Abenfo – Rio de Janerio November 2009 Frances Day-Stirk Director Learning Research & Practice Development International Office

1. Lead thinking, communication, education, research, policy/political influence and practice in relation to normal birth 2. Inspire and support normal birth practice of members with a portfolio of new services and activities 3. Build an evidence and experience base for normal birth practice Campaign aims

Why?  Bring normal birth practice to the top of the agenda  Provide useful resources, inspiration and support to midwives and women  Encourage personal and professional development, and job satisfaction  Connect with public awareness campaigns [NCT and others]

Campaign identity: Revolves around a series of characters that embrace midwives in all their diversity o Shows real midwives addressing together the big issues through conversation and thought o Uses humour to tackle tough subjects o Uses stories to engage emotions, and to highlight the themes that can make normal birth happen o Reflects a bright, up-beat mood

Campaign themes: 1. The world is changing: experiences, needs and expectations of women as consumers must be recognised 2. The biggest challenge is building confidence 3. Normal birth sells itself: we only need to be reminded 4. Evidence is important but only in context: our hearts have to be in this as well as our minds 5. Change can only happen if enough people really want it: there are barriers – attitudes, practices, organisation 6. Communication skills are key: talking with women and each other. Need to move away from polarisation 7. Stories get people talking: raise the big issues, particularly the emotional ones, and stimulate thinking

How the themes fit together

Words of midwives… Voices of midwives… Characters of midwives

Norma Olive Rachel Myriam Alice Lianne

Ten Top Tips Together, we can change the way child birth happens. o inspire and support normal birth practice o remember that good birth experiences can happen despite the challenges. o intervention and caesarean shouldn’t be shouldn’t be the first choice – they should be the last. o a policy of maximising normal birth in the context of maternal choice is safe o offers short and long term health and social benefits to mothers, children, families and communities o Such a policy is more likely to succeed if childbirth is placed within a social and family context.

Ten Top Tips 1. Wait and See 2. Build Her Nest 3. Get her off the bed 4. Justify intervention 5. Listen to her 6. Keep a diary 7. Trust your intuition 8. Be a role model 9. Give constant positive reassurance 10. Birth to abdomen- skin to skin

Acknowledgements RCM would like to thank all the mothers and babies, midwives and photographers, who provided images for this presentation. Nancy Durrell – McKenna Photographer Helen Shallow Consultant Midwife, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Sheena Byrom Consultant Midwide, Royal Blackburn Hospital Margaret Hill Home Birth Midwife, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust UNICEF Maharashtra and BPNI Maharashtra

The Campaign asks people to sign up to o that a majority of women are able to give birth normally; o that normal birth offers the greatest benefits to women and babies, where it is achievable and appropriate; o that a policy of maximising the number of normal births is safe and socially desirable; o that midwives, as expert professionals in normal birth, are best placed to provide care and support to women giving birth normally; o that unless midwives’ skill and expertise in normal birth is properly valued and used the skills and expertise will be lost.

Why start with midwives? You must be the change you wish to see in the world Ghandi If you want to make the place a better place take a look at yourself and make a change Michael Jackson (Man in the mirror)

The vision Midwives interested and confident to practice and support normal birth Improved birth experiences for women and midwives Increased rates of normal birth

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. It is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

RCM welcomes ABENFO