Midwives on Board!
2 - 11 November 2026
South Pacific
Anthem of the Seas
9 nights
20 hours CPD
Tax Deductible
Welcome onboard for this professional development retreat cruise for midwives!
We have designed this retreat to be the perfect blend of renewal, connection and professional growth. You won’t find anything else like it.
We hope you can join us!
Jaimee & Justine
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Overview & Itinerary
Join us for a 9-night cruise to the South Pacific for midwives seeking rest, connection and professional growth. Click HERE to see the itinerary.
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Seminar Program
Be nurtured. Expand your scope. Gather evidence-based information and skills to midwife well, personally and professionally. Click HERE for the seminar program outline.
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Presenters
We look forward to getting to know you on the cruise, but if you’re curious about us, click HERE to find out a bit about who we are and what we do.
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Rates & Booking
We got in early and secured a limited number of staterooms (cabins) at the early-bird rate. Click HERE for prices and booking information.
Hey Midwives!
How does a rejuvenating 9-day cruise aboard Royal Caribbean, sailing through the South Pacific sound?
We have designed this unique retreat for midwives to give you space to unwind and fill your cup, both personally and professionally.
Alongside the holiday experience that includes stop-overs in Vanuatu and New Caledonia, is our 20-hour onboard professional development seminar, tailored to support and expand your midwifery practice. This will include a blend of inspiring, evidence-based topical sessions, practical tools to add to your midwifery skill-set, and space to reflect and connect with colleagues who understand the unique challenges midwives face daily.
This cruise is an invitation to step away from the demands of being on-call, shift work, and pressure-filled life so that you can take a breath, recharge and rediscover your passion for this profession that we have all invested so much of ourselves in.
Friends and family are welcome to come along and can enjoy the many onboard activities on Anthem of the Seas during our sea-days morning seminar sessions.
There will be plenty of time for tropical island adventures, pool-side drinks, and meaningful conversations with like-minded peers. Whether you’re new to cruising or a seasoned sailor, this is a rare opportunity to pause and be nurtured.
Itinerary
November 2
Sydney
Depart 5pm
November 3
Sea Day
Day 1 Seminar
8:30am - 1pm
November 4
Sea Day
Day 2 Seminar
8:30am - 1pm
November 5
Noumea, New Caledonia
Arrive 7am - Depart 4:30pm
November 6
Mystery Island, Vanuatu
Arrive 8am - Depart 5pm
November 7
Vila, Vanuatu
Arrive 7am - Depart 5pm
November 8
Sea Day
Day 3 Seminar
8:30am - 1pm
November 9
Sea Day
Day 4 Seminar
8:30am - 1pm
November 10
Sea Day
Day 5 Seminar
8:30am - 1pm
November 11
Sydney - Arrive 6:30am
Be nurtured. Expand your scope. Trust your instincts.
Be nurtured. Expand your scope. Trust your instincts.
This seminar is designed to expand both your professional knowledge and your practical toolkit - supporting you to midwife well in every sense.
Throughout our seminar, we will alternate between information-based session and practical sessions.
In our practical sessions, we’ll explore ways to counter midwifery stress, pressure points for labour, techniques & manoeuvres for OP/stalled labour, breech and shoulder dystocia hands-on simulations, neonatal resuscitation, expressing breastmilk, breastfeeding support, and relaxation strategies for midwives themselves.
To support our learning, we’ll use real-life clinical and professional case studies to bring these skills to life, because storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to learn. Case study topics will include clinical challenges as well as midwifery challenges eg navigating burnout, and how to respond to AHRPA notifications.
Below are the information-based sessions outlines.
Program Topics
Induction of Labour: the good, the bad and the outcomes
A third of Australian women are being induced, with only 41% going into spontaneous labour. Is induction of labour a ‘necessary evil’? In this session we will explore the common reasons induction is imposed on women, the evidence that does (or does not) support this, and the impact this common intervention has on women, their babies, and the midwives who care for them them. We will consider ways midwives can facilitate alternatives to induction and look at statistics that support these alternatives.
