Alecia Staines - Podcast Details

Shows

The Good Enough Mother103. How to Dismantle Patriarchal Motherhood? 8 ReflectionsThe Motherhood Studies Certification 2024 is currently open for early enrolment, and in the context of launching next year's round of the course, I'm reflecting on some of the ways I think we can start to dismantle patriarchal motherhood that focuses on systems rather than individuals. I share some thoughts and reflections on what some structural and social changes could look like, ranging from areas including postpartum care, maternal mental health, economic policy, sex-based role stereotypes, and more. I also speak to the complexities of advocating for societal system change and the importance of remaining open minded, curious, humble, and keeping...2023-10-1734 min

The Good Enough Mother98. Birth, Trauma, and Maternity Reform: Alecia Staines on Her Decade of Advocacy*Please note that this podcast discusses obstetric violence, rape, and trauma. ** If you would like to lodge a submission to the Birth Trauma Inquiry via The Maternity Consumer Network, head here: https://form.jotform.com/231841360678864 To lodge directly, head here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/lodge-a-submission.aspx?pk=2965 . . . Alecia Staines is a passionate advocate for improving the maternity care system and has been working in this space of political advocacy for a decade. She is also a classroom teacher, childbirth educator, yoga teacher, founder of Maternal Consumer Network, and mother of 5. In this conversation Alecia provides...2023-08-0353 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 31 birth trauma with Dr Heather MattnerDr Heather Mattner, psychologist and midwife, joins me to discuss birth trauma. Studies suggest one third of women experience birth trauma. In the current maternity system, she believes 100% of birthing women are experiencing birth trauma. We discuss symptoms, prevention, the overall maternity system, previous trauma's impact on birth trauma and what women and the system can do to reduce birth trauma. Heather says: Birth trauma is preventable harm. And, birth trauma does not favour/disfavour any women regardless of age, culture, spirituality, religion, parity, gestation, intellectualism, status etc etc. That in itself is probably evidence enough to say it...2022-01-2238 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 30 Gestational Diabetes, induction, childbirth as a rite of passage, birth trauma with Dr Rachel ReedIn this episode, Dr Rachel Reed and I, discuss the all too common "diagnosis" of Gestational Diabetes, and how this affects a woman's treatment pathway, often leading to induction, women being treated as a source of risk for their baby, and the cascade of intervention. Rachel explains how so many women have come to be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, why else we're seeing so many women having an induction of labour, medical risk, and birth trauma. We discuss the ceremonial practice of birth, the "identity crisis" midwives are currently going through, and why birth is the forgotten feminist issue. 2021-12-1436 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 29 Perineal Tear Bundle and Episiotomy w/ midwife and researcher Nigel LeeMidwife and researcher, Nigel Lee, joins me to talk about the Perineal Tear Bundle (bungle?!) that was rolled out in Australian hospitals a few years ago, in a feeble attempt to reduce the incidence of 3rd and 4th degree perineal tears. It consisted of 5 different practices applied to women during birth, in an attempt to reduce 3rd of 4th degree tears. These tears extend to include the muscles around the anus (3rd degree) or into the anal passage (4th degree). We discuss what the evidence says, the issues with most of the elements of the bundle, consent, the rise...2021-11-2944 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 28 with Jolene Hutchings- the link between previous trauma and birth trauma.Jolene specialises in trauma as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. She shares how trauma effects our body, and how previous trauma can impact birth. Various studies over the years have shown how women who've experienced trauma are more likely to experience birth trauma, but it's never been described in detail; how trauma impacts the body and our births. I invited Jolene on to explain why this link occurs, how a part of the brain called the Amygdala overrides the prefrontal cortex (logical part of our brain) to ensure we survive. Jolene describes how trauma isn't stored in our mind...2021-10-1659 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 27 Rachael Austin- Rural birthing and the Bush Baby media campaignAlthough Rachael and I have never spoken on the phone or via Zoom before, we worked closely together during the 2018-2020 Bush Baby Media Campaign. It was the largest maternity campaign the country has ever seen- at least 8 Front Page stories, National morning TV, nightly news, The Project