Homebirth Australia 2025 Conference Workshops
Session |
The Ballroom |
Henry's Table |
1 |
9:00 – 11:30 Rhea Dempsey – ‘Working with pain’ to enhance birth physiology |
9:00 – 11:00 Prudence Todd - Your WOMANHOOD: A Journey into Pelvic Restoration and Soul Care |
2 |
12.00 – 2.30 Ginny Phang - Birthing in the Shadows: The Ethics and Realities of Underground Birth Work |
11.30 – 1:30 Claire Holloway – The Sustainable Birthworker: From Self-Care to Collective Care |
3 |
3.00 – 5.30 Sister MorningStar – Village Prenatal |
2.00 – 4.00 Lori-Ellen Grant - Birth Preparation with Chinese Medicine: A Five Element Approach |
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Sister MorningStar
Sister MorningStar is a Cherokee midwife and keeper of stories. She has dedicated a lifetime to the preservation of simple and sacred birth. She birthed her daughters at home and has helped thousands of other wimyn find feminine empowerment through instinctual birth.
A story teller; a preserver of the sacred feminine, of ritual, of ceremony; a sojourner in the inner life of wimyn; a wild womyn, mother, midwife and healer; a priestess of many names. |
Village PrenatalFrom the dawn of Eve, wimyn walked to the well together. In that walk, the village wimyn noticed the wombfuls. They noticed if there was a tear on the cheek, a hitch in their stride, a change in their voice, a story in their eyes. I have been witness of this wisdom way alive today in villages around the world. Why not return birth to the village? I love to gather the wimyn. I started Village Prenatals to honor, nurture, nourish, feed and create a sense of belonging and reverence for the expectant mothers in their own communities. We anoint, sing, rub feet, share positive power birth stories and use the talking stick to ask two vital questions. We create beauty and feast and listen to baby. Sometimes we do belly art. We always create a feather blessing of empowerment. We take off the professional hat and enter the circle as wimyn who cherish and care about the great transformative journey of birth. We build trust without solving problems or giving advise or false reassurance. It is a time of depth, ritual, power and sisterhood. All wombfuls are welcome wherever and however they plan to birth. The rest of us will become their handmaidens. Village Prenatal is ideally unrushed. Depending on the number of mothers, it is generally a full day. I am willing to teach by example what I can in this workshop so that every womyn can create a Village Prenatal in her own local community. I am eager to meet you! Come Running
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Rhea DempseyBirth Activist, Educator, Doula, Counsellor, Trainer, Author.
Rhea’s involvement in birth is now in it’s fifth decade. Rhea is a passionate believer in homebirth. Two of her own daughters were born at home in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and her five delightful grandchildren are also homeborn. Rhea’s understanding of birth and birth issues has deepened over the decades through supporting over a thousand births; presenting workshops and birth education, involvement in pregnancy counselling. |
‘Working with pain’ to enhance birth physiologyA workshop for midwives, doulas, birthing women and partners. We will explore the many issues arising around pain in labour.
The workshop will include information about the importance of ‘embracing and working with pain’ in labour. We will – develop practical skills for working with pain to enhance birth physiology - unpack ‘crisis of confidence’ challenges - reflect on ‘wild cards’ that may create more complex pain and birth experiences. |
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Ginny PhangGinny Phang-Davey is a household name in the birthing world, with over two decades of experience as a doula, birth educator, Ted X speaker and having attended over 1500 births.
Her belief that work is simply love made visible extends to nurturing and guiding women, their families, and those who support them, with the knowledge and guidance to create a safe and empowered birth experience for a positive start into motherhood. Ginny is the founder of the Four Trimesters Birth Sanctuary in Singapore and the creator of the Optimal Maternal Positioning program. |
Birthing in the Shadows: The Ethics and Realities of Underground Birth WorkThis workshop invites participants into one of the most politically charged and ethically complex realities of birthwork: supporting women outside legal or institutional frameworks. Between 2017 and 2022, I ran an underground birth house — not out of rebellion, but out of necessity. In a context where midwifery access was unsafe or unavailable, we created a sanctuary grounded in trust, tradition, and collaborative care between doulas, families, and a supportive OB and paediatrician.
We will also name the uncomfortable truth: the rise in freebirths, some intentional and empowered — others born from trauma, coercion, or system mistrust — has led to devastating outcomes, including increased mortality and professional risk. This is not a workshop that romanticises freebirth. Instead, it holds space for the realities that birthworkers and families face in fractured systems. We’ll explore how to navigate these grey zones with clarity, compassion, and responsibility. Participants will engage with: - Case studies from the underground birth house — including ethical dilemmas, decision-making processes, and outcomes - The rise in freebirths: unpacking the causes, consequences, and our role in responding responsibly - How to honour autonomy while safeguarding life and legal safety - Building systems of accountability without regulation: education, preparation, and informed decision-making - How to centre trust, tradition, and cultural wisdom in birthwork across all settings - Group reflection on the emotional toll, boundaries, and responsibilities when working outside the system This is a space for doulas, educators, and birthworkers who are asking brave questions: What do we do when the system fails? How do we hold autonomy and safety at once — and what becomes possible when we do? |
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Prudence ToddPrudence is an inspirational speaker and Woman Guide dedicated to empowering women in their journey through pelvic health and soul care. With a background as a Holistic Pelvic Wellness Practitioner, former Midwife, Pilates instructor, and energy healer, she brings a unique and compassionate approach to her work. Her passion lies in supporting women to deepen their connection with their bodies, embracing all stages of life—from young womanhood to birth and beyond. Through her workshops, online membership and in person healing sessions, Prudence combines her expertise and empathy to inspire women to nurture their well-being, honour their experiences, and thrive in their personal and professional lives. Prudence guides women to understand the deep importance of honour and reverence for their unique womanhood journey, and in doing so helps them access a deep portal of medicine and wisdom for their own healing. Her message to the work is: YOUR WOMANHOOD MATTERS!
