Sarah Stewart

Should lecturers become "friends" with students?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

When I was a midwifery educator, on the whole, I didn't become "friends" with my students on Facebook. The reason for my reticence was more about protecting the students' privacy than mine. But I was also concerned about issues of power and control (both theirs and mine), and making sure that all students had equal access to me, if they wanted it. To be honest...it was very rarely an issue, most of my students had much better things to do than hang out with me on Facebook!

What I have found interesting is that now I am getting an increasing number of requests to be "friends" from midwives who used to be my students and are now out in practice.

One ex-student is really getting her money's worth. She has now enrolled into a postgraduate course, and is using Facebook to ask me and my other ex-teaching colleagues all sorts of questions about academia, study, writing essays at postgraduate level and so on.

It's lovely to be able to support her in this way. And it's fascinating to see how she is incorporating us into her personal learning network.

What do you think about being friends on Facebook with your students or teachers? Is there ever a time when it is OK? Are there other social media tools that better facilitate learning relationships in a more professional way than Facebook?

5 ideas for maximizing free, online professional development

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was sent this response to one of my posts about free, online professional development.

Jenny said
" I was wondering if you had any other tips/hints as to how to make professional development stuff easier that you could let me know about as I always seem to be so busy!"

I have had a think and here are 5 ideas for how you can maximise professional development opportunities that are available online...and of course, are free!

1. Identify what it is you want to know or learn, and make a plan (your own curriculum) about how you are going to meet that need
If you are very busy and have lots of demands on your time, you are likely to be a lot more efficient in your learning if you are focused in your searches for learning opportunities. We all know how much time we can waste when surfing the net with no particular focus. The other advantage about having a plan is that you can measure the outcomes more readily. This becomes very useful when you are asked to provide evidence about your learning, say, for example, for a professional registration/regulation process. In other words, you can not only show what you learned, but how you applied it to your practice/job/work/activity.

2. Be a self-directed learner
It goes without saying that there are times when you enroll in a formal education course, be it an evening class at your local college to a PhD program in a university. As a formally enrolled student, you have a curriculum to follow and to a large part, your learning and methods of engaging with content is restricted to how the lecturers/educators dictate the program.

As a self-directed learner, you can make up your own curriculum and engage with knowledge in what ever way suits you. This is when Facebook, Slideshare, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter etc all come into their own. These modes of content delivery are as valid as any more traditional modes of delivery such as text books, journal articles or lecture. I mean...have you checked out any of the TED talks yet on YouTube....they are an unbelievably rich source of learning, that would otherwise be unavailable to the majority of us.

If you are using any of these tools and resources for professional CPD, integrate them into your learning plan, keep a track of how many hours you use engaging with them, and record what your learning outcomes were.

3. Build a personal learning network
A personal learning network is a network of people (and resources), usually online, of people you follow and engage with to help you to learn. Typically, social media tools are used to develop and maintain this PLN. In this PLN you will get to know who are the best people to go to if you have a particular learning need or question. For example, if I want to know about how I can use social media in my current role of working with a non-profit, I go to Beth Kanter's blog. If I have a presentation to give, I go to Slideshare to get ideas from what other's have said and presented. Not only does the PLN support you in your knowledge-gathering, but it saves you time by allowing you to be focused...which takes us back to points 1 and 2.

4. Make the most of "free stuff"
It is amazing how many free learning opportunities are now available on the Internet. This ranges from virtual conferences and webinars, such as the Virtual International Day of the Midwife, to MOOCs and online education courses. You do have to put in a little time to hunt around for these opportunities, but your learning network will help to guide you in the right direction.

5. Be open to serendipity
The beauty of social media and personal learning networks is that there are lots of wonderful serendipitous opportunities for learning that crop up. This can be a tad challenging if you are time-poor, and want to remain focused on one particular topic. But if you can take some time to chill out and follow your nose to wherever Twitter...Facebook...YouTube...leads you, it's surprising and exciting where you end up.

What would you recommend as great online learning opportunities or resources? Do you know of any MOOCs or free online courses that you would suggest?

Social media policy for nurses and midwives in Australia - what do you think?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

A few months ago there was a real furore amongst social media enthusiasts who have an interest in healthcare.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Authority sent around its draft social media policy for discussion, as a private document, but it soon got leaked and caused quite a debate about its restrictive and punitive nature - here are the thoughts I had about it: http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/ahpras-draft-social-media-policy.html

Since then, AHPRA has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a draft policy that is now open for general consultation until the 30th May: http://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/Current-Consultations.aspx#Consult4April2013

Interestingly, I haven't heard a whisper about it on my social media channels, so I am wondering if people are either unaware of it, or are quite happy with the changes.