Understanding Neonatal Cord Gases & Delayed Cord Clamping Update
Cord gases can hold vital clues to a newborn’s transition and wellbeing, yet interpreting them accurately can be a challenge. Can they be done with delayed cord clamping? In this session we’ll unravel the significance of neonatal cord gases and explore the latest research and guidelines around delayed cord clamping. You’ll gain confidence in assessing results, communicating implications to families and colleagues, and using this data to support safer, evidence-based care in those crucial early moments.
Self-Care for Midwives: The Cost of Being ‘With Woman’
Midwifery is often proclaimed (by midwives) to be the best job in the world. But being ‘with woman’ can come at a cost. Whether it’s the toll of working within a system that often fails both women and midwives, or the relentless demands of being on-call, midwives often pay with their own well-being, and with their passion, drive and relationships. This session is devoted to your well-being, offering space to reflect and gather practical tools to care for yourself throughout every stage of your career.
VBAC: Supporting Vaginal Birth After Caesarean
With Australia’s caesarean rate now exceeding 40%, supporting VBAC is an essential skill for every midwife and yet many women are not being offered this option - with a high percentage going on to have repeat caesarean births. But is this truely aligned with what women want? And how can. midwives offer evidence-based woman-centred care after a prior caesarean? Experienced midwife Georgina Bosworth - whose 41+ career has spanned hospital, home birth and private practice - will unpack the latest VBAC research, success rates, and guidelines. You’ll leave with practical tools and advocacy strategies to better support women who want the opportunity to birth vaginally after caesarean.
Infant Mental Health & Understanding the 4th Trimester.
The term ‘fourth trimester’ has become almost cliched - yet its importance in shaping long-term wellbeing is only just beginning to be widely understood. In this session we’ll explore what the fourth trimester truly entails and how it fits in with modern parenting: a critical time of physical recovery, emotional adjustment, and the foundations of infant mental health. We’ll unpack how early caregiving, connections, and parental support influence attachment and development, and examine practical ways health professionals can tailor guidance to meet families’ evolving needs during this vulnerable transition.
Early Breastfeeding Challenges
Sleepy baby, poor feeding - these are familiar challenges for new parents, yet too often they leave hospital with unrealistic plans and minimal support to turn things around. In this session we’ll unpack the reasons behind these common concerns and explore evidence-based strategies you can offer to help families regain momentum. These strategies will enable you to identify subtle feeding cues, adjust positioning and manage expectations. We will discuss practical tools that empower parents to confidently support their breastfeeding journey post-discharge.
Expressing Breastmilk: Theory and Workshop
Expressing breastmilk is often recommended to boost supply or support feeding when challenges arise, but do we really equip parents with the right information to succeed? Despite seeing multiple IBCLC’s early in my own journey, I found the most useful guidance from an exclusive expressing Facebook group - a reminder that lived experience can offer invaluable insights. In this session, we’ll dive into what parents truly need to know about expressing: the good, the bad, and the often overlooked. In a hands on workshop we will explore different pumps, how to use settings effectively, flange sizing myths and realities, and how to tailor education that employers rather than overwhelms.
Common Neonatal Issues and Resuscitation Update
While most babies make a smooth transition to life outside the womb, around 10% need extra support - and even with modern screening, unexpected congenital issues can still arise. In this session, we’ll review the most common challenges encountered in newborn care and share an up-to-date refresher on neonatal resuscitation. You’ll learn how to recognise critical signs early, strengthen your intervention skills, and respond with confidence when every second matters. There will be opportunity to get ‘signed-off’ on your neonatal resuscitation mandatories in the practical workshop that accompanies this session.
