All VIDM 2023 Conference sessions are recorded. Links to the recordings are available on our @VirtualMidwives YouTube channel and linked below in each session listing.
Use the Search CATEGORIES and KEYWORDS (ie. Spanish, Students, or Keynotes) to find sessions of interest.
VIDM 2023 Conference sessions were presented and recorded using Big Blue Button mobile friendly webconferencing technology, thanks to our colleagues at Frontier Nursing University.

Speaker: Paola Wilkin, Jane Houston, Megan Arbour
Facilitator: Paloma Terra
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) remains one of Peru’s leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, with nearly 20% of maternal deaths caused by PPH in 2019. Early recognition of PPH and prompt treatment remains challenging in low-resource obstetric settings, including among Mestizo midwives in Peru. Midwives and obstetricians may experience barriers to the timely diagnosis and management of PPH including access to quantitative blood loss measurement methods, and timely haemoglobin blood laboratory tests. In addition, formalized PPH diagnosis and management training may not be available.
PURPOSE/AIM: The purpose of this quality improvement initiative is to increase the accuracy of postpartum blood loss measurement by Mestizo Peruvian midwives through hybrid educational sessions.
Methods: 3 international midwives collaborated to develop this quality improvement project. Clinically practicing midwives, midwifery interns, and midwifery students were recruited from the 2 main public hospitals in Arequipa, Peru to participate in a web-based training module, and subsequent live skills demonstration regarding how to quantitatively assess postpartum blood loss. The primary author is a Mestizo Peruvian dentist and midwife, and all materials were developed in a linguistically and culturally safe manner.
After the web-based training module, participants were surveyed on their level of comfort and self-efficacy with quantitative blood loss measurement using google forms, distributed via WhatsApp.
This quality improvement initiative was deemed exempt by the Frontier Nursing University IRB.
Results: Preliminary results and the next steps will be available and shared during the presentation.
Recording: https://youtu.be/UTrVPckPWUY

Title: Arte de la Partería Indígena: Resistencias, desafíos y continuidades
Speaker: Tania Pariona Tarqui
Facilitator: Paloma Terra
Los objetivos de este mapeo son: identificar organizaciones de parteras indígenas, además de delinear la situación en la que se encuentran y las experiencias que se han generado cada país, acorde a su contexto histórico y aspectos legales. Finalmente, indicar las buenas prácticas, recomendaciones y retos señalados por las organizaciones de parteras de cada país.
Uno de los elementos relevantes del mapeo, es las diferencias que existen entre el ejercicio de la partería y la relación con el Estado, esto de acuerdo al nivel organizativo alcanzado por los grupos de parteras y los avances legales en el reconocimiento de la misma. Por ejemplo, algunas parteras en sus países presentan un estado de sobrevivencia por el poco o nulo reconocimiento de los pueblos originarios y la partería indígena, en otros casos por su nivel de organización hay parteras indígenas que en sus países exigen autonomía al Estado.
Sin embargo, en todos los países se dan prácticas de control, desprestigio y criminalización. Esto realza la importancia de fortalecer las organizaciones de parteras y de los pueblos originarios para la construcción de propuestas desde los sistemas de salud indígenas y la articulación horizontal con los Estados.
Como parte de sus recomendaciones se destaca la necesidad de fortalecer el tejido organizativo entre las parteras tanto a nivel nacional como en la región, el politizar la lucha por el respeto a las parteras y todas las mujeres como sujetos de derechos para que puedan tomar decisiones informadas sobre su cuerpo, su maternidad y la atención del parto desde su propia tradición y la necesidad del cuidado de las abuelas parteras que viven en situaciones vulnerables como garante de la continuidad generacional para el cuidado de las mujeres y comunidades de los pueblos indígenas.
Recording: https://youtu.be/zuIlj3va4E4

