Welcome to the Registration Portal for the RANZCOG Miscarriage Webinar.
‘To those mothers who have experienced miscarriage, we wrap our arms around you. Your mothering matters. Your babies matter.’ – Vijay Roach
This webinar will look at the reasons behind early pregnancy loss or miscarriage, talk about the recent moves to support parents grieving miscarriage, and hear from mothers who have experienced loss and their inspirational efforts to ‘break the culture of silence’.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday 29 September 2021
Time: 6PM AEST
Duration: 1 hour
Audience: General Public and Practitioners
This webinar will be recorded and available to watch post event
PANELISTS
Jade Bilardi
Dr Jade Bilardi is an ARC Senior Research Fellow in the Central Clinical School at Monash University and an honorary Research Fellow in the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne. She is a social researcher who specialises in women's sexual and reproductive health, primarily focusing on improved miscarriage support for women, partners and families. Together with Professor Meredith Temple-Smith, and in consultation with a wide multi-disciplinary team of academics, healthcare providers and industry partners, they co-lead the Miscarriage Australia Research Program. As the leading Australian research group in the area of miscarriage support, they have explored a wide range of support needs and experiences including women and male partners’ lived experiences of miscarriage, the healthcare and support service experiences of women affected by miscarriage, healthcare providers’ views and practices in caring for those affected, the practical support needs of those affected and the provision of support in hospital based settings.
Shaun Brennecke
Professor Brennecke is the University of Melbourne Dunbar Hooper Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is also the Director of the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, a Team Leader within the Maternity Service and Head of the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic at the Hospital.
Prof Brennecke’s research interests focus on Maternal-Fetal Medicine, especially preterm labour, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, placental function, reproductive tissue stem cells, miscarriage, the endocrinology of human pregnancy and parturition, the assessment of fetal welfare, and factors influencing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.
Isabelle Oderberg
Isabelle Oderberg is a journalist with over 20 years of experience in Australia and overseas on pretty much every media platform available.
Her book, Hard To Bear, will be published in 2023. It is an investigation of how Australia manages early pregnancy loss, and follows Isabelle’s journey on her road to having a family. A journey that had several red herrings, in the form of six miscarriages and one termination for medical reasons.
Samantha Payne
Sam, the Co-Founder and CEO of Pink Elephants, is driven to ensure no one faces the journey of early pregnancy loss alone and that every bereaved parent receives the support, empathy, and understanding they deserve. Sam is an empathetic, engaging, knowledgeable, and impactful advocate for those experiencing early pregnancy loss. She is an experienced public speaker with an ability to engage all. She speaks from the heart, sharing her own journey as well as those of the thousands that Pink Elephants supports. She links to a strong evidence base to create a clear call to action to inspire enhanced support for those experiencing early pregnancy loss. She is challenging cultural norms, breaking the silence, and initiating much-needed change.
Vijay Roach
Dr Vijay Roach is an obstetrician and gynaecologist who has worked in both private and public practice in Sydney. He has been the President of RANZCOG since November 2018. He is former Chairman of the Gidget Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation promoting the importance of emotional wellbeing among expectant and new parents.
Meredith Temple-Smith
Professor Meredith Temple-Smith is the Deputy Head and Director of Research Training in the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne, and an internationally renowned researcher and academic. Her research interests centre on sexual and reproductive health across the lifespan, with a focus on sensitive issues and marginalised populations. She also has a strong interest in health services research and the evaluation of complex health interventions. With Dr Jade Bilardi, she co-leads Miscarriage Australia Research Program, which aims to explore the support both needed by and provided to those affected by early pregnancy loss.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Stephanie Borys
Stephanie Borys is a political reporter for the ABC and is based at Parliament House in Canberra. She reports for the network's radio current affairs programs as well as online and TV. Prior to joining the ABC, Stephanie was a federal political reporter for Nine Radio.
