Zoe Bradfield - Midwives Experiences of Being ‘With Woman’ – Why Professional Philosophy Matters

Dr Zoe Bradfield is a midwifery academic and research fellow with a joint appointment between Curtin University and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Western Australia. She has more than 20 years' clinical and leadership experience working in rural and metropolitan health settings. Zoe is the current Vice President of the Australian College of Midwives. Zoe is also a Co-Director of the Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative, bringing together key national and international stakeholders with the goal of improving care for women and their families.





Hazel Keedle - The Midwives Role is Promoting & Supporting VBAC

Hazel is a Lecturer of Midwifery and has completed her PhD in 2021 in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Hazel has more than two decades of experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, educator and researcher. Her research focusses on midwifery practice/education and women’s experience of maternity care. Hazel’s passion for vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) followed her own experience of having a VBAC with her daughter in 2008 and since then has published research on women's experience of having a VBAC at home and on her PhD work exploring women’s experiences of planning a VBAC in Australia. Hazel is passionate about improving support for women during pregnancy, birth and the early transition to mothering.

In this presentation Hazel will explore the midwife's role in supporting women planning a VBAC using the four factors of control, confidence, relationship and active labour. Midwives will learn tools and strategies that can be used to increase their confidence and effectiveness when for supporting and championing VBAC.