The Australasian Birth Trauma Association (ABTA) launched ThinkNatal Education four years ago. In response to the thousands of women and parents telling us, ‘What didn’t anyone tell me’? ThinkNatal offers a series of educational resources aimed at providing birth preparation support and information on topics that are often excluded or underrepresented in existing antenatal education. These resources are used in hospitals across the nation.
Today, ThinkNatal is taking a significant step forward by expanding its offerings to include CPD-accredited training and education for healthcare professionals and other professionals working with parents in the perinatal period.
A Journey of Growth: From Consumer Resources to Professional Training
Since its launch, ThinkNatal has been a crucial resource for parents and clinicians. The consumer-focused resources—introduced four years ago—have equipped individuals with knowledge and support through:
- Educational and Care Guides: These guides provided practical advice and information on coping and managing birth-related trauma.
- Peer2Peer Support Programs: Facilitating connections between parents with shared experiences for mutual support and understanding.
- Abundance of Co-Designed Resources: These resources cover the breadth and depth of varying birth-related trauma and are designed to effectively address diverse experiences and needs.
- ThinkNatal YouTube Channel: This channel offers video content that includes expert discussions, personal stories, and practical tips. ThinkNatal Training offers professional and supportive training for health professionals, birth workers, and individuals interested in enhancing their knowledge of birth-related trauma, fostering a deeper understanding, and providing valuable tools for support.
This initial focus on consumer support laid a solid foundation for ThinkNatal. Recognising the need for comprehensive education and skill development for those on the frontline of maternity and postnatal care, ThinkNatal is now expanding to include accredited training for healthcare professionals.
Introducing CPD-Accredited Training for Healthcare Professionals
The new phase of ThinkNatal’s expansion introduces CPD-accredited training designed to enhance the skills of healthcare professionals, including obstetricians, midwives, hospital staff, and allied health workers. This training aims to bridge the gap in trauma-informed care, ensuring that healthcare providers can effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat birth-related trauma.
Accreditation Details:
ACM: ThinkNatal’s training offers 1.5 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for midwives.
RANZCOG:
- Module 1: Approved for 3 hours of Educational Activities and 0.5 hours of Performance Review. It addresses key areas such as health inequities and ethical considerations in birth care.
- Module 2: Approved for 2 hours of Educational Activities and 0.5 hours of Performance Review. This module also focuses on health inequities and ethics.
What Healthcare Professionals Will Gain
ThinkNatal’s CPD-accredited training provides healthcare professionals with crucial knowledge and practical skills, including:
- Recognising Birth Trauma: Identifying both physical and psychological signs of trauma in patients.
- Implementing Trauma-Informed Care: Learning best practices for delivering care that is sensitive to the needs of trauma survivors.
- Preventing Trauma: Discovering strategies to minimise the risk of trauma during childbirth through effective communication and patient advocacy.
- Supporting Healing: Gaining insights into how to assist patients in their healing process, including referrals to mental health services and peer support.
- Addressing Health Inequities: Understanding how various social determinants impact birth trauma and learning how to address these inequities in clinical settings.
The Impact of ThinkNatal’s Expansion
The expansion of ThinkNatal to include CPD-accredited training marks a significant advancement in the ABTA’s mission to address birth-related trauma comprehensively. By up-skilling healthcare professionals and continuing to support families with community-led consumer resources, ThinkNatal is profoundly impacting birth care and recovery.
Healthcare professionals who engage with ThinkNatal’s training will not only fulfil their CPD requirements but also gain valuable insights and skills to improve their practice and parent outcomes. On the other hand, families will continue to benefit from the consumer resources that help them navigate this season of their lives with greater understanding and support.
Get Involved
As ThinkNatal continues to grow and evolve, we invite healthcare professionals to explore the newly launched training modules and integrate these valuable learnings into their practice.Â
Explore ThinkNatal’s offerings today and be part of the movement towards safer births and better healing. Visit the ThinkNatal Training and Education Hub to learn more about our new training modules and consumer resources.