Breastfeeding 101 for Midwives
Results from my master’s research showed that fewer than 35% of new parents feel properly prepared for breastfeeding at discharge from hospital. In this session, we will discuss how breastfeeding really works and what new parents want to know so that you can help them achieve their goals. We’ll explore the common gaps in knowledge and confidence that parents face and highlight practical ways you can offer meaningful support from day one. By understanding both the physiology and the lived experience you’ll be better equipped to empower families during this critical transition. This information will also be explored further in hands-on practical workshops.
Mental Health in Maternity
This session explores the vital role midwives play in recognising, understanding and supporting women experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. We’ll discuss common presentations, effective communication strategies, and the range of resources available to help women access the support they need - not just in maternity care, but in their broader journey towards wellness.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Fact or Fiction
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a significant condition to identify and manage during pregnancy - yet its diagnosis often triggers a cascade of changes in model of care and birth planning that leave women and midwives alike questioning the necessity of screening. When should GDM be screened for, and why do the diagnostic parameters keep changing? This session will provide a clear and current understanding of GDM, covering the latest evidence-based guidelines, and alternative approaches to screening and management. You’ll also walk away with practical tools for educating women on both the prevention and amendment of GDM in a way that empowers, not alarms.
Evidence 101: ARM, PROM, CTGs, VEs, Post-Dates, PPH, GBS, RSV…
Staying current with evidence is essential for safe, woman-centred care. A key part of being ‘with woman’ is equipping her with clear, up-to-date information to support informed decision-making. In this fast-paced session, we’ll succincly review the latest research and statistics on:: ARM / PROM, third stage management, CTGs, RSV, post-dates, water birth, vaginal examinations, postpartum haemorrhage, and GBS. This relevant, up-to-date information will help you support women to make informed choices. You’ll receive a digital copy of links to our favourite resources to refer back to and share with the women you support.
Iron Deficiency in Pregnancy
Iron deficiency - both with and without anaemia - is the most common micronutrient deficiency in pregnancy and globally. This clear, practical masterclass will cover the key causes, symptoms, and evidence-based management options, including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. You’ll learn how to confidently interpret iron-related blood results and how to support women experiencing iron deficiency in a way that’s both clinically sound and woman-centred. This is the kind of information you’ll return to again and again in your day-to-day midwifery practice.
Routine Investigations
Routine investigations in pregnancy can provide midwives and women with valuable information to aid informed decision making. But how well do you understand the information provided by these investigations? In this session we will expand our understanding of the common pathology and ultrasound results in pregnancy, including routine blood tests, urinalysis, GBS swab and ultrasound reports.
OUR TEAM
Jaimee
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The Midwives' Midwife
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Justine
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Cherished Parenting Services
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Jaimee • The Midwives' Midwife • Justine • Cherished Parenting Services •
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Jaimee Smith
THE MIDWIVES’ MIDWIFE
Jaimee is an endorsed privately practicing midwife who has been working out of the Launceston Birth Centre - Australia’s oldest independent birth house - for the past 6 years. The foundation of Jaimee’s thriving midwifery practice is relationship-based care that is woman-centred, evidence-based, and within the context of healthy collaboration with a wide variety of other maternity care providers.
After finding herself burnt-out doing the work she loves, Jaimee realised midwives need ‘midwifing’ - aka someone to be ‘with them’ as they are ‘with woman’, and so she started a midwifery mentoring and coaching business, The Midwives’ Midwife where she offers 1:1 mentorship to midwives who want to transition into private practice, or coaching support to burnt-out midwives. She also runs group workshops, masterclasses and seminars for midwives so they can be nurtured and enabled to expand their scope and skills.
Jaimee has presented at many national midwifery conferences and is a childbirth educator, certified relationship coach, and remote area registered nurse. Jaimee was named the ACM Midwife of the year in. 2024.
Prior to being a midwife, Jaimee lived and worked as a remote area nurse for several years on a remote island of Indonesia.
You can find Jaimee online on her website or socials, but her favourite place to be is curled up with a cup of cacao in the sun. She lives with her husband, four children and ginormous German Shepherd under a snowy mountain in northern Tasmania.