and international interest. It was an national award-nominated media campaign. As a result of this campaign, Queensland created a Rural Maternity Taskforce and subsequent report to ensure some sustainability of our rural maternity services. In this episode, we discuss what the evidence says for rural births, what were the results of...2021-09-1435 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 26 Jodie Miller- her journey in birth activism and authoring "What Does It Feel Like Being Born?"Jodie shares her journey to receiving care in a Birth Centre in Brisbane, her journey into advocacy and some of the amazing campaigns she helped create to improve access to the Birth Centre. We also discuss the obstetric lobbying, including the label "the killing fields" the Birth Center was known as by the obstetricians opposed to it. You can find Jodie's book here: What Does It Feel Like Being Born? by Jodie Miller. 2021-08-2835 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 25 Catherine Bell - birth maps, women taking responsibility for their decisions and informed consentCatherine Bell is the creator of the Birth Map, author of the book THE BIRTH MAP: Boldly Going Where No Birth Plan Has Gone Before takes you through the Informed Birth Preparation process leaving you Informed, Prepared and Confident. THE BIRTH MAP covers risk assessment and informed decision making, what to expect during labour and birth, and then takes you into The Beyond. We discuss the difference between the Birth Map and birth plans/preferences, making informed decisions within the maternity system and taking responsibility for our decision making process. Find Catherine's book, training and other resources here: https://birt...2021-08-2827 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 24 Julie Bell - systemic oppression, midwifery and women's autonomyJulie Bell is a well-known herbalist, doula and advocate in the birth world. Her early career as a nurse, time spent as an obstetric nurse, and her own mother being a midwife has given Julie an amazing insight into the maternity system. She shares her own powerful journey to birth outside the system, the changes she saw in the New Zealand system, the oppressive systems that dominate Australia's birthing landscape, and birth through a feminist lense. You can find Julie at: https://www.blissfulherbs.com.au.2021-08-2853 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 23 w/ Liz Wilkes, private midwife. Medicare for midwives, supporting women in hospital and home, woman-centered careLiz Wilkes is Australia's first private midwife to have access to Medicare. Prior to this, she worked in private practice in Toowoomba, Queensland. She now has several private midwifery practices under the My Midwives brand. In this episode we have quite nuanced discussions about private midwifery, what medicare has meant for women and midwives, the obstacles and requirements of private midwives including visiting access and collaborative arrangements. We discuss how all of this impacts women and ways forward to ensure care remains woman-centered. 2021-07-2343 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 22 - Dr Kirsten Small- CTG doesn't reduce cesareansObstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Kirsten Small's PhD research was on CTG (formerly described as EFM- electronic fetal monitoring). In this episode we discuss what her research found and despite CTG not having the outcomes intended when it was 1st used to monitor women in labour, it is still routinely used in institutions. We discuss the history of obstetrics and the silence by her colleagues around this research. You can find Dr Small's research and referenced reading during the podcast here: Small, K. A., Sidebotham, M., Fenwick, J., & Gamble, J. (2021). Midwives must, obstetricians may: An ethnographic exploration of how policy documents...2021-06-0940 min

WDI PodcastFeminist Question Time Australia 29 May 2021Feminist Question Time Australia Discussing Article 2 of the declaration. Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) Feminist Question Time. Our weekly online webinars are attended by a global feminist and activist audience of between 300-400. The main focus is how gender ideology is harming the rights of women and girls. You can see recordings of previous panels on our YouTube Channel. This week’s speakers: Alecia Maree Staines, Nic Jameson and Azure Rigney Hosted by Janet Fraser of Feminist Legal Clinic Inc. More information: www.womensdeclaration.com 2021-06-0527 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 21 Dr Hazel Keedle- the birth experience of women + VBAC survey resultsDr Hazel Keedle is a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) woman, midwife, researcher and is very passionate about research in the space of women's experience of birth. She helped design and publish the Birth Experience Study (BESt) in collaboration with the Birth Time documentary. This survey currently has over 6050 