Scrapbook of the Midwifery Today International Conference
“Renaissance de Naissance / Birth Renaissance”

18–22 October 2001
Paris, France

• Back to Main Scrapbook Page
• Main Conference Page

• Photos
• Article
• Letter from Jan

Jan Tritten and Michel Odent

Singing at the Paris conference

Lorna Davies demonstrating how to move a baby down, at Paris Midwifery Today Conference

Demonstrating the double hip squeeze

All the beautiful conference attendees!

Article

View more photos and read Jan's full report on this conference: Paris, 2001: Midwifery Today International Conference
 

Letter from Jan Tritten

November 2001

Midwifery Today's Paris, France conference was a resounding success. Midwives from 25 countries launched a "Birth Renaissance" with much laughing, singing, theater, thinking, planning and praying. This conference was really fun and fulfilling. Michel Odent and I have been dreaming about doing this for almost four years. The French midwives were a joy to be around and we learned many unique things from them. Farida's singing class was particularly interesting. In some parts of Europe, it is part of birth care to participate in singing groups. These groups, pioneered by Michel Odent, help women to sing their troubles away.

We talked about and affirmed stories of birth being the ultimate sexual experience. We pondered how to help women claim this part of the experience. So important and ignored is the sexual aspect of birth that I decided to devote a whole day to it in our Netherlands conference next fall, 2002. There were very lively "tricks" circles, one in French and one in English. In these troubled times, babies are still being born and this conference helped to re-ignite my joy for this work.

We will have a more extensive conference report in the winter issue of Midwifery Today. And look for conference information and photos on our Web site. The Netherlands program promises to be just as rich and it will be another opportunity for international exchange. We'll be posting programs on the Web site for our Midwifery Today conferences in The Netherlands and China—watch for them!*

love, jan

*Editor's Note: Please click here to learn about current upcoming conferences.