UTS FREE Caesarean Public Lecture Sept 3-Sydney

UTSpeaks: To Push or Pull?
Do women choose or consent to caesarean delivery?

The birth of a baby is always significant in the life of a family. But now, more than ever before, communities, health professionals, midwives, women’s groups and the media have become vocal on the issue of how this should occur. As childbirth intervention rates spiral, to ‘push or pull’ has become a hotly debated question. Do we really understand what is at stake for women, infants, families, and society if current trends in surgical birth continue?

This fascinating public lecture draws on cutting-edge UTS research that explores the thoughts and experiences of women in relation to childbirth. It examines the forces at work in society today and in a fragmented and technocratic maternity system that are causing a continual rise in the rate of caesarians, as well as growing concern.

Associate Professor Jennifer Fenwick
Jennifer Fenwick is a registered midwife with over twenty-five years clinical, academic and research expertise. She has developed and implemented women-centred models of maternity care in both the public and private sector in Australia and has expertise in qualitative research design and analysis. She is well published in the area of women’s experiences of mothering in the neonatal nursery, women’s expectations for labour and birth and women’s experiences of caesarean section and VBAC. Jennifer has co-authored two books that use narrative to describe and explore the histories of nursing and midwifery in Samoa. An Associate Professor of Midwifery with the UTS Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Jennifer supervises higher degree research students and co-ordinates the Master of Midwifery by coursework program.

Introduced by
Pat Brodie, Professor of Midwifery Practice Development and Research, Sydney South West Area Health Service and UTS Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health

When
3 September 2009
6.00pm drinks for 6.30pm start
Concludes 7.45pm

Where
The Great Hall
Level 5, UTS Tower Broadway

Transport
UTS is only ten minutes walk from Central Station, Eddy Avenue and Railway Square bus stops.
Parking is available for those with a disability or special need to drive: Peter Johnson Building, Basement Car Park, 702-730 Harris St. Ultimo.

RSVP Wednesday 2 September 2009
Register attendance with Robert Button
Email: robert.button@uts.edu.au
Tel: 02 9514 1734

UTSPEAKS: is a free public lecture series presented by UTS experts discussing a range of important issues confronting contemporary Australia