submissions- Australia's biggest birth experience survey. We discuss the results of her research survey of VBAC women and the 4 areas women "scored" their experiences by. We also discuss the trends of the current survey AND the much needed funding required to ensure our most vulnerable groups are heard (need translations). More i...2021-05-0842 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 20 Bruce Teakle - history of maternity lobbying in AustraliaBruce spent 17 years lobbying for maternity improvements. He was involved in the National Maternity Action Plan- a plan involving partnership between consumers and midwives to lobby for change including more access to continuity of midwifery carer in a woman's place of choice. He is a past President of Maternity Coalition- both nationally and in the state of Queensland. Bruce lives at Mount Glorious near Brisbane. Link to the National Maternity Action Plan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maternity_Action_Plan and here: https://web.archive.org/web/20070329214948/http://www.birthinternational.com/nmap/index.html 2021-05-0834 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 19 Dr Robyn Thompson- breastfeeding and the "isations" of birthDr Robyn Thompson has a midwifery career of over 50 years. She foundered The Thompson Method breastfeeding support for women. In her extensive career, both in hospital and at home she discusses the institutionalisation and mechanicalisation of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.2021-04-2648 min

Pregnancy, Birth and BeyondPBB Bulletin - Improving Maternity Care in Australia with Alecia StainesPBB Special Bulletin/Interview with Alecia Staines, Director of Maternity Consumer NetworkIf you are tuning in from Australia, this is an important message to women, people, families and community members accessing maternity healthcare services. A federal election is coming up and your voice is needed in improving maternity care! Welcome to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, I’m Annalee Atia with a special News Bulletin for Australians listeners today, Tuesday 30th March. I’m speaking with Alecia Staines, Director of one of our largest maternity consumer advocacy organisations - Maternity Consumer Network, she is also the host...2021-03-3025 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 18 Health Economist Emily Callander - will women ever be centred in maternity careAssociate Professor Emily Callander speaks about the high cost of the maternity system, and how the activity based funding and segregation of funding continues to ignore what women need and addressing inequities in the maternity system. More information about Emily here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/emily-callander Some of her research: https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(19)30696-1/abstract https://www.publish.csiro.au/ah/Fulltext/ah18209 2021-03-0241 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 17 - My own birth stories (Alecia). Part 2, birth #3, #4 and #5This is part 2 of my birth stories. Ep. 16 covers my 1st and 2nd birth. The last 3 births were birth centre and homebirths. All with private midwives. Birth 3 and 4 were unassisted births due to precipitous labours.2021-02-2500 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 16 My own birth stories (Alecia). Part 1. 1st and 2nd birth.My own birth journeys set me on a new direction- advocacy and childbirth education. In this episode I retell my birth journeys for my first and second.2021-02-1951 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 15 VBAC w/ Lizzie Carroll- politics, policies and women's responsibilitiesLizzie Carroll is one of Australia's most well-known VBAC mentors. She is a doula, childbirth educator, admin of the VBAC Support Group and personal VBAC mentor for women all over the country. http://www.lizziecarroll.com.au/musings--more https://www.facebook.com/groups/342851302473349/?ref=share 2021-02-1255 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 14 Prof. Nicky Leap - feminism in midwiferyProfessor Nicky Leap is currently the Adjunct Professor of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing Midwifery and Health UTS Visiting Professor, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College, London 2010-2012 International Francine Gooris Chair for Midwifery, University College Arteveldehoge school, Ghent, Belgium. Nicky went into midwifery as she saw it as a ultimate feminist issue. We discuss midwives role in ensuring birth isn't the forgotten feminist issue. For over twenty-five years, Nicky has worked across midwifery research, education and practice in both the UK and Australia. She was integrally involved in the development and implementation of...2021-02-1030 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 13 Lawyer Bashi Hazard - human rights abuse in childbirthBashi Hazard is an Australian lawyer and the principal of B W Law, a legal practice established to support and assist