What do you think? Are you happy with the policy, or is there anything you would change or add?

Update: here is what Doctor Kruys has to say about the new draft social media policy: http://doctorsbag.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/ahpras-new-draft-social-media-policy

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28288673@N07/4847679257/

Midwives and sponsorship

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sun, 19 May 2013 03:27:00 +0000

I was digitalizing some old photos the other day and came across this one. I am at the far right of this lovely crowd of very happy, and slightly inebriated midwives. The photo was taken at the Scarborough Royal College of Midwives' conference around about 1992/93. I remember it well because it was my first days away on my own after having my two kids, and when I went home they both had chicken pox!

My question is...what is so horribly wrong about this photo?

The answer is that this evening function is sponsored by Farley's, a formula company.

These days, this form of sponsorship breaches the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and theoretically should not be happening. However, what we find is that sponsorship is a lot more subtle and it can be very difficult for midwives to work out what activities or products should be avoided. For example, there has been a campaign running recently against the sponsorship of Cow and Gate, a formula company, who supports free professional development for midwives. It is intertwined with the British Journal of Midwifery and difficult to spot.

As for midwifery associations, they can find themselves between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, they are not always well funded and appreciate all the financial help they can get, but on the other hand, they must stay true to midwifery philosophies, as well as ethical and legislative requirements for product placement.

So...what can you do, as a midwife, to minimize the impact of unethical sponsorship?

The obvious thing to do is boycott companies that use unethical marketing or sponsorship practices, as well as lobby any organization, conference or activity that aligns itself with these companies.

The second thing is to work with your midwifery association or professional body so that it does not need to rely on external funding. Support your professional association by becoming a member, get involved with its activities and governance functions, and attend its conferences and study days. Not only will you have a voice in how the association engages with commercial companies, but your financial and volunteer support will help reduce the association's reliance on outside financial incentives.

What are your thoughts of the sponsorship of professional midwifery organizations and activities? How do you think midwives can best engage with commercial companies?

Saying goodbye to Blackie

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Today has been one of the most difficult days of my life because today was the day I had my cat, Blackie, put down. This is the first time I have ever had to do this with a beloved family pet, and those of you who have faced similar decisions know how painful it is.

I know Blackie was only a cat, but she was my first proper (not counting guinea pigs!) family pet. We had her for nearly 21 years, so my kids cannot really remember life without her.

She was practically feral when we got her as a 3 month old kitten. When we got her home, she disappeared and I thought she'd escaped from the house and we'd lost her. But she had managed to find a small crack behind a wall and hid in that for days until eventually she plucked up courage to come out.

She became the most affectionate animal, and I know my husband will really miss her because as soon as he came home from work, she would call him and cling on to him for grim death. As for me, she would curl up with me when I was on night duty and keep me warm when I was sleeping during the day.

Blackie traveled the world with us. She came over to New Zealand when we moved from the UK. It cost more to bring her over than it did the two kids put together! Another fond (but stressful) memory was driving her down from Gisborne to Dunedin in the car, when we moved house. We had the four of us squashed into the car, with Blackie, and Angel the dog, plus I don't know how many suitcases. It took three days to drive down. We didn't have a cat box because there wasn't room, so we kept Blackie on a lead and took her for walks whenever we stopped for a break. In all our moves over the years, she never made a fuss.

In the last couple of years, she became more frail and didn't move much from her electric blanket. She had occasional fits and I thought she was going to die over a year ago. I think she was trying to reach the world record for longest living cat, which is 24 years - at nearly 21, she almost made it. I also think she had lost a lot of her sight.

Over the last couple of weeks she has got to the stage where she really needed someone to keep an eye on her most the time. Whilst she was happy in herself, she wasn't managing to use her litter box properly, and needed help with finding her food. Sadly, I am now living in Australia and my hubby spends long hours at work, so we felt it was the right time to let her go. However, the decision to have her euthanised was the most difficult decision of my life. My head told me it was the right thing to do, but my heart found it very hard.

In the end, she went very easily - it seemed to me that she was ready to go.

We will all miss Blackie very much - she really was one of the family. She has gone from our lives but not from our hearts.

