

We are excited to announce the Respectful Maternity Care Conference, to be held on 6-7 March 2026 in Brisbane, Australia.
This exciting event is an Australian first, and we look forward to welcoming maternity staff, researchers and consumers from across the country.
Venue: Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Education Centre
Conference Themes:
Day 1: First Nations/Migrant/CALD Communities and Racism in Maternity Care
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Culturally Competent Care Practices: How organisations have adapted their protocols and practices to better serve First Nations, migrant and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities within maternity services.
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Improving outcomes for First Nations and Migrant women and families: Research, case studies, posters or workshops demonstrating effective strategies for combating racism and discrimination in healthcare.
Day 2: Broadening the Scope of Respectful Maternity Care
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Informed Consent and RMC: Exploration of policies, education, or advocacy efforts aimed at eliminating obstetric violence and enhancing informed consent practices.
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Understanding and Preventing Birth Trauma: Insights into the causes of birth trauma with a focus on preventative measures and therapeutic responses.
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Program Implementation for Broader Impact: How organizations have successfully implemented policies or programs addressing day 2 topics, including lessons learned and measurable improvements to respectful maternity care.
Ticket prices
Two-day attendance $500
Single day tickets now available:

- Sat, Mar 07RBWH Education Centre - Seminar Room

Sat, Mar 07RBWH Education Centre - Seminar Room
DAY 2 Understanding and Preventing Birth Trauma: Insights into the causes of birth trauma with a focSat, Mar 07RBWH Education Centre - Seminar Room- Sat, Mar 07RBWH Education Centre - Seminar Room

Fri, Mar 06RBWH Education Centre - Seminar Room

Presenter topics:
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Dr Karen Joash: The Science of Equity: Culturally Competent Care and Anti-Racism Innovations in Maternity Health
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Shadow Toke: Trauma-informed and culturally safe maternity care from the perspectives of those providing and receiving maternity care
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Workshop Carly Anderson: Mindful Florals for Clinicians: A Reflective Lunchtime Workshop
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Martha Isela Vázquez Corona: Migrant mums & maternity care: A qualitative participatory health research study
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Prof Nayana Parange: Reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity through Point-of-Care Ultrasound using culturally responsive approaches for respectful maternity care in rural areas
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Workshop Kelli Zakharoff: Understanding and Preventing Birth Trauma: Insights into the causes of birth trauma with a focus on preventative measures and therapeutic responses
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Workshop Rebecca Black & Jane Brincat : Matrescence Informed Care: Bridging Interdisciplinary Models to Provide Women-Centred Maternity Care and Improve Health Outcomes
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Prof Julie Jomeen - Framework for preventing birth trauma
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Lucy Frankham: Helping Mental Health Professionals to Reframe Birth Trauma Prevention and Intervention using the Integrated Theory of Birth Trauma
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Carla Anderson: Integrating psychological skills into perinatal healthcare for medical perinatal clinicians
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Isabelle Oderberg: Respectful care through early pregnancy loss (pre-recorded)
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Kym Yuke: Birthing on Country SISTABIRTH
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Martine Chait: Respectful care through stillbirth - a lived experience perspective
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Kelley Lennon: ACM Chief Midwife
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Bridget Roache: Respectful Breastfeeding Support: Advancing Human Rights through Shared Decision-Making, Rights-Based and Trauma-Informed Care
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Dr Kirsten Small: Unconsented CTG use in labour: What is the problem and what do we do now?
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Helen Rogers: Advancing Equitable Perinatal Care - an evaluation of the Cross Cultural Worker Service in Sydney
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Jane Brincat/Hollie Swanton/Fiona Ellory/Rachel Howe: Occupational therapists can do that? Collaborating to improve respectful maternity care
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Stephen Kennedy: Dad’s role in Respectful Maternity Care
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Kelly Haynes: Navigating maternity care: A systematic review of barriers and enablers for migrant and refugee women
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Elysse Prussing and Alecia Staines: Nothing about us without us- maternity consumers voice in research
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Workshop Wendy Fry & Dr Stephen Tucker- Cultural Change for Respectful Maternity Care
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Nisha Khot- Informed Birth
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Dr Elizabeth Martin: Implementing patient-reported outcome and experience measures in maternity services
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Christine Marie Doolan & Yordanka Berg Blanc: Ampe-kenhe Ahelhe (Children’s Ground) Maternal Child Health team model. A 25-year approach

Important dates:
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Early bird ticket sales up to 31st Dec 2025
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Conference Dates: 6-7 March 2026
For further information, please contact us at management@maternityconsumernetwork.org.au