women and children, and the Legal Director of the ANZ arm of the Human Rights in Childbirth (HRiC) International Lawyers Network. Bashi’s background is in competition and consumer law, and litigation, developed while working for several years with Allens in Sydney, immediately after graduating with first class honours in Law and Economics from the University of Sydney. She has co-authored the book Canary in the Coal Mine- birthing outside the system. This book investigates why wo...2021-02-1054 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 12 Prof. Carolyn Hastie - building resilience in midwifery to reduce traumaCarolyn is a mother, grandmother and midwife with qualifications in adult education, counselling, lactation, primary health care, reproductive and sexual health. She has been at the leading edge of midwifery practice and education for four decades. Now a midwifery lecturer at Griffith, having wide-ranging national and international experience in diverse settings, including commissioning and managing a quality award-winning stand-alone midwifery service in NSW, her work is well known. Her passion is strengthening midwifery and improving care for childbearing women, partners and babies; her focus is on the neurophysiological intersection of growth, development and relationships. Areas of interest include neuroscience...2021-02-1031 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 11 Mel Briggs - Birthing On Country and Aboriginal Maternity ServicesMel Briggs is an Aboriginal midwife who works at an Aboriginal managed maternity and health service called Waminda. She discusses the importance and cultural and spiritual importance of Birthing on Country, how we must increase the aboriginal workforce, and why she gets so much satisfaction from her job. About Waminda: http://www.waminda.org.au/ Waminda aims to empower and support Women and their Aboriginal Families of the Shoalhaven to make decisions about their own health and reduce the height rate of ill health amongst Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander women in the Shoalhaven Community. Our organisation provides a free service fo...2021-01-2142 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 10 Susan Vandeligt- Birth story- Trauma, induction, failed epidural, incompetent careSusan is a Life Coach, who birthed in a Melbourne hospital. She takes us on a journey describing her birth- from lack of informed consent, induction, to a failed epidural that left her unable to speak, instrumental birth (after a cesarean was called), 3rd degree tear and incontinence. She describes how important it was for her to unpack her birth story afterwards to help her understand the incompetence of care and the cascade of intervention that contributed to how her birth unfolded. 2021-01-2153 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 9 Prof. Sue Kildea - outcomes from Aboriginal controlled maternity servicesSue Kildea has been a midwife for over 30 years. Her research aims to support women in birth and redesign maternity services to strengthen support for vulnerable women (e.g. First Nations women, women in remote communities, women experiencing stress in pregnancy, teenagers, women from a refugee background). Her latest role is as Professor of Midwifery and Co-Director of Charles Darwin University’s Molly Wardaguga Research Centre in the College of Nursing and Midwifery, with projects focusing on providing the Best Start to Life for First Nations women, babies and families. She is involved in the international movement ‘Birthing on Coun...2021-01-0937 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 8 Dr Joan Garvan - mothering, the forgotten feminist issueDr Joan Garvan, PhD (ANU) - Joan’s research is in Sociology and Gender. In December 2010 she was awarded a doctorate from the Australian National University for her thesis titled: Maternal Ambivalence in contemporary Australia: navigating equity and care. Since completing her studies Joan set-up a homepage which includes a link to her thesis, she has offered online professional development courses, and worked as an advocate for improved early years health and welfare services. Joan is currently President of Maternal Health Matters (formerly Safe Motherhood for All). In this episode we discuss how motherhood ha...2020-12-1436 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 7 Janet Fraser - obstetric violence, stillbirth and centering womenJanet Fraser is a mother, poet, historian and has been National Convenor of the Australian homebirth network, Joyous Birth since 2004. She writes about feminism, history, human rights, birth and parenting and presents at conferences on these as well as stillbirth and obstetric violence. Janet is on the management committee of the Feminist Legal Clinic and Maternal Scholars Australia and cofounded the NSW Women’s Guild in 2019. Her book, “Born Still: a memoir of grief” was published this year by the Australian publishers, Spinifex Press. She has work coming