Media release: Social Media Unites International Midwives - 22/4/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:31:00 +0000

Social Media Unites International Midwives - 22/4/2013 Hundreds of midwives from around the world will gather online for the 5th Annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife. This free, and open online conference, lasting 24 hours, will celebrate International Day of the Midwife, starting on 5th May at 10am, New Zealand time. Frances Day-Stirk, President of the International Confederation of Midwives, will be opening the event. This is an opportunity for midwives from around the world to gather and discuss new research, and meet colleagues from different countries and time zones. "This virtual midwifery event is the only one of its kind in the world,” says Sarah Stewart, Facilitator and midwife, Australia. “It is a truly unique experience because it provides people with the opportunity to network, and have around the clock live discussions with midwifery professionals, researchers and educators they might never meet in real life. This makes it very easy and quick to disseminate and share knowledge and research."

Now in its 5th year, this international conference is drawing speakers and participants from countries as diverse as Kenya, Bolivia, Australia, UK, Spain, USA, Denmark, Tanzania, Haiti, Canada, and India."Meeting colleagues from around the world in a virtual environment will allow us to discuss issues such as safe motherhood, and the continued negative discussion around women's choice and homebirth, and also allow us to stay connected and continue conversations in an online world, past the end of the conference" says Stewart. Other discussions will include midwifery in under-resourced countries, preparing fathers for birth, working with women who have been sexually abused, reducing excessive weight gain in pregnancy, and breech (bottom-first) birth.

"There is so much in the press about the harm that social media can do. In this case, we are using social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and blogs and wiki, in a positive way to bring about international collaboration”, remarks Stewart.

This event is open to midwives, students and anyone with an interest in childbirth, labour and midwifery processes. For further information about the 5th Annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife, please visit the website: http://vidm.org

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:

Australia		UK		Denmark		Canada		New Zealand
Sarah Stewart admin@vidm.org Ph: +61 420 714031 Twitter: @SarahStewart		Linda Wylie admin@vidm.org Ph: +44 1292 316596		Annette Dalsgaard Vilain admin@vidm.org Ph: +45 5116 5553		Lorraine Mockford admin@vidm.org Ph: +1 902 765 8842		Sarah Bandaskak admin@vidm.org

Notes to editors:
1. Photos are available
2. The Virtual International Day of the Midwife organizing committee are a group of international volunteers who are passionate about supporting midwives around the world and facilitating open and free access to learning opportunities, especially for midwives in developing countries:
Sarah Stewart, Professional Development Officer, Australian College of Midwives, Australia Deborah Davis, Professor of Midwifery, University of Canberra, Australia Mary Sidebotham, Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia Chris Woodhouse, Facilitator/Consultant, UK Lorraine Mockford, Instructional Designer, Nova Scotia Community College, Canada Sarah Bandasak, Student Midwife, CPIT, New Zealand Annette Dalsgaard Vilain, Senior Lecturer and Consultant, University College Lillebælt, Denmark Linda Wylie, Midwifery Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland, UK

WHO and competencies for midwife educators

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:22:00 +0000

The World Health Organisation is in the process of developing a set of ‘Core Competencies for Midwifery Educators’. At a global consultation in Geneva in December 2012 a set of draft competencies necessary for all midwifery educators were discussed and further developed. Following this a Technical Review Group was established to further this work.

These competencies are now ready for a wider global consultation. And so midwives and midwife educators are invited to fill out a brief survey which seeks feedback on the draft competencies: https://atrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3F9ZYoaifVwow73

What I am not sure about is the relationship between these proposed competencies and the ICM work in this area, including the ICM standards for midwifery education: http://www.internationalmidwives.org/what-we-do/global-standards-competencies-and-tools.html

What do you think should be the core competencies of a midwifery educator/lecturer?

Image: 'New Delhi Family'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00/2002931359
Found on flickrcc.net

What to think about if you are an association or non-profit getting started with social media

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:05:00 +0000

The other day I facilitated a discussion for the Australian Associations Forum about how to get started with social media. I am not sure if the audience was disappointed because instead of talking about tools and technology, I took them right back to basics and asked them to think about some basic issues before launching into setting up a Facebook account etc:

What is working and not working at the moment?
What do your membership want?
How can you use social media to build your membership?
What needs to change in your organisation to make social networking work?

Here is the presentation I gave.