Speaker: Susana Ku
Facilitator: Paola Wilkin
We are a growing transnational collective consisting of members from the Global South and North, including midwives, doulas, scholars, educators, and mothers calling for an expansion of midwifery research to include what we coin “Critical Midwifery Studies”. We envision a Critical Midwifery Studies that uses three principles: 1.engagement and collaboration with rapidly developing fields within critical theory, 2.midwifery-led, 3. self-critical (developing ways to implement critical theory into practice). Systemic injustice is a threat to sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, hence the application of the art and science of midwifery. The effects of this injustice are reflected in the high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates in formerly colonized countries of the Global South, in marginalized communities of the Global North, and in underprivileged classes around the world. We aim for an open discussion about midwifery research, education, practice, policy, and regulations, that are largely White and Western-centric, using positivistic and universalist principles of biomedical research. Although we recognize the global struggle for legitimacy that midwives face as they work to make their models of care more accessible, this coincides with pressure to engage with dominant and dominating paradigms, using language and approaches that are valued by regimes of power.
Our presentation will include a summary of our experience launching the first bilingual summer school for Critical Midwifery Studies held on July 2022, with delegates around the world. We will explain how our collective planned this activity including principles of equity and accessibility https://tinyurl.com/yc55dbw6.
Recording: https://youtu.be/TKrSfdmC9nM

Speaker: Ginger García Portocarrero
Facilitator: Susana Ku
El Colegio Regional de Obstetras III Lima – Callao, ha venido desarrollando un voluntariado en ayuda a la Maternidad Segura brindando temas en: consejería, telemedicina y campañas de salud reproductiva para los lugares más precarios de la ciudad.
Para este 2023, estamos relanzando voluntariado con el nombre de Brigada PRO (Primera Respuesta Obstétrica), que incluye temas de: soporte básico de vida, atención prehospitalaria de emergencias ginecoobstétricas y Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres; para asegurar una buena atención en los lugares menos accesibles de nuestra región. También, pretendemos contagiar y compartir el voluntariado para formar la organización: Obstetras Sin Fronteras.
En esta renovación se les dotará de un traje táctico especial para el trabajo de campo que las pueda identificar y desempeñarse mejor en sus actividades.
English:
The Regional College of Midwives III Lima – Callao, has been developing a volunteer program in support of Safe Motherhood providing counseling, telemedicine and reproductive health campaigns for the most precarious places in the city.
For this 2023, we are relaunching volunteering under the name of “Brigada PRO (First Obstetric Response)”, which includes topics such as: basic life support, pre-hospital care of gynecological and obstetric emergencies and Disaster Risk Management, to ensure good care in the least accessible places in our region. Also, we intend to spread and share volunteering to form the organization: “Midwives Without Borders”.
For this project, midwives will be provided with a special tactical suit for field work that will help them to identify and perform better in their activities.
Recording: https://youtu.be/zfwrQxweOwA

Speaker: Brenda Araujo Salas
Facilitator: Paloma Terra
A partir de las ilustraciones elaboradas por Yaquemilsa Matiashi Vicente, una joven madre del pueblo Matsigenka, perteneciente a la amazonía peruana, describiremos las prácticas tradicionales en salud materna que aún se mantienen vigentes en las comunidades más alejadas de la vida moderna. Se describirán las concepciones y prácticas culturales durante la primera menstruación, los cuidados en el embarazo, la atención del parto por parte de la familia y parteras, y los cuidados en el posparto.
Conocer gráficamente las prácticas en salud materna a través de la mirada de una mujer del mismo pueblo, nos permite visualizar detalles significativos que se dan en la los cuidados de las mujeres gestantes y los recién nacidos. La importancia de este material es educativa y en favor de una mejora en la atención del parto para fundar la comprensión y el respeto a las costumbres y participación de las parteras y especialistas tradicionales de salud, ya que, actualmente, gran parte de las comunidades amazónicas tienen acceso a establecimientos de salud, pero estos ofrecen servicios sin pertinencia cultural. Por otro lado, el material también permite el reconocimiento de la importancia de los conocimientos de las mujeres Matsigenka en los niños, niñas y adolescentes.
English:
From the illustrations elaborated by Yaquemilsa Matiashi Vicente, a young mother of the Matsigenka people, belonging to the Peruvian Amazon, we will describe the traditional practices in maternal health that are still in force in the communities farthest away from modern life. We will describe the cultural conceptions and practices during the first menstruation, pregnancy care, childbirth care by the family and midwives, and postpartum care.
The graphic presentation of maternal health practices through the eyes of a woman from the same village allows us to visualize significant details in the care of pregnant women and newborns. The importance of this material is educational and in favor of an improvement in childbirth care, in order to establish understanding and respect for the customs and participation of midwives and traditional health specialists, since, at present, most Amazonian communities have access to health facilities, but these offer services without cultural relevance. On the other hand, the material also allows the recognition of the importance of Matsigenka women’s knowledge in children and adolescents.
Recording: https://youtu.be/voZyHiTevvw