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Justine van der Watt
CHERISHED PARENTING SERVICES
Justine is a dedicated midwife, nurse, and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and mother of one. Her love for caring for babies began early - during childhood, she often gravitated towards the baby’s room rather than spending time with her peers at vacation care. This early love for infant care evolved into a lifelong passion for maternal and infant health after graduating as a nurse in 2004. She has worked in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) since 2007, gaining invaluable experience in Perth, Oxford, and London, and as a midwife since 2013.
Despite her professional background and having a home birth, Justine faced unexpected breastfeeding challenges after the birth of her daughter in 2024. This experience led her to start her own business in 2016 to support families navigating similar struggles by brining expressing products to Australia that were not previously available. However, she soon realised parents needed more support, and so she achieved IBCLC certification in 2018, followed by endorsement in midwifery in 2019.
Continuing to see parents come home with similar stories of breastfeeding challenges led her to complete a Master of Midwifery by Research in 2024, with a thesis titled West Australian mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding support in hospital after birth. In October 2024, she took on the role of President of Lactation Consultants of Austrlaia and New Zealand (LCANZ), championing breastfeeding advocacy and policy in Australia and New Zealand.
Beyond her professional achievements, Justine is an avid traveller, having explored 85 countries, and a coffee lover.
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Georgina Bosworth (Guest presenter)
MUMMA G MIDWIFERY
Midwifery chose me and I’m so glad I didn’t resist my true calling. Women, their babies, and families have been the focus of four decades of my practice as a midwife.
I’m not especially awesome but I do know women ARE! My superpower is that I know how truly amazing, complete and capable women are!
I passionately support women’s right to bodily autonomy. My midwifery care is holistic and continuous in nature, grounded in an understanding of the social, emotional, cultural, spiritual, psychological and physical experiences of women.
I live on a farm with my husband and we have five adult children. I have been beyond blessed to be present at each of my seven grand-babies births, the last one born at home.
Long distance running is a meditative practice of endurance which protects my mental and physical well-being. My deep Christian faith holds me spiritually while I hold others.
Testimonials
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What a fantastic conference! I feel I have learnt more than I ever expected and have been inspired by you all. Jaimee & Justine, thank you for being such amazing presenters and warriors in our field, providing amazing content and inspriation for us all!
Allie, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you Jaimee & Justine for a fantastic opportunity to obtain CPD this year! I have enjoyed the presentations so much and can't wait to do this again. Brilliant team and delivery of conference!
Megan, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you for an amazing experience enabling me to expand my midwifery knowledge, skills & FAMILY! (Also thank you for celebrating my engagement with me!)
Kiana, NZ cruise 2024
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Thanks so much for a great cruise education. It was amazing, great content presented, and beautiful midwives. Thanks to all involved.
Jodie, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you for a wonderful conference. Amazing presenters and info! Looking forward to putting it into practice.
Kayla, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you for the amazing knowledge shared by all. My horizon has been expanded, my family has grown. What a great time
Nicole, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you for a great learning opportunity, knowledgable, fun, timely. Fantastic time!
Kay, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you so much for an amazing cruise/seminar :) Lots of fun, great midwives & presenters. Loved every minute of it
Julie, NZ cruise 2024
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Thank you so much for this opportunity. I feel inspired and re-invigorated. Fabulous presenters, group, ship, vibe & energy. I highly recommended!
Anonymous, NZ cruise 2024
Rates & Booking
Prices: Seminar fee + Cruise fee
Seminar early bird $950 (first 15 bookings) - SOLD OUT
Seminar regular $1100.
There are three stateroom (cabin) options available - see below.
Triple and quad share prices available upon request.
To book, please contact Amy Fonti at TravelManagers.
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Interior
From $ 1, 980 per person, twin share
( Limited availability at this price ) -
Ocean View
From $ 2, 040 per person, twin share
( Limited availability at this price ) -
Ocean View with Balcony
From $ 2, 890 per person, twin share
( Limited availability at this price )