Associations and social media from Sarah Stewart

http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs/associations-and-social-media

What other issues do you think associations and non-profits should think about when they start up with social media?

Program confirmed for the 2013 Virtual International Day of the Midwife

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:03:00 +0000

I am delighted to be able to say that this year's program for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife is up and running and can be accessed here: http://vidm.wikispaces.com/International+Day+of+the+Midwife+2013

I don't think there is quite the geographical range of speakers that we had last year, but none the less, we have a number of under-resourced countries and indigenous midwifery programs represented, such as Tanzania, Bolivia and India, which is very exciting. And we also have some real midwifery stars taking part, including Hannah Dahlen, Gloria LeMay and Mavis Kirkham.

The main problem we had this year is that we had too many EOIs, so we had to decline some wonderful speakers and topics. At the same time, we did not quite have enough speakers to run concurrent sessions.

It is really difficult to know what to do. On the one hand, it is fabulous to know that we're getting bigger and more credible in the midwifery world. It may well be that next year we have enough speakers to run concurrent sessions. On the other hand, the bigger we get, the more problems we are likely to have, especially with technology. And, of course, with more speakers comes the challenge of finding more facilitators.

Personally, I would rather offer a well-run event that is limited in numbers, than a bigger event that is riddled with problems and does not provide a quailty experience to participants.

What sessions do you think you will attend?

How to Bring the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013 to your Hospital, Facility or Organisation

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 08:31:00 +0000

Here's a few thoughts and tips about how to hook up to the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on 5th May 2013 in the hospital and facility where you work, so that midwives can dip in and out of sessions when it suits them.

Adobe Connect
The conference is being held in Adobe Connect - click here to be taken to the conference room. The meeting room has been kindly donated by the University College Lillebaelt. Here is information about how to set up Adobe Connect and what to do when you join the conference. My advice is to talk to your IT support in plenty of time if you do have problems setting up your computer.

Internet access
Adobe Connect even runs on dial up internet connection, although it can take longer load up. Here are some instructions on how to set the correct connection for your computer when you are in the conference room.

Speakers
If there is only one or two of you sitting around a computer, you should be able to hear adequately. But if there is going to be a few people, I would recommend that you plug speakers into your computer so you all can hear the presentations.

Projector
If you work in a bigger hospital and have a conference room with a computer linked to the internet, you will be able to get more people to see what's going on if you project the sessions onto the wall or a screen.

Microphone
If you do not have a microphone, you will be able to hear what's going on, and you will be able to communicate with other participants using the 'chat' text box. However, if you wish to speak and join in with audio, you will need a microphone.

You can buy very cheap headsets with microphones. If you are sharing a computer with a number of people, all you need to do is plug the mic into the computer and share it around when someone wants to speak. But don't plug in the speaker lead of the headset because no one will be able to hear the audio.

Setting up the audio and microphone
Once you are in the meeting room, you will need to check that you can hear and that your microphone works - click here for information on how to use the audio wizard that will walk you though how to set up your audio and mic.

Having a play
My advice is that you have a 'play' and try out Adobe Connect before the 5th May, so you can make sure everything is working beforehand. The VIDM practice room is always open for you to try it out - click here to go to the meeting room. There will be some facilitated practice sessions in the couple of weeks running up the the 5th May, so feel free to join one of those sessions, especially if you have any questions about how to use it.

Advertising the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 201
Here is a link to a poster that you can download, print off and post up around your organisation.

If you have any further queries about how to use Adobe Connect, or would like to meet someone in the meeting room to test things out, please let us know: info@vidm.org

Social media and associations

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:19:00 +0000

I have been asked to talk to the Australian Associations Forum in Canberra tomorrow about the use of social media by associations - the associations that will be represented in the audience will be anything from the Association of Social Workers to Australian Forest Growers. I will be looking at questions such as:

Why associations should have a social media prescence?
What should go into a social media policy?
How can social media be used effectively, yet professionally?
What tools best suit associations?

Having recently moved from education to working for the Australian College of Midwives which is a non-profit association, I have been reflecting on how my message to associations will be different to the message I used to give teachers about social media in education. The answer I think is fundamentally "no".

The reason for this is however you use social media, the key engaging people be they students, members or customers is that social media is about two-way communication. It's about conversation....collaboration...sharing...feedback....honesty...transparency...

