An Intimate Conversation with an MD
USA

Stuart J. Fischbein MD is a community-based obstetrician and an Associate of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, published author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and peer-reviewed papers Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births and Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center births. After completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Stu spent 24 years assisting women with hospital birthing and, for the last 13 years, has been a homebirth obstetrician who works directly with midwives. Dr. Stu now travels around the world as a lecturer and advocate for reteaching breech & twin birth skills, respect for the normalcy of birth and honoring informed consent. Follow him on Instagram @birthinginstincts and at The Birthing Instincts Podcast with midwife Blyss Young as he offers hope, reassurance and safe, honest evidence supported choices for those women who understand pregnancy is a normal bodily function not to be feared. His website is www.birthinginstincts.com.

An Intimate Conversation with Ricki + Abby
Passion Projects
USA

@rickilake
@abbyepsteinxoxo
@businessofbeingborn

RICKI LAKE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER From acting and producing, to dancing her way into the hearts of television audiences, Emmy Award-winning television host Ricki Lake is a pop culture icon who has built a career on her graciously candid sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature. The world first met Lake in 1988 as Tracy Turnblad in John Waters’ film Hairspray. Her additional film and television credits are extensive. At age 24, Lake became one of the youngest daily talk show hosts in history with the debut of The Ricki Lake Show. She has also co-written two books, released a 4 part-DVD series, and served as an Executive Producer of several documentaries. Lake’s legacy and perhaps her greatest love is her role as an independent filmmaker. Her award-winning, critically acclaimed documentary The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and is often hailed as the “must see” film among mothers-to-be. Her latest critically acclaimed documentary is The Business of Birth Control.  In recent years, Ricki Lake has channeled her nurturing spirit and drive for social change into passion projects, serving as a leading voice for crucial issues such as women’s rights and informed choice within reproductive health. Ricki is also a strong advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, having lost her beloved husband, Christian Evans on Feb. 11, 2017.  

ABBY EPSTEIN, DIRECTOR ABBY EPSTEIN made her film directing debut at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with the documentary, V-Day: Until the Violence Stops, featuring Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, and Rosie Perez. The film won the Audience Award at Vancouver’s Amnesty International Film Festival and premiered on Lifetime Television, receiving both an Emmy and a Gracie Allen Award. In 2007, she teamed up with Ricki Lake for their widely acclaimed documentary, The Business of Being Born, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released by New Line Cinema/Netflix and broadcast on Showtime.  The film’s success led to their follow-up series, More Business of Being Born, featuring Cindy Crawford, Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bündchen and Christy Turlington plus a book, Your Best Birth, published by Hachette. Next, the duo teamed up for Weed the People, which premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival.  Weed the People was acquired by Netflix for distribution.  Under their company, BOBB Films, Ms. Epstein and Ms. Lake produced the documentaries Breastmilk and The Mama Sherpas and most recently, The Business of Birth Control.  Prior to her film work, Ms. Epstein directed Broadway theater, helming national tours and international productions of RENT and The Vagina Monologues. 

ABOUT RICKI LAKE AND ABBY EPSTEIN Actress and Talk Show Host Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein’s award winning, critically acclaimed documentary The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007. With over 5 million+ views, an online community of over 100,000, and more than 10 million press imprints, it is hailed as the “must-see” film among parents-to-be. Together they co-wrote the book, Your Best Birth and released More Business of Being Born, a four-part DVD series featuring celebrities sharing their birth stories, as well as an in-depth discussion on the birth process. Under their joint venture BOBB Films they served as Executive Producers for Breastmilk, The Mama Sherpas, and most recently, The Business of Birth Control. The duo also teamed up for Weed the People, (Netflix) which premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival. Their films and work can be found on thebusinesssof.lifeRicki and Abby will be discussing passion projects, breaking larger projects into smaller more manageble tasks and production/directing documentaries to make an impact. 

Nikon Product Demo + live Q&A
Australia

Websites for Birth Photographers

UK

Processing Trauma as a Birth Worker
Australia

Since the birth of my first daughter more than thirty years ago, I have trained as a childbirth educator and counsellor and have been privileged to attend more than one thousand births in hospitals and home settings as a birth attendant.

I have also been honoured to work with many, many more women and their partners and support people during my birth preparation workshops, pre-natal classes, personal birth counselling sessions and in presentations and seminars around Australia and internationally.

Sadly, in more than thirty years of birth support work, I have also witnessed an unprecedented rise in unnecessary medical interventions during birth—and the development of a culture that, rather than supporting women to birth naturally, is actually undermining them.