Speaker: Lucia Monetta
Facilitator: Susana Ku
In 2020, our Argentina Midwifery Association launched a pilot program to develop a committee to strengthen two areas that have been less explored in our profession: research and leadership.
With the group of 4 young midwives, this committee developed a purpose, objetives and structure that will allow argentinian midwives to develop skills that will equip them to make a visible impact on their communities, by positioning midwifery in the Research Health field and to take on leadership roles in the Health Care Systems and organizations that tackle Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal & Newborn Health injustices and inequities.
From this initiative, several program were born: internships/mentoring program, educational programs in research studies, conferences, seminars and one of the biggest accomplishments: a registered Midwifery Journal.
The leadership program has grown over the past three years, achieving important leadership roles, mentoring midwives, as well as, more publishing and research opportunities.
The Midwifery Journal “OBSTETRIX” continues to grow with more collaborations, more midwives publishing their research work from central, Latin America, and more than two thousand subscribers.
In this presentation, we want to encourage midwives to initiate this kind of programs and innovation to develop in their countries. We would like to explore the experiences and opportunities and that can be achieved by working with a unique working environment that allows midwives to develop their full potential and the lessons learned throughout this program.
Recording: https://youtu.be/vC2DOEfLsLQ

Speaker: Patricia Marianella
Facilitator: Paloma Terra
El objetivo fue comparar los resultados materno-neonatales y costos de la resolución de embarazos, en mujeres obesas y con peso normal pregestacional.
Métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en 60 gestantes con obesidad y 120 con peso normal pregestacional atendidas en un hospital público de Lima durante el 2018, seleccionadas aleatoriamente. Se recolectaron datos sociodemográficos, indicadores maternos (índice de masa corporal pregestacional, controles prenatales, edad gestacional, días de hospitalización), neonatales (Apgar, peso, morbilidad, edad gestacional por examen físico, días de hospitalización) y datos de los costos (medicamentos, procedimientos e insumos). Se utilizó la prueba estadística U de Mann Whitney.
Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias entre mujeres obesas y con peso normal pregestacional en los días de hospitalización materna (3 ±1,2 días vs 2,0 ±1,2 días; p=0,000); en el peso del recién nacido (3 615 ± 518,03 gr vs 3 245 ± 426,25 gr; p=0,000), en el costo de medicamentos ($ 19,78 ±16,47 vs $ 3,21 ±15,57; p=0,000), en el costo de procedimientos ($ 40,65 ±46,78 vs $ 27,67 ±49,47; p=0,001), y en el costo de insumos ($ 54,08 ±29,02 vs $ 9,32 ±28,26; p=0,000).
Conclusión: Las mujeres obesas presentaron recién nacidos con mayor peso, contaron con más días de hospitalización y los costos de medicamentos, procedimientos e insumos fueron superiores en comparación con las mujeres de peso normal.
English:
The objective was to compare maternal-neonatal outcomes and costs of pregnancy resolution in obese women and women with normal pregestational weight. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in 60 pregnant women, randomly selected, with obesity and 120 with normal pregestational weight attended in a public hospital in Lima during 2018. Sociodemographic data, maternal indicators (pregestational body mass index, prenatal controls, gestational age, days of hospitalization), neonatal (Apgar, weight, morbidity, gestational age by physical examination, days of hospitalization) and cost data (drugs, procedures and supplies) were collected. The Mann Whitney U statistical test was used. Results: Differences were found between obese and pregestational normal weight women in maternal hospitalization days (3 ±1.2 days vs. 2.0 ±1.2 days; p=0.000); in newborn weight (3 615 ± 518.03 gr vs. 3 245 ± 426.25 gr; p=0.000), in the cost of medications ($ 19.78 ±16.47 vs $ 3.21 ±15.57; p=0.000), in the cost of procedures ($ 40.65 ±46.78 vs $ 27.67 ±49.47; p=0.001), and in the cost of supplies ($ 54.08 ±29.02 vs $ 9.32 ±28.26; p=0.000).Conclusion: Obese women had heavier newborns, more days of hospitalization and the costs of medications, procedures and supplies were higher compared to women of normal weight.
Recording: https://youtu.be/McAV7M1Ub4M