So I am thinking that my take-home message is that associations need to make a start with social media by thinking about the way they do business and want to interact with members and community before they launch into technology, and the ins and outs of Facebook. What do you think?

Image: 'in Spire Jump'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73491156@N00/3809742516
Found on flickrcc.net

Moving office

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:17:00 +0000

The Australian College of Midwives has just moved office, from one of the Canberra suburbs to right in the middle of the city next to the shopping mall. I am delighted with the move for a couple of reasons.

Breast-feeding space
Firstly, we have made a baby-friendly space in the office which will be available for mums to use as a breast-feeding space when they are out and about shopping. This move also makes us a lot more accessible to women who want to know more about midwifery options - I hope our new location will make it a lot easier for women to drop in and talk to us.

Drop-in for midwives
I am also hoping that the local midwives will start to see us as a place that they can drop in and have a chat. And maybe, they will start to use us as a place for disseminating information to women about local midwifery services.

Meeting room
We have a fabulous meeting space that can be used as a meeting room cum training room which will be available to small groups to use, such as ante natal classes. I already have my eye on it for a blogging workshop in April.

My own office
I am also enjoying my own personal space in an office I have to myself. And as you can see from the photo, one of the walls is painted a lovely rusty orange colour which is very inspiring. I know there are advantages to working in an open-plan office, but at the same time, it is good to have a space where I can close the door when I want some private time to think, and do more focused writing. I have lots of space where I can "entertain", so if you are ever in Canberra, I'm always open for visitors.

Temptation
The only snag with this move is that we are now right above a cup-cake shop which provides a daily temptation to me, and is going to be very hard to resist. The up side to that is my gym is only one block away, so if I succumb to temptation, I can go and work off the cup cake in my lunch break!

Tips for student midwives on how to use social media and stay out of trouble!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I was delighted to be asked to speak to a group of midwifery students the other day at the University of Canberra about the professional use of social media. It was really fascinating to talk to them about their use of social media, and I must admit I got a couple of surprises.

It came as no surprise that most of them had a Facebook account. But what did surprise me was very few of them used other social media channels, and hardly any of them used social media for professional uses. I thought it would be because of their concerns about privacy etc, but this was not the case. Rather, it was because they felt they got all the support, access to resources and information, and networking that they needed through their university channels. They also said they did not have the time for social media, and they felt very strongly about keeping their personal lives separate from their professional lives.

My response to these concerns is that when students move into practice, they will not have the access to resources and information, or even networking, that they have as students. So it is very important that they work out ways of keeping informed, and staying connected to the profession at all levels; local, national and international, and I believe that social networking can help midwives do that.

Here is the presentation I gave the students - what additional comments or tips would you add?

Legal and ethical use of social media from Sarah Stewart

http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs/legal-and-ethical-use-of-social-media

Reflecting on "The Big Issue"

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:00:00 +0000

One of the things I have been introduced to in Canberra is "The Big Issue". This is a magazine that deals with issues around homelessness. It is sold by homeless people as a way of earning money.

I came across "The Big Issue" in the UK but never bought it because I thought it was another form of begging - I am somewhat embarrassed to admit to how uninformed I was back in those days. I cannot say I know much more about homelessness these days, but I think I am a little less prejudiced than when I was in my early 20s.

Since moving to Canberra, I have started buying "The Big Issue". The Canberra vendors stand right outside the main shopping mall so you cannot miss them. I have to admit that I started buying the magazine as a way to contribute to a cause, but now I buy it because I enjoy reading it.

One of the things I enjoy reading is the stories of individual vendors.

Judith is featured in this year's Big Issue calender. What caught my eye was that she used to be a midwife. Circumstances totally outside her control led to her being abandoned. However, she now works for Big Issue and has completed a Certificate III in Business.

It was the story of Judith that really got me thinking that it is only the grace of God that keeps me in the privileged position I am in now. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not grateful for that.

Image: 'Homeless woman with dogs'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78425154@N00/256934977
Found on flickrcc.net

What do we want to know about the effectiveness of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013 for CPD?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I am in the throes of sorting out an evaluation survey for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013. I am keen to ask the same questions as we did last year so we can do a comparison this year. However, there may be additional questions that are worth asking, or questions that we asked last year that have no relevance in 2013.

Here are the questions from last year's survey. What would you add, and what would you leave out this year?

