Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women's Health Nurses (CAPWHN)

10/07/2025

What are Max & Jenn up to just days away from the CAPWHN/CANN Conference?

They’re delivering an incredible haul of diapers from the CAPWHN 6th Annual Diaper Drive! 🍼✨

A huge thank you to everyone who donated — your generosity will make a real difference for local families.

After learning about The Diaper Bank on social media, Max and Jenn decided it was the perfect place to bring the donations. The Diaper Bank was started just one month ago by Lydia, who’s been running it right out of her bedroom! 💕 She connects with multiple families in need every single day.
If you’d like to support this amazing grassroots initiative, visit their page to learn how you can help:

🔗 https://www.facebook.com/share/17Do7vjcw7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/06/2025

✨Introducing Max and Jenn, our incredible CAPWHN/CANN Conference Co-Chairs!
As dedicated and compassionate nurses, they’ve poured their energy, expertise, and heart into creating an inspiring and seamless conference experience for everyone. Thank you, Max and Jenn, for your outstanding leadership and commitment!

👩‍⚕️ Jennifer Jollymore, BSc N, BSc (Psych), RN, IBCLC, PNC(C)
Jenn is a Clinical Nurse Specialist on the Birth Unit at IWK Health with 17 years of dedicated experience in perinatal care. As part of a dynamic CNS team, she supports patients and families facing complex medical and psychosocial challenges across the Women’s & Newborns Health Program. Jenn is passionate about transforming birth experiences and fostering a new culture around childbirth. She’s also a proven leader in quality improvement and interprofessional collaboration. Outside the hospital, Jenn balances grad studies and life with her supportive partner and their big, blended family of seven children.
👩‍⚕️ Maxine Bernard, RNC, BScN, MHS
Max brings over 30 years of perinatal nursing expertise from both Canada and the USA to her role as Clinical Leader of Development at IWK Health’s Birth Unit. She leads education, policy development, and quality initiatives with a focus on simulation-based learning and reducing birth trauma through evidence-based practices. Max is a dedicated advocate for interdisciplinary obstetrical education and improving patient outcomes. She currently serves on the CAPWHN Board of Directors and Clinical Practice Committee, championing perinatal and women’s health. At home, Max enjoys life with her husband and two daughters, along with reading, music, and quality time with loved ones.

10/03/2025

✨ Behind the Scenes ✨
Your CAPWHN/CANN Conference Hospitality Committee has been hard at work making this year’s conference extra special! 🎉 From planning the social event to assembling door prizes, tote bags, and these incredible raffle baskets – every detail has been thoughtfully prepared.
🧺 Just look at these raffle baskets, generously filled thanks to donations from wonderful people and local businesses!
🎟️ Raffle tickets will be on sale during the conference – don’t forget to bring some cash so you don’t miss out. All proceeds support THANS .ns, our conference charity of choice. 💜
Thank you to everyone who contributed – your generosity makes a difference! 🙌🏻



-Plaster and Pedals
-Annapolis Cider Co.
-Anderson Pottery https://andersonpottery.ca
-The Wine Spa Halifax
-Little Red Door Earings
-Rousseau Chocolatier Co.
-Public Gardens Sketcher
-Vitality Day Spa
-Nu Medical Esthetics
-Maritime Swag Co.
-Circle and Wick Co.
-Chain Yard Taproom
-Grape Escapes Wine Tours
-IWK Dept of Anesthesia
-NSNU
-Joan Forgeron Seamstress
-ORNAC
-Made with Local
-One Patient One Record
-Carolina Najera-Moore

10/02/2025

📣 Specialty Session Spotlight at CAPWHN/CANN Conference

📍 Halifax, NS | 🗓 October 8, 2025

Get ready for a high-energy "Speed Dating" style networking session — no awkward icebreakers, just powerful, purposeful conversations with healthcare innovators who are changing the game.

💡 What to Expect:
✨ Rotate through 5–6 expert-led tables
✨ Dive into emerging trends, best practices & nursing-led innovations
✨ Engage in informal, inspiring conversations
✨ Leave with fresh ideas, new connections & a spark to transform your own practice

Meet a Few of the Experts:

Alexandra Wilson, BScN, RN, PNC(c) & Kerri Marshall, BScN, RN, IBCLC
Kerri and Alex support interprofessional teams in the acute care environment to deliver high-quality care to the perinatal population. They are dedicated to advancing education and evidence-based practice within maternal and infant health.

