GOLD Speakers

Lynne Staff, RM, BHlthScNsg, MMid (Hons)

• Country: AU

Biography:

A midwife since 1983, Lynne has practiced in public and private sectors, and worked as a community midwife for 14 years, providing support and midwifery care for women birthing at home. In 1997, she helped establish the Selangor Private Hospital Maternity Unit, where she continued to work until her move with her husband to Tasmania in 2008. She shares her current home with a dog, a chicken, platypus, Tassie Devils, echidnas and 40+ alpaca.

As a manager, professional development and ‘hands-on’ midwife, Lynne has developed policies, procedure, practice guidelines, education programs and learning packages for midwives. She has undertaken research and completed an Honors Thesis which focused on the reasons women choose a Caesarean section in a normal healthy first pregnancy.  She currently co-ordinates and lectures the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery at the University of Tasmania. Passionate about the sociological influences on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, she is about to commence a PhD.