1. What is your MAIN occupation or role? (Click only one answer)

Student midwife
Clinical midwife
Midwifery manager
Midwifery educator
Midwifery researcher
Other midwifery role
Parent or expecting parent
Other health professional
Other educator
Other:

2. What country do you live in?

3. How old are you?

15 - 19 years old
20 - 29 years old
30 - 39 years old
40 - 49 years old
50 - 59 years old
60 - 69 years old
70+

4. What is your gender?

Male
Female

5. How did you hear about the Virtual International Day of the Midwife? (Click as many answers as you like)

Email group
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Wiki
Midwifery forum
Personal email
Text message
Face-to-face message
Other:

6. Did you attend a session during the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2012?

Yes
No (Go to Q. 13)

7. Where were you when you joined the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

Home
Clinical facility (eg hospital, birth unit)
University or college
Library
Internet cafe
Other:

8. What electronic gadget were you using when you joined the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

Personal computer
Lap top
Notebook
Smartphone
Tablet (eg iPad)
Other [ comment box ]

9. How easy was the technology to use?

Very easy
Easy
Not very easy
Very hard

10. What sessions or events during the Virtual International Day of the Midwife? (Click as many answers as you like)

Midwife

11. Overall, how would you rate the sessions you attended?

Very good
Good
Poor
Very poor

12. What was the highlight of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

13. If you didn't attend any sessions, what were the reasons? (Choose as many as you like)

Did not find out about it in time
Was working
Was unable to attend for other reasons
Nothing in the program interested me
Do not have access to a computer
Do not have access to the Internet
My computer skills are only very basic
Was not allowed to access the Internet at work
English is not my first language so could not understand the presenters
Not enough information about how to use the technology
Not enough support to work the technology
My computer would not support the technology
My internet connection would not support the technology
I only like to go to face-to-face events
Other:

14. What do you need to be able to join online events like the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

15. How can the Virtual International Day of the Midwife be improved next year?

Email newsletter
Frequent reminders via Facebook
Frequent reminders via Twitter
Frequent reminders via email
Frequent reminders via phone text message
Use different web conference technology
Greater choice of sessions to attend
Improved information about the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on the website
Improved information about how to use the technology on the website
Information about how to use technology on smart phone
Other:

16. Any other comments or feedback:

6 tips for midwives on writing for publication

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I was really pleased to hear the other day that I have had a paper about ePortfolio accepted for publication in a midwifery journal called "Women and Birth". It took nearly two years to write the paper and get it accepted, which has left me reflecting on my experience as an author over the last few years and come up with a few tips that you might want to consider if you're thinking of submitting a paper for publication.

1. Start with something small and non-academic
Even now I remember the very first time I had something printed, and that was a letter to the editor of the Nursing Times in the UK. It was quick and easy to write, and the thrill I got from seeing my name in print was enough to motivate me to write more. If you are a midwife in Australia, send a short article to Midwifery News, which is the Australian College of Midwives' magazine - the editor, Rachel Smith is always happy to receive articles of about 500 words on any topic relevant to midwives. If you're not sure you can do that, then start off writing a considered comment on a blog or Facebook page...anything that will give you experience of putting some words together.

Why bother? The reason for that is because I think it is vital that midwives get their thoughts and work out into the public arena because it raises the profile of midwifery, and enhances our credibility with government and other organizations that we work with. The more visible we are, the more likely it is that we will be heard.

2. Find a mentor or critical friend
One thing I really wish I could do is "whip up" a paper in half a day and get it accepted in a top journal without as much as getting a hair out of place. Sadly for me, I find formal writing very difficult - I am prone to huge generalizations....take 50 words to say something that I could say in 5....and can never quite get to the theoretical depth that editors expect in academic journal articles. So I find it invaluable to have a mentor or critical friend who will critique my work, ask questions that helps me refine what I am saying and provide editorial support. I was blessed to have Maxine Alterio help me with my ePortfolio paper. We went back and forth a number of times before the paper was ready for submission. Her feedback was challenging at times, but I knew it was worth responding because I would have a better product in the end.

3. Co-publish with another author who already has writing experience and has published articles
I have written a number of articles with co-authors and benefited from their expertise and shared motivation and planning. I find it is particularly useful to work with others when I have a mental block, because usually the other writer has the clarity that I lack. However, it is worth negotiating boundaries, roles and even the order that the names appear on the article before you start writing, in order to prevent petty jealousies and academic rivalries getting in the way of the writing.