Dr. Rachel Ollivier (PhD, NP(F), MSCP) is a Nurse Practitioner and Clinician Scientist working in women's cardiovascular health, complex gynecology, and complex menopause care at the BC Women's Hospital in Vancouver, BC. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in the UBC School of Nursing.

Sheila Mills, MN, MN-NP, IBCLC has come to primary care after a 19-year career in pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum care at IWK Health. This experience provided her with valuable insights into the care gaps that new parents face regarding infant feeding after hospital discharge, such as challenges with latching, low milk supply, and oral restrictions. This realization motivated her to return to the MN program at Dalhousie University to complete the MN-NP stream, allowing her to merge her expertise and focus on primary care lactation, or “breastfeeding medicine.”

Whether you're looking to learn, question, or connect — this session delivers big impact in a short time. Don’t miss your chance to collaborate, connect & catalyze change in perinatal, newborn, and women’s health. 🩺💬

09/30/2025

🧡 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 🧡

September 30 is a time to honour the survivors of residential schools, their families, and the children who never returned home.

As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to reflect, learn, and act. The Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN) calls on all of us to uphold cultural safety in health care.

📣 Read and share the CAPWHN Cultural Safety Position Statement, including the Calls to Action to promote respectful, safe, and equitable care for Indigenous Peoples:

👉 https://capwhn.ca/position-statements/

09/26/2025

✨ Today is World Contraception Day ✨

Contraception is more than family planning — it’s about choice, dignity, and empowerment. 💪🏽💜

Access to safe, effective contraceptives helps:

✔ Protect health

✔ Prevent unplanned pregnancies

✔ Support women’s education & opportunities

Together, let’s break the stigma, spread awareness, and stand for every woman’s right to make informed decisions about her body. 🌍💊

09/23/2025

“The SOGC notes that acetaminophen remains a safe and appropriate option for managing fever and pain in pregnancy when used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time necessary.”

The SOGC’s recent position statement reaffirming the safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy was featured in a CBC News article covering new U.S. government moves to add warnings linking Tylenol to autism.

The SOGC notes that acetaminophen remains a safe and appropriate option for managing fever and pain in pregnancy when used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary time. It also stresses that untreated fever poses its own risks and that the current evidence does not support a causal link between acetaminophen and autism.

Read the full CBC story here: https://sogc.org/en/content/featured-news/SOGC-Position-on-Acetaminophen-in-Pregnancy-Featured-in-CBC-Article.aspx

For more information, please refer to the full SOGC Position Statement on the use of Acetaminophen for Analgesia and Fever in Pregnancy:https://sogc.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Position%20Statements/SOGC%20Position%20Statement%20Acetamenophin_EN_20250911.pdf

09/22/2025

Conference Spotlight Session

🎤 Mobilizing What Matters: Creating Meaningful Impact in Perinatal, Newborn and Women’s Health
🗓 October 8, 2025
📍 Halifax, Nova Scotia
🩺 CAPWHN/CANN National Conference 2025

Are you ready to transform the way we deliver care across the perinatal period?

Join Kelly DeCoste RN MN PhD(c) & Maddie Gallant RN PhD(c) — two powerhouse nurses with a passion for implementation science and sustainable healthcare innovation — for a dynamic and engaging session that will leave you inspired and equipped to mobilize knowledge into real-world change.

💡 In this session, you will:
✅ Explore the concept of knowledge mobilization and the importance of effective mobilization strategies in creating meaningful change
✅ Identify knowledge mobilization tools available to support knowledge translation in practice
✅ Build their capacity in knowledge mobilization through engagement in a case-based exercise

09/20/2025

Beyond Pink and Blue: Gender Inclusivity in Perinatal Care
📍 Halifax, Nova Scotia
📅 October 8, 2025
🎓 Specialty Session – CAPWHN/CANN National Conference

Join us for a timely and practical session with Dr. Cockwell, one of four GREIs at Atlantic Fertility, a physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the IWK, and a faculty member at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Cockwell is a passionate advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, with a special interest in improving access and breaking down barriers in reproductive care. She has led campaigns with DoctorsNS and MSI to expand fertility coverage to all individuals — regardless of gender, identity, orientation, or relationship status — and continues to champion inclusive care both locally and provincially🌈

✨ In this session, providers will gain:
🔹 A deeper understanding of gender diversity & inclusivity and its importance
🔹 Insight into barriers faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals
🔹 Practical tools to make your care spaces more respectful and welcoming

09/16/2025

Workshop Spotlight at CAPWHN/CANN Conference! 🌿

Join us for "Indigenous Birth Practices: Honouring Mi’kmaw Teachings in Maternal and Infant Care in Clinical Settings" with the incredible Paulina Meader.

