autumn series

the autumn series for midwifery students, in conjunction with Sands NZ, starts on 5th May 2021

once again, we are running four weeks of webinars covering four important topics about baby loss in Aotearoa NZ

- postmortem
- perinatal hospice
- ending a wanted pregnancy  - self-care
Once again VCA and Sands NZ have collaborated to bring this series of webinars about aspects of baby loss to midwifery students throughout the motu/country. The webinars will take place on Wednesday mornings (10:30am-11:30am) and Thursday evenings (8:30pm - 9:30pm). The sessions will be led by perinatal and infant loss educator, Vicki Culling, and we'll have input from bereaved parents who are part of the Sands NZ network.

While the Summer School was free of charge (because we were testing the concept), the Autumn Series has a cost of $12.50 per session/webinar or you can register for all four at a reduced cost of $40. The series is open to midwifery students in Aotearoa NZ only. Numbers may be limited depending on the response, so please get in quick!

Please note that the 'Working with Māori Whānau' webinar has been postponed due to the availability of our presenter. We'll be including it in either the Winter Webinars or Spring Sessions that we are hoping to present later in the year.

If you have any questions, please contact Vicki on 021-776436 or vicki@vca.co.nz

more details

  • can first year midwifery students participate in the webinars?
Yes, while it would be great for first year midwifery students to have done the Summer School topics (Grief 101, What Should I Say and Not Say?, Sands Three-Point Model of Care + Making Memories, and Pregnancy after Loss) it's still appropriate that they can do these Autumn Series topics as well. They might seem intense, but baby loss is intense.

  • will the sessions be recorded so I can see them if I miss the two available Wed and Thurs sessions?
We are planning to record the sessions so those who miss them can catch up. We'll be editing the recordings so that we don't show any participants. We'll just be showing Vicki's content and the input of bereaved parents. All paying participants will have access to the recordings.

  • will Sands NZ & VCA be repeating the Summer School at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022?
Yes, we are hoping to. And we hope to have other webinars in the winter and spring. Our goal is to provide as much education as we can to students, so we contribute to the competence and compassion of midwives throughout the country.