CLASSES

Heart & Hands Beginning Intensives

Elizabeth Davis, Director/Instructor

Purpose | Who May Attend | Format | Course Content | Skills & Demonstrations

Schedule, Fees & Registration | Upon Completion | The Instructor (and Staff)

Our new virtual format allows students from all locations to attend, creating more diversity in the classroom. Limited to 12 students, everyone has ample opportunity to ask questions and participate in group discussions, with a fully live format that offers the benefits of onsite classes–group contact and support in a demonstration-rich format.

Our history: Heart & Hands Midwifery Intensives were founded by Elizabeth Davis in 1982. The course was developed at the request of a group of birth assistants seeking to acquire practical midwifery skills. Over the years and by demand, the course has evolved to include basic introductory information and an emphasis on the intuitive, interpersonal skills essential to effective midwifery care.

Additionally, this course covers core curriculum and many basic skills of Midwife Assistant Training.

WHAT WILL YOU GAIN FROM THIS COURSE?

The purpose of the Heart & Hands Midwifery Intensives is to provide a strong and integrated foundation in the art and science of midwifery, as well as:

READINESS TO APPRENTICE OR SERVE AS AN ASSIST : Hands-on skills demonstrations combined with the context of when and how they should be used will help you confidently step into these roles.

PREPARATION FOR THE NARM EXAM: “Heart & Hands” is the top text used to prepare for the exam, and this course will take you deep enough to master the information.

PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS/ REFERENCES: Routinely provided for former students, regardless of the reason or the educational route they have chosen.

CONTINUED FOLLOW UP: Whatever your next steps in training, I am available to hear your concerns and provide feedback.

SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE: Such a challenge–but I will do my best to assure you have staying power  in your work.

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE?

Heart & Hands Midwifery Intensives  are ideal for anyone seeking to discover their unique relationship to the art and practice of midwifery. If you want to support mothers/ gestational parents in the transformative experience of physiologic, undisturbed birth, this course is for you!

We accommodate students at various levels of experience in the field. No prerequisites–beginners are always welcome!

“One thing I have learned in life is to surround myself with people who will make me a better person. I don’t always get to choose those people in every setting but let me tell you… the group of people in this class and how they conducted themselves spoke volumes not only to their own qualities, but to those of our beloved instructor. The respect and trust that was there the entire time was unmatched in any learning environment I’ve ever been in.“

K.N. Winter 2022

FORMAT

The Heart & Hands Midwifery Intensives encourage students to incorporate personal growth in their learning through activities of journal work and self-reflection. That said, be prepared to spend time every day on reading and other homework.

But since our group is limited to 12 participants, there is plenty of time to ask questions, share and debrief birth stories, and explore the realities of practice. We work  in an open, egalitarian fashion. At all times, Heart & Hands students are expected to interact with respect for diversity of culture, belief, and sexual orientation/gender identification.

“This course was also far more than just an educational course. It was a deeply spiritual process of  transformation, not only for myself, but other students as well. In a short span, we bonded and made friendships that I hope will last throughout our life times .”

M.R. Winter 2021

COURSE CONTENT

• History and Politics of Midwifery
• Prenatal Care and Complications
• Communication Skills, and Trauma-informed Care
• Intuition, Boundaries in Care-giving, Healing the Healer
• Nutritional Counseling
• Sexuality in the Childbearing Cycle, Sexual Abuse Issues
• Facilitating Labor and Supporting Physiologic Birth
• Labor Complications and Transport
• Perineal Assessment and Repair
• Newborn Complications and Neonatal Testing
• Postpartum Care, Breastfeeding, and Emotional Adjustments
• Homeopathy and Herbs in Pregnancy and Birt
• State Licensure  and National Certification (CPM)

“I found the course itself to be easy to navigate. I was given all the necessary texts and instructions to succeed. The reference material included was extremely helpful, it kept me organized and on track. The homework assignments were clearly listed for each class, which gave me a tool for self-accountability. “

L.N. Winter 2021

SKILLS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

Skills that are demonstrated include: + taking blood pressure + assessing fundal height + fetal palpation and heart auscultation + pelvic and cervical examination + intramuscular injection + techniques for assessing fetal position by internal exam + how to read a fetal monitor (in case of transport) + hand maneuvers for assisting birth (if necessary) + basic skills for assisting breech birth + techniques for addressing shoulder dystocia, posterior arrest, and retained placenta (including manual removal). And a special bonus–we practice suturing as a group at the final meeting!

