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'Birth Behind Bars ~ Lamaze childbirth education & doula support for incarcerated women' |
Saturday 2pm |
Incarceration of Australian Women has increased by 75% over the last decade, with one third of these women Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians. In 2019, almost 1 in 50 women entering the prison system did so pregnant and therefore likely to give birth during her sentence. The challenge faced by incarcerated pregnant women is clear. These women may never have experienced feelings of empowerment. However, birth is transformative. It is a rite of passage in a woman’s life. By partnering with key stakeholders in both government and not-for-profit sectors, Lamaze Australia aims to create a culture where our female prisoners give birth to their child whilst feeling truly empowered that they did so from a place of knowledge and confidence. Birth is transformative for mothers. Given the right support, the physiological and emotional bond a mother creates with her child during birth can provide an unprecedented opportunity for purpose and reform.
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About Tanya Cawthorne, LCCE FACCETanya is the co-founder of Lamaze Australia, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE), doula, doula trainer and a Fellow of the Association of Certified Childbirth Educators (FACCE). Tanya is currently serving as the President Elect of Lamaze International and the first non-North American to serve on the Board of Directors in Lamaze’s 60-year history. Tanya also oversees Lamaze childbirth educator training in Australia, having trained almost 100 people to date.
She is a passionate advocate for evidence-based, woman-centred maternity care and is a prolific writer on all things related to birth and early parenting. Her articles have appeared in The Journal of Perinatal Education, Australian Midwifery News, Connecting the Dots (blog of Lamaze International), Interaction – the journal of the Childbirth and Parenting Educators Association of Australia (CAPEA), International Doula (magazine of DONA International) and Rockstar Birth Magazine. Connect with Tanya e: tanya@lamazeaustralia.com www.lamazeaustralia.com |
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Lesley Pascuzzi BSC, MSC, DIP, LCCE
Lesley Pascuzzi is a native of Scotland, U.K. She attended the Universities of Stirling and Dundee where she earned her BSc and MSc respectively in Psychology and Applied
Psychology in Adult Mental Health. During a 5-year career, Lesley worked clinically within the NHS (Scotland) providing diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of mental health problems including addiction, anger management, depression, post traumatic stress and obsessional compulsive disorders. Lesley studied to become a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in 2017 after having had her own children and later became the stakeholder representative of the Lamaze Australia B.E.A.R Program for Western Australia in 2020. She works independently as a childbirth educator and currently serves as a maternity services consumer advocate within South Metro Health Services. Lesley holds a specialist interest in the area of vulnerability and the psychological aspects of labour and birth. Lesley is married and the mother to three brilliant children Gianluca, Mattia and Juliette. |
In support of charity partner:
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Birth for Humankind is a Victorian-based organisation striving for equitable maternal health and wellbeing for all. We work to achieve this by providing and advocating for respectful pregnancy, birth and early parenting support for women experiencing social and financial disadvantage.
Evidence demonstrates that women experiencing social and financial disadvantage benefit the most from doula support but have the least access to it. Central to our organisation are the amazing volunteer doulas who help deliver our free specialist pregnancy, birth and postnatal support programs. Programs which have a life-changing impact. Mothers and babies thrive when they feel safe and support and all our clients report an increase in confidence and preparedness for birth and parenting. |
