BCAPOP's Member-Only Community of Practice: From Plan to Powers. Supporting Confident Birth Planning and Decision Making

During pregnancy, families make complex decisions about their pregnancy and birth care. This presentation will provide an overview of the pillars of respectful perinatal care, including family centred care principles and physiology informed perinatal care to support decision making.  It will offer some practical strategies and resources to access and use when supporting families during pregnancy and birth. Come learn about ways to use these tools and resources with families during birth planning and early labour care. 

Learning Objectives: 

1) Explore the pillars of respectful perinatal care, including family centred care, physiology informed practice to support decision making.  

2) Facilitate birth planning and apply the B.R.A.I.N. tool to support shared decision making with confidence. 

3) Discuss practical strategies designed to support the birthing woman/person in early labour to promote comfort and coping, and a smooth transition into active labour. 

Presenter: Lisa Sutherland, RM, IBCLC

Lisa Sutherland is the Provincial Midwifery Lead at Perinatal Services BC.  She is a Registered Midwife and Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with 20 years of experience in perinatal care. Her previous roles include Lead for Midwifery at Saint Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and board member of the Midwives Association of BC.  She lives with her family on the unceded and traditional territory of the K’ómox First Nation. Lisa is passionate about actively engaging with families and health care providers in BC to strengthen perinatal care. 

Presenter: Michelle Delany, RN, BSN, MN

Michelle Delany is the Provincial Lead for Perinatal Care at Perinatal Services BC, with over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse specializing in perinatal and neonatal care. Her career spans clinical practice in labour, birth, and NICU, as well as nurse educator roles supporting health care professionals and families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum in both rural and urban settings. Michelle is passionate about advancing perinatal care across British Columbia and currently works on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.