— Paulina Meader is an LPN and the Health Director at the Wije'winen Health Centre (an urban Indigenous primary care centre within the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre) and is faculty at the Nova Scotia Community College for the Mi'kmaw Indigenous Practical Nursing program.
Paulina is a proud Mi'kmaw woman from the traditional lands of Unama’ki who grew up in Membertou First Nation. She draws from her experiences as an Indigenous woman, a nurse, a birth-worker, a knowledge keeper, a ceremonial practitioner, and a person who lives with a chronic disease. She is a fierce and effective advocate against systemic racism in healthcare - especially when it comes to end of life, pediatrics, and care of birthing parents.

This powerful session invites healthcare professionals to walk the path of Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk) — blending Indigenous and Western knowledge systems — and to explore Mi’kmaw perspectives on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as sacred, interconnected journeys.

✨ What you’ll explore:
🪶 Traditional Mi’kmaw teachings & ceremonies
🫶 Trauma-informed cultural safety
👶 Birth & postpartum practices rooted in Netukulimk and Msit No’kmaq
🤝 Strategies to support allyship & culturally competent care in clinical settings



Let’s honour birth as ceremony, and support healing through culture, connection, and community. 💛

09/12/2025

🌟 New Pre-Conference Event Added! 🌟

We are excited to announce that a new pre-conference event has been added to the 2025 CAPWHN National Conference program:

2nd Annual NS Perinatal Mental Health Symposium
📅 October 7, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
📍 The Westin Nova Scotian

This half-day educational and networking opportunity will bring together national and local experts to share the latest research and initiatives in Perinatal Mental Health.

✨ Program Highlights:
• 1:00–1:20 – Welcome & Opening Remarks
• 1:20–2:00 – Keynote Presentation
• 2:00–2:45 – Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion
• 2:45–3:15 – Break & Networking
• 3:15–4:00 – Breakout Workshops
• 4:00–5:00 – Workshop Summary & Closing

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues and deepen your knowledge in an important area of practice.

👉 Reserve your spot today! https://capwhn2025.secure-registration.com/en/vr3kw7/event

09/11/2025

🌟 KEYNOTE SPOTLIGHT 🌟

“The Benefits of Skin-to-Skin: Learning from Across the Perinatal Care Continuum”

📍 CAPWHN/CANN National Conference | Halifax, NS

Join us for a powerful keynote panel led by the esteemed Dr. Marsha Campbell-Yeo — neonatal nurse practitioner at IWK Health, clinical scientist, and Full Professor at Dalhousie University — as we dive into the evidence-based benefits of skin-to-skin contact from birth through the postpartum period.

👶💗 Skin-to-skin contact isn’t just a moment — it’s a critical practice that transforms outcomes for both newborns and their parents. This panel brings together birthing, neonatal, and parenting experts to explore:

✔️ The physiological & psychological benefits of skin-to-skin

✔️ Real-world strategies from Labour & Delivery and NICU teams

✔️ Insights from an innovative birthing suite–NICU collaboration

✔️ Lived experiences from a parent partner

✔️ Resources from the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation



🎤 Featuring:

🔹 Dr. Marsha Campbell-Yeo – Founder of the MOM-LINC Lab, Royal Society of Canada Scholar, & one of Canada’s top 150 nurses

🔹 NICU & L&D nurses

🔹 Parent partner

🔹 CPBF representatives



✨ Whether you're working in the NICU, Labour & Delivery, postpartum care—or supporting families along the way—this is a must-attend session for anyone passionate about improving maternal-newborn outcomes through compassionate, evidence-based care.

Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses (CANN)Canadian Premature Babies Foundation