Every day in Australia, approximately 188 women experience sexual assault. Behind that number are women carrying trauma into pregnancy, birth and early motherhood — often silently.

If you work with pregnant, birthing or postpartum families, you will care for women who are survivors of sexual violence, whether they disclose their experiences or not. For many women, pregnancy and birth can be deeply triggering experiences, bringing feelings of fear, vulnerability, loss of control and traumatic memories to the surface.

This powerful workshop is designed for nurses, midwives, physicians, mental health professionals, allied health practitioners, doulas and anyone supporting childbearing women. Drawing on decades of research and collaboration by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, authors of When Survivors Give Birth, the workshop explores the profound impact of childhood sexual abuse on pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum recovery.

Women with histories of sexual trauma are more likely to experience longer labours, distress during vaginal examinations and procedures, traumatic birth experiences, and the resurfacing of painful memories during labour and delivery. Trauma changes the way the brain processes safety, touch, power and control — making compassionate, trauma-informed care essential.

Jenn approaches this sensitive topic with exceptional professionalism, skill and care, creating a supportive environment for participants while addressing one of the most important and least understood issues in maternity care today.

This workshop will help you build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills needed to better support survivors through the childbearing years. By creating environments grounded in safety, dignity, choice and empathy, providers can make a profound difference in a woman’s experience of pregnancy and birth.

When Survivors Give Birth Workshop

This workshop is ideal for:

Midwives, nurses, doulas, physicians, psychotherapists, social workers, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, mental health professionals and all practitioners working with pregnant, birthing and postpartum families.

Participants will leave with:

  • A deeper understanding of trauma and its impact on women during the childbearing years

  • Greater confidence supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse

  • Expanded trauma-informed care skills and communication strategies

  • Practical tools to create safer, more empowering experiences for women and families

Cost: $330 ($295 early bird)

Date: Sunday, November 1st

Time: 9am-5pm

Location: Birth Time The Village - 6 Reserve St, Annandale NSW 2038

email: sasha@sgmdoula.com for bookings (spaces limited)

In this full-day workshop, participants will explore:

  • The impact of childhood sexual abuse and trauma on childbearing women

  • Brain development, toxic stress and how trauma affects the nervous system

  • The effects of trauma during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period

  • The connection between childhood trauma, intimate partner violence and substance use

  • Common triggers survivors may experience during the childbearing year

  • How to provide safe, compassionate and trauma-informed care

  • Clinical challenges and practical strategies for supporting survivors

  • Navigating labour and birth without causing additional trauma

  • Consent, power dynamics and preserving dignity in maternity care

  • How to respond to disclosures of abuse with confidence and sensitivity

  • Communication skills including active listening and containment strategies

  • Practical tools for supporting survivors before, during and after birth

  • Perinatal mood disorders and their connection to trauma

  • Recognising vicarious trauma and prioritising practitioner self-care

  • Regulation techniques and supportive approaches for both clients and providers

  • Understanding when referral to other professionals may be needed

Meet your Trainer

Jenn Fontaine

Jenn Fontaine is a certified birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and crisis counsellor with over 20 years of experience supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she combines evidence-based practice with a trauma- and violence-informed, culturally responsive, client-centred approach.

Jenn grew up in a home with foster siblings and witnessed the impact of sexual abuse and trauma on children, which later shaped her understanding of trauma responses in her work as a birth professional. She began recognizing similar patterns in some clients and went on to deepen her study of the long-term and unique presentations of trauma in the perinatal period. Through extensive training, including mentorship with Penny Simkin in birth trauma work, and years of hands-on experience with families, she has developed deep expertise in this field.

A doula trainer, facilitator, and international speaker, Jenn is passionate about educating care providers on trauma-informed, respectful, and empowering care. Her background in crisis counselling supports her ability to hold space for grief, resilience, and healing during the childbearing years.

Jenn is a wife, mother of four, loss and trauma survivor, mentor, and trainer. She lives and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Meet Your Facilitator

Sasha Murray

Sasha Murray has a calling as a birth and postpartum doula. With 18 years’ experience as a full time newborn and toddler nanny, including time in New York City and working on the high seas for Disney Cruise Line she saw firsthand the need for continuous, personalised care. Sasha is passionate about restoring trust in birth as a normal, powerful life event and helping women feel confident, informed, and supported. Sasha's approach is nurturing, inclusive, and grounded in connection with the mission to help women have positive birth experiences and enter motherhood feeling strong, capable, and deeply supported every step of the way.