No wonder, then, that many women are fearful as they approach their labour. Will their body cope? Are they physically and emotionally prepared?

Feedback during my regular presentations to midwives and medical practitioners tells me that my understanding of our birth system is ‘on the money’ but—more importantly—that women who have undertaken my birth preparation classes are better prepared to navigate the many challenges they face when trying to birth naturally.

My passion is to educate women about the impact of our birth culture on the outcome of our births. Instead of fear, I want you to go into your labour with confidence in your body and your support people, and the knowledge that will give you the best possibility of natural birth.

Self-care, Health & Wellness as a Birth Photographer
Keeping yourself healthy in your daily life and how it can help you sustain as a birth worker and birth photographer.
USA

Stephanie has been a member of IAPBP since 2014. She has been supporting families as a birth doula since 2004, is a registered dietitian, prenatal yoga and meditation teacher. She started her photography business, Little Plum Photography, in 2014 and has been documenting births for over 10 years and has expanded her business into shooting newborn, maternity and family sessions, as well as her first job as a director and DP for a commercial. Stephanie lives in Los Angeles with her two daughters, labrador retriever, maine coon cat and two bunnies. When she is not at a birth or editing, she loves to hike, practice yoga, cook, travel and spend time with her girls

8 Weeks to $8k 

USA

I am a queer Black woman, wife, mother, and birth photographer from the Midwest creating provocative art of women birthing below the Mason Dixon line. My work aims to highlight the fact that Black women have magical birthing experiences in light of the harrowing statistics that face us in the United States.

Pic-Time demo
AUS

Who You Are and Finding Your Why
AUS

I’m Belle. Award-winning published photographer. Speaker. Proud mama of two. Unapologetic feminist, collector of punk records, and enthusiastic Espresso Martini drinker (but not all at the same time…usually.). I’ve seen, done, shot, won, and experienced a lot of cool shit during my career as one of Australia’s most sought- after professional photographers, I’m a no-BS mentor and you can find me in Perth, Western Australia.

Lightroom
Ireland

Joe has enjoyed photography since his early teens, but only really became serious about it with the rise of digital cameras. Between 2006 & 2017 he provided Nikon with all their Irish training for customers and dealers, training literally thousands of camera owners at all levels in everything from basic camera techniques through to professional level photography in many genres. Joe is a member of the Palmerstown Camera Club in Ireland, Royal Photographic Society in the UK, Edinburgh Photographic Society, My Photo Club, the Photographic Society of South Africa, and is a regular member and workshop provider in the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Society in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a presenter to many Dublin and Irish camera clubs. Joe’s own work has been featured in many Irish and international publications, books, and by the Royal Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of South Africa. He is also a Getty images contributor, and is an Adobe Certified Expert in Lightroom. When he doesn’t have a camera in hand, Joe lectures at UCD Smurfit – Ireland’s top business school, where he has directed the Master’s in Project Management programmes since 2008.

Sustainability as a Birth Worker
USA

Amanda is an award winning birth and documentary artist based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mother to three wildly unique humans, each with their own birth stories that have shaped her into the advocate and riveting storyteller she is today. Building and sustaining her business to withstand the demands of birth has allowed Amanda to impact and empower birthing people for nearly 13 years. Her most treasured moment was photographing the very first clear drape cesarean in North Carolina; further witnessing first hand, cesarean experiences change for families almost instantaneously. This work is more than photography for Amanda, it’s being a part of the story and giving each family a voice in their experience.

How to Support Disabled Clients as a Birth Worker
USA

Kristen Schell CD(DONA), LCCE is a birth doula, photographer and Lamaze Childbirth Educator. Kristen has experience having to navigate an ableist world as a deaf person which forced/helped her to be a strong advocate. This experience is valuable in how to teach her clients how to advocate for themselves. Kristen resides in Benton Harbor, Michigan, with her spouse and two tiny humans. She enjoys game nights, gardening (when she remembers to water them) and pottery to make birth theme mugs and ceramics. You can follow her on social media and website at kristenschellbirth.com.

Marketing and Design
AUS

Kate Atkins is the Creative Director of Atkins Pro Lab. Atkins in Australia’s oldest print lab, founded in 1936. Kate’s immaculate eye for design has cemented Atkins as one of the worlds most prestigious lab’s offering the highest quality and custom designs. Join Kate as she takes you through her creative process and how you can take that and apply it to your own brand and business.