4. Have patience
Most academics you talk to these days will agree that the process of getting a paper published can be a lengthy one. Even if you are an established author you can expect to be asked to make alterations to your paper before it is accepted for publication. Sometimes, you even have to submit to two or three journals before you find one that will accept your paper. It is worth being patient and responding to editors' feedback, and don't take it personally when you are asked to make changes to your paper.

5. Know when to quit
I have a paper about eMentoring that I have been trying to publish since 2009, and the truth is that it is rubbish. After sending it to half a dozen (or so it seems) journals, and getting the same feedback...that it is rubbish...I have now given up and hit the delete button. Sometimes all you need to do is re-frame an article but other times, you just have to let go, and start again from scratch.

6. Volunteer to be a journal reviewer
One of the most useful things I have done that has helped me develop my writing skills is to be a reviewer for a journal. Being a reviewer helps you recognize what works and what doesn't work with other people's writing, which you are able to implement in your own writing. Journals are always looking for reviewers - check out journals websites for information on how to apply.

If you want more information about writing for publication or a few tips and resources, have a look at the "How to write a paper in 6 weeks" project that I developed a couple of years ago.

Have you ever written an article or paper for publication? What tips would you pass on to new authors?

Image: 'Be seeing you'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19487674@N00/58499153
Found on flickrcc.net

Looking for a virtual meeting room for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

This year is the fifth year of the free, online conference that I facilitate for midwives, the Virtual International Day of the Midwife. Up to now, Otago Polytechnic has kindly supported us and provided the virtual meeting room. Last year we used Adobe Connect, and Otago Polytechnic has offered the room to us again this year. Unfortunately, we have become victims of our own success because this room does not have enough seats - the room has 100 seats and last year we had more than 100 people trying to attend sessions.

So...long story short...we're looking for someone to provide us with access to a virtual meeting room which we can use on the 5th May for 24 hours; have administration right so that we can organise the speakers; be able to access the room in the run up to the conference so we can support the speakers and participants to set up their technology, and practice using the room.

If you can help by providing us with the free use of a virtual meeting room, or know someone who can help us, please let me know. In return, we are extremely happy to advertise logos on all our resources and information materials, such as our website: http://internationaldayofthemidwife.wikispaces.com.

And we're off...planning the 5th Annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife, 5th May 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:30:00 +0000

I cannot believe it, but this year is the 5th year I have been facilitating the online conference, The Virtual International Day of the Midwife, which is held on the 5th May; runs for 24 hours; free to attend; open to anyone interested in midwifery and childbirth.

VIDM 2013 Committee
We are delighted to have the following people on our committee this year:
Deborah Davis, University of Canberra, Australia
Mary Sidebotham, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Chris Woodhouse, Facilitator/Consultant, UK
Lorraine Mockford, Nova Scotia Community College, Canada
Sarah Bandasak, CPIT, New Zealand
Annette Dalsgaard Vilain, University College Lillebælt, Denmark
Linda Wylie, Midwife, UK
Jacob Theilgaard, Denmark

The VIDM 2013 committee met (a virtual meeting, needless to say) on the 12th February 2013. Here is the planning so far; please feel free to comment or leave ideas here, or email me: sarahstewart07(at)gmail.com

1. What technology are we going to use for the meeting day?
There are a number of options we can pursue. However, I am keen to keep things as familiar as possible- it isn't very helpful to us or participants if we keep using different technology every year, because it does take two or three years to become confident with using a particular technology. We also have materials on the wiki that we can re-cycle if we use Adobe or Elluminate, which saves time. The other very important factor to consider is that we need a meeting room that take more than 100 people - we had access to 100 seats last year and at times, this was not enough. We would prefer to use Adobe Connect or Elluminate/Collaborate for the VIDM, if we can.

WebEx - Cisco are interested in sponsoring a meeting room for the VIDM with seats for app. 250 people. Disadvantages are thatWebEX is not a 'sexy' and dynamic as Adobe Connect or Elluminate, and we have never used it before.
Adobe Connect - We are familiar with Adobe Connect having used it last year. We will ask Otago POlytechnic if we can use theior facilitaties again, as long as they can provide more than 100 seats.
Elluminate/ Collaborate - We also may be able to access this via Lorraine Mockford.

2. Process for managing the speakers

Mary has drafted an EOI for speakers with application template - committee to comment on it by the 16/2/13 before the final draft is accepted and disseminated to everyone's networks.
Disseminating EOI - to be sent as