L.S. Fall 2021

SCHEDULE, FEES AND REGISTRATION

Heart & Hands Beginning Intensives meets eight  weekend days. Tuition is $2195, non-refundable/non-transferable and payable in advance. To register, send check or money order made out to Elizabeth Davis to 3201 Burnside Rd, Sebastopol CA 95472. Also email me  a brief, birth-related bio so I can get to know you better, and please include your  address and phone number: elizabeth@elizabethdavis.com

Upon receipt, I will email a confirmation letter with all the details, including required texts and their cost.  As the start date draws closer, I will email a PDF of course materials.

If you must miss a class, you can make it up in any subsequent series (space permitting) at a charge of $175, payable in advance.

Upon completion of the Beginning Intensives, students wishing to utilize this as the prerequisite to enrollment in National Midwifery Institute sign up for the virtual  Advanced Intensives, which cost $975, also payable in advance .

Questions? For quick response, text me at (707) 695-6520, or email me at elizabeth@elizabethdavis.com (and include your phone number). 

‘I feel incredibly fortunate to be learning from you, and that you make yourself accessible to student-midwives. I don’t take lightly your years of experience that being with women brings, the groundwork and contributions you’ve made to midwifery in the US, and the wisdom you carry from all your roles in  this lifetime. Thank you for continuing to teach!”

L.A. Fall 2020

FURTHERING YOUR MIDWIFERY STUDIES

Students seeking further instruction are encouraged to enroll in the National Midwifery Institute, Inc., a preferred option to pursue MEAC accredited midwifery training. Heart & Hands Beginning and Advanced Intensives comprise the preferred prerequisite for NMI enrollment in that they provide a strong foundation for completing NMI’s Midwifery Certificate Program.

If you are interested in enrolling in NMI, please check the website regarding your state of residence to see if this is an option: https://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/states-permission-to-operate

Academic credit for the Heart & Hands Beginning and Advanced Intensives  has also been granted by National College of Midwifery and Midwives College of Utah (by portfolio process). For students applying to these or other midwifery programs, letters of recommendation/class syllabus are available on request.

“I was at three births in a 24 hour period this week and applied my knowledge from this course to assist the attending midwives. It felt so good to assist them in a way I never could  before taking this course.”

A.S. Spring 2021

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Renowned expert Elizabeth Davis has been a midwife, holistic health care specialist, educator, and political consultant for over 40 years. She is internationally active in promoting physiologic birth and is widely sought after for her expertise in midwifery education and organizational development. She holds a degree in Holistic Maternity Care, is a certified professional midwife (CPM), and is Co-Founder of the MEAC accredited National Midwifery Institute, Inc.

Her journey began in the late 1970’s, when direct-entry midwifery was illegal in most the United States. Having personally experienced the vivid contrast between a violent hospital birth and transformational homebirth, she felt called to do something to help create the organizational and political infrastructure to make homebirth widely available in the US.

To this end, she was a founding member of:

• The Midwives Alliance of North America (open to midwives of all educational backgrounds), whom she served as Pacific Regional Representative and Education Committee Chair for five years.The North American Registry of Midwives NARM (that administers the direct-entry credential of Certified Professional Midwife), for whom she called the initial meeting to develop the certification process, gathering midwife representatives fro 40 states.
• The North American Registry of Midwives NARM (that administers the direct-entry credential of Certified Professional Midwife), for whom she called the initial meeting to develop the certification process, gathering midwife representatives from 40 states.
• The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council MEAC (accrediting body for direct-entry midwifery programs), whom she served as President for one term and for four years on the Board of Directors.

She was also active in legalizing midwifery in California as one of the key negotiators in the process, and has supported many other States in their legislative efforts.

A homebirth midwife for many years, and with much exposure to international midwifery issues and constraints in practice, her primary mission now is to support the autonomy of the profession. She firmly believes that the holistic model of care is best for both client and care-provider as per its integrity and sustainability.

She continues to lecture and offer workshops on the appropriate use of emergency skills, intuition, trauma-informed practice, sexuality, and holistic care throughout the female lifecycle.

Her books include:
Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth Experience
Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth (now in its 5th edition)
The Rhythms of Women’s Desire: How Female Sexuality Unfolds at Every Stage of Life
The Women’s Wheel of Life

Contact her at https://elizabethdavis.com

* * * *

HEART & HANDS STAFF