of the head posed a higher risk to me attempting birth naturally. Knowing my hesitation and concerns regarding a C-section, my midwives advocated for me with the obstetricians who were recommending a scheduled c-section, trying for as long as possible to hold out on a final decision to give my baby time to turn herself. 

I cannot speak highly enough of my midwives, who were strongly advocating on my behalf for me to stay in the Birth Centre and try for my natural birth, but they were also ensuring I had all of the necessary information on the process for the c-section and were preparing me emotionally for the possibility that this would be my outcome. 

At 37 weeks and 5 days, a scan showed my baby was still in breech position and the decision was made - a scheduled c-section was the answer, to avoid the risk of me going into spontaneous labour and risking an emergency caesarean.

The day our daughter was born was hands down, the single most wonderful day of my life. Despite my apprehension regarding the surgery, I was able to mostly focus on the fact that by lunchtime, we would have our baby girl safely in our arms. Josh and I arrived at the hospital at 6:30am, and after the checking in process, and some final ultrasounds and blood pressure checks etc, we were sitting in a waiting room, both in hospital gowns, waiting to be called in to the Anaesthesia room. Knowing that the epidural being put in was something I was super nervous about, Josh sat in front of me, holding my hands and looking into my eyes and telling me we would be meeting our girl soon, and before I knew it, the epidural was done! Hurdle one cleared, and I had survived! 

The atmosphere in the operating theatre was so happy and positive - not what I had expected at all. Everyone was smiling and talking, and before I knew it, the surgery was started. Josh sat next to me, and because he could see the reflection of the surgery in the lights above me, he was giving me his own humorous description and 'commentary' of what was happening, in an effort to lighten the mood. As a result, we were both smiling, and laughing a lot, as were my midwife Tania and the nurses. A couple of minutes later though, the expression on Josh's face changed dramatically, and he was wide-eyed and serious - "She's here! She's here!" he called out, and his face broke into the biggest smile I have ever seen, just as I heard my daughter's cry for the first time, and they lifted her over the curtain for us to see. Josh kissed me and followed the midwife as they took our girl over to be checked over and weighed. 

Our precious girl Milla had arrived, and we both could not be happier.

 After all of my fear and apprehension regarding the c-section, and the disappointment of not having the natural birth I had so badly wanted, the reality of how Milla was born was actually incredibly positive. I had Josh, and one of my fabulous midwives Tania, with me, Milla entered the world to the sound of her Dad and I laughing, and I spent 45 glorious minutes in the recovery room after surgery, enjoying skin to skin contact with my daughter, and breastfeeding her for the first time - after I had to practically wrestle her out of her Daddy's arms because he didn't want to give her up! :)
 

My physical recovery was quick and relatively pain and complication-free, and we were surrounded by so many loving family and friends eager to meet and hug our baby girl.
 

I know I am lucky. Lucky to have been blessed with a healthy pregnancy, and the opportunity to be a Mum. I am lucky that I was supported through the challenges of my pregnancy and birth by my boyfriend, family, friends and midwives. And I am incredibly lucky and thankful that by having the c-section, we were able to bring Milla into the world safely, and not risk harm to her or myself. 

But in those first weeks of motherhood, and even those first six months after, I experienced so many varying emotions regarding the caesarean. I felt cheated out of experiencing labour. My water didn't break, I didn't have a single contraction. None of the things that you associate with giving birth. I felt guilt that I should have fought harder to wait just a little bit longer to see if she changed positions on her own before scheduling the ceasarean. I felt like I have failed. Failed my daughter and failed myself by not being able to do something that we are told our bodies are made to do. In these moments I let myself simply feel the emotion - I cried, I wrote to get my feelings out, whatever it took, because my feelings are valid. It is natural to feel this way. Even now, as we prepare to celebrate our little girl's first birthday, I still have moments where I feel a flood of emotion regarding her birth. 

But ultimately, what I keep telling myself is that I wasn't cheated. I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I don't need to feel guilty - I did all that I could to encourage her to change positions, I could do no more. And I tell myself that I DID NOT fail - we told ourselves at the start of the pregnancy that we would do whatever we needed to do to ensure she arrived safely, and that is exactly what we did.

To help me deal with these feelings, I attended a morning tea held by the Friends of the Birth Centre. It was a turning point for me. 

The support I have received from this group, and being able to talk with other Mum's about their birth experiences has helped me immensely. Ultimately, I am a work in progress. When I think back on the day my daughter was born, the day I became a Mum, my overwhelming feelings and memories are those of happiness, joy, and more love than I thought possible. The way I felt is natural, and like all things, time and having the support of family and friends was what helped me to experience and validate what I was feeling, but also to realise that, in its own way, a Caesarean birth is just as beautiful and emotional an experience as an other birth.
 
The birth experience is different for every Mother and Child. Every pregnancy and every birth are unique, and most importantly, there is no right or wrong way to do this. The story of how Milla was born is our special story, and it is an experience I will be forever grateful for, as it is what made me "Mummy", and brought this wonderful little girl into our world.