out in the Melbourne University journal, Hecate next year and has been pu...2020-12-1440 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 6 Prof. Hannah Dahlen - the fear and patriarchal culture in birthProf. Hannah Dahlen is Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR and Midiwifery Discipline Lead in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. The book, Birthing Outside the System- canary in the coalmine was co-edited by Hannah. This book investigates why women choose 'birth outside the system' and makes connections between women's right to choose where they birth and violations of human rights within maternity care systems. In this episode we explore: - where feminism forgot about mothers and birth throughout the various waves of feminism - how the m...2020-12-1131 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 5 Kristyn Begnell, Bunting for BirthrightsKristyn shares why she decided the best place for her to birth her first baby was at home, and how appendicitis late in pregnancy ended up with a huge shift in her birth preferences and how her daughter was born. She shares her trauma, as well as her deep commitment to birth her 2nd daughter at home. We discuss the interest she had very early on in homebirth, how her births shaped her advocacy, and her ongoing commitment to help women heal their own birth trauma through craftism and her Bunting for Birthrights project. https://buntingforbirthrights.com/2020-12-1143 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 4 Dr Belinda Barnett - oppressive systems inside and outside of maternityDr Belinda Barnett's thesis is called Becoming a mother and mattering in early 21st century Australia: An exploration of women’s perinatal transitions and equity in wellbeing. Found here: https://doi.org/10.14264/uql.2020.488. We discuss the parallel between her research which focuses on working with communities to challenge and change oppressive systems to improve equity and access to justice, and the maternity system. Belinda also shares how her private obstetric birth and subsequent trauma led her to research other options for her subsequent birth (a homebirth, which she describes as healing). We discuss how this impacted her adv...2020-12-1142 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 3 Prof. Jenny Gamble - liberating women in birthProfessor Jenny Gamble started her midwifery career 37 years ago. She is the Director of Transforming Maternity care: https://www.transformingmaternity.org.au/ whose goal is to drive the reform of maternity services to provide a primary care model that is midwife-led in the community, is accessible to all and is centred around respecting women’s’ choices. Jenny's research includes perinatal mental health, birth trauma, fear of birth, models of care and midwives health and well-being. In this episode we discuss the disparity between the what the evidence says about maternity care and the outcomes- physical, mental, emotional and...2020-12-1134 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 2 Ellen O'Keefe, Maternal Health MattersSafe Motherhood for All organisation (soon to be Maternal Health Matters) is a part of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. Their goal is to ensure that pregnancy, childbirth and the transition to motherhood is safe and to promote health and wellbeing for all women. Ellen is Vice President and has been involved with the organisation since it was foundered. In this episode, we discuss the: - lack of dignified and respectful maternity care - what women are saying when surveyed about how their care was - reproductive rights - w...2020-12-1133 min

Birth: the forgotten feminist issueEp. 1 Justine Caines OAM - Birth is the ultimate feminist issueJustine Caines is one of Australia's well-known and successful maternity lobbyist. Find her bio here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justine_Caines In this episode we discuss: - what impacted her decisions to homebirth all 8 of her children - why birth is the ultimate feminist issue - the abuse and disrespectful culture in maternity care - the popular feminists in Australia and why it is largely "pop feminism" - sanctioned genital mutilation 2020-12-1143 min

The Rural Births PodcastEpisode 7 with Alecia Staines (Maternity Consumer Network). Local rural maternity care models and advocacy/recognition for the "Bush Baby Crisis" in Queensland.Alecia Staines was born rurally. She continued to grow up in rural Queensland and so she always had a keen interest in ensuring equity in maternity service delivery. She grew up on ‘wheat country’ in a rural community called The Gums on the Darling Downs. Birthing options were available locally but not on Christmas Day so when Alecia’s mother went into labour she was shipped off in an ambulance, 2 hours away, during labour to birth Alecia in the city hospital. Whilst personally being born outside of her rural town was the path Alecia trod upon her own entrance into t...2020-05-151h 07