Homebirth Emergencies Workshop August 2026

This workshop is one of my favourites to teach, because it encompasses my many years of nursing and midwifery, teaching first aid and emergency skills, combined with attending homebirths, working in NICU, and reflecting on how to better prepare to prevent poor outcomes.
Planning for situations where birth does not go to plan is a wise and necessary part of our birthworker toolbox, enabling us to keep ourselves and our clients safe.

Date: Monday 24th August

Time: 10 am to 4pm

Venue: The Goddess Hall,

This workshop aims to dispel fear, providing clear explanation of what might happen in an emergency and why. It helps you confidently support clients in any emergency situations by learning about these uncommon emergencies, practical first aid skills, and how to prepare clients for the unexpected.
You will discover how calmness and practical first aid skills can help clients lessen their chances of birth trauma.

Do you feel unprepared for emergency situations in a homebirth setting?

Would you like to feel more confident supporting families through an unforeseen emergency?

Have you have attended a situation where you wished you had known how to assist? or maybe you are unsure of your role in an emergency, if a midwife is not in attendance?

This one day workshop will enable you  to understand why emergencies happen, practical first aid, and how to support clients whilst waiting for medical help to arrive.

Unexpected emergencies are uncommon after a low-risk pregnancy and birth at full term. However, emergency situations can, and do sometimes happen without any warning. The attendance of a midwife at birth can usually make birth safer in these circumstances. But sometimes a baby arrives before the midwife after a fast labour (BBA), or because homebirth midwives are unavailable due to staff shortages.. And, some Doulas and Birthkeepers are called to support families who have made the intentional decision to give birth without a midwife. In all of these circumstances it is better to prepare for the unexpected, as well as the much greater chance that birth will be straightforward

This workshop will provide you with the skills to recognise emergencies in childbirth, and act quickly to prevent worsening of the situation whilst awaiting help from emergency services. 

Topics include 

• Cord around baby’s neck
• Helping baby breathe
• Heavy blood loss after birth
• Fits and faints
• Shoulder dystocia
• Unexpected breech birth
• Cord prolapse
• Emergency transfer to hospital

Tickets cost £75

Concessions are available for anyone who has attended this workshop before, students and those who are in financial hardship.

Cancelation policy
A non-refundable deposit of £40 is due at booking to secure your place and the balance is due 2 weeks before the course starts.
Because doulas and midwives are often on call around workshop dates it is perfectly acceptable for someone else to take your place if you cannot attend, but the responsibility to find someone to fill your place is yours.
Sometimes I have people waiting for a place, in which case I will let you know, and they can pay you the £40 deposit. If you have paid in full and your client goes into labour it’s usually too late to fill the place on the day, so you would lose the whole workshop fee unless you can find someone at very short notice. If this is the case I will of course offer you a free place on the next available course.