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Your WOMANHOOD: A Journey into Pelvic Restoration and Soul CareThis two-hour experiential workshop invites birth workers, midwives, doulas and women in their care into a grounded, embodied journey through the physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual realms of pelvic health and soul care.
Both practical and profoundly nourishing, this offering is an invitation to return home to the wisdom of your own body while learning how to support others in doing the same. Through movement, education and guided somatic practices, we'll explore: • Pelvic floor connection and gentle release • Fascia awareness and unwinding • The relationship between posture, breath and core function • How to work with symptoms such as leaking, prolapse, back pain, numbness and disconnection • Tools to regulate the nervous system and restore pelvic vitality • Practices to build better posture, deeper pelvic awareness, and embodied presence Designed specifically for women and birth workers ready to reclaim their own pelvic wellbeing, this session honours the importance of tending to ourselves as Birth workers—recognising that how we care for our bodies shapes the depth of presence we offer in our work. You'll leave with grounded knowledge and simple, nourishing practices to reconnect to your body as a place of power, wisdom and restoration. |
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Claire HollowayClaire is the founder of the Centre of Bright Beginnings where she supports people throughout the journey of matrescence: both in-person and online. She is an experienced yoga facilitator and movement educator specialising in perinatal and pelvic health as well as a Bowen Therapist . Her perinatal and pelvic health programs are informed by her own experiences of becoming a mother and her training as a Matrescence Coach and are designed with far more than stretching in mind. She holds space for women and parents to explore their own transformative journey, feeling supported and empowered towards autonomy in their perinatal care. This year she launched two new online programs: Yoga for Homebirth and Yoga for Pelvic Health. Claire is a passionate social justice advocate committed to improving equity and accessibility of care for perinatal people and their families.
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The Sustainable Birthworker: From Self-Care to Collective CareAs perinatal professionals, we often pour so much of ourselves into our work, holding space for our clients and uplifting our communities. But what happens when the well runs dry? I believe that your self-care is not a luxury, but the very foundation of your practice. It is the beginning of a powerful chain reaction that flows through your work and creates lasting social change.
This workshop is for you if you're feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or disillusioned, and are seeking a fresh, sustainable way of being in your work. Consider this an opportunity to step aside from your professional role and work with it, rather than in it. I will guide you on a journey through three core stages:
Join me to discover how tending to your own well-being allows you to offer more profound care to every parent and birthing person you serve. |
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Lori-Ellen Grant - Birth Preparation with Chinese Medicine: A Five Element ApproachLori-Ellen is a mother, academic, and health practitioner with over twenty years’ experience in Chinese medicine. Her clinical focus spans menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, birth preparation, and postpartum care. She has supported thousands of women in preparing for birth, guiding them through every stage of their reproductive journey with empathy, clarity, and an integrative approach.
Holding a Masters in Health Science (Acupuncture) and a Masters in Applied Science (Chinese Herbal Medicine), Lorielle is also an accomplished researcher, lecturer, and birth educator. She has lectured in healthcare education both in Australia and overseas, developed courses to help women understand their birth options, published peer-reviewed research on women’s health, and mentored the next generation of practitioners. Lorielle’s approach blends her knowledge of Chinese medicine with a collaborative, realistic, and optimistic attitude. Her passion has come from drawing on the wisdom of Chinese medicine to remind women how to trust themselves, their bodies and surrender/embrace the unknown that is the journey of birthing. She currently lives in Willunga, SA, with her four children and runs a thriving Chinese medicine clinical practice alongside her husband Lez, who is also an accomplished acupuncturist. |
Practical tools for supporting body, mind, and emotions including acupressure, press needles, guasha, and tuina (Chinese massage).
The five elements are a framework used within Chinese medicine that describe a functional relationship to nature. Within each person the microcosm reflects the macrocosm. By looking outside, we see what is inside reflected and vice versa. The five elements can language our journey as one encompassing all aspects of ourselves; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As birth workers, we are often looking for effective tools to help women manage discomfort, build confidence, and support emotional wellbeing as birth approaches. This workshop equips you with accessible techniques rooted in Chinese medicine. You’ll learn how to use Chinese medicine’s Five element framework to understand the physical, mental, and emotional needs of birthing women. We’ll cover practical techniques—like acupressure, press needles, guasha (scraping), and tuina (Chinese massage) that you can apply. By integrating these tools, you’ll be able to:
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