Pregnancy Massage Australia®

Jenn Fontaine is a DONA International Birth Doula Trainer, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, a certified Lamaze Educator and accredited Lamaze Program Director based out of Winnipeg in Canada.

In 2016, Jenn was given the honour of being inducted as an FACCE (Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators), a fitting recognition of her significant contribution to childbirth education and her effort to promote safe and healthy birth through evidence-based practice. Jenn is passionate about passing along her knowledge to families and other doulas.

In Jenn’s’ presentation you will be learn about the effects sexual abuse and trauma has on the brain, pregnancy and birthing period. She will discuss the common challenges experienced by the caregiver of a sexual abuse survivor in the context of childhood sexual abuse, child maltreatment, adverse childhood events, and post traumatic growth. She will examine how sexual abuse impacts labour and birth. Special focus will be given to your role as a provider in minimising these effects throughout pregnancy and postpartum through modifying techniques and language to adapt to the sexual abuse survivor.

Her presentation is designed to provide insight and an action plan for the therapist who mindfully practices on the birthing population.

On completion of her presentation you will be able to:

• Understand the effects of sexual abuse and trauma on the brain
• Recognise the effects of childhood sexual abuse on pregnancy and the birthing period
• Create a framework on how you can support survivors as a provider
• Evaluate how we can support others when we are survivors.

Elizabeth (or Liz as she is known) is a registered midwife, registered nurse and a researcher. She is an International speaker and author on childbirth trauma and the Co-Founder of the Australasian Birth Trauma Association. Liz is also a Trustee/expert to the UK Birth Trauma Association and undertook her PhD on physical birth trauma.

Liz’s original research places her at the forefront of understanding the link between physical and psychological effects of traumatic vaginal birth damage. Her unique insight into adverse consequences of pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and bowel impairment, sexual dysfunction and PTSD after childbirth, provides a substantial contribution to the world-wide literature on birth trauma. Expertise has involved substantial work with international imaging experts, urogynaecologists and perinatal psychologists.

Notable research findings have enabled Liz to possess in-depth knowledge of birth damage attributed to a recently re-discovered pelvic floor structure, known as the levator ani muscle, that detaches from the pubic bone during complicated vaginal deliveries. Currently, she works with women, partners and clinicians to improve postnatal outcomes of this damage that, is shown to be more serious than previously realised, poorly identified and confused with the more well-known perineal tearing.

Liz’s presentation will look at what physical birth trauma is and the impact of physical birth trauma on the new mother and the father. Liz will also examine what resources health care professionals can use to provide support to women experiencing physical birth trauma.

Shannon Kane is a Registered Social Worker in Calgary, Alberta. She earned her master’s degree of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Shannon is an EMDR trained therapist, and her work is focused on using psychotherapy to support people who have experienced birth trauma, trauma across the lifespan and prenatal/postpartum mental health.

She has worked in the area of perinatal mental health and trauma for the past 12 years in settings including­­ a school for young mothers, outreach mental health, mental health clinics and she now runs a private practice called ‘Birth Narratives’ in Canada. ­­Shannon is passionate about supporting families during the childbearing years and keeps busy with her 2 young children.

Shannon will be covering the following in her presentation:

• What is psychological birth trauma?
• What does the research say about psych­ological birth trauma?
• What is the incidence of psychological birth trauma?
• What are the causes of psychological birth trauma?
• What are the signs and symptoms to look out for in psychological birth trauma?
• How does psychological birth trauma differ from depression?
• What treatment options are available for psychological birth trauma that massage therapists could refer clients to?
• Resources for massage therapists and or for therapists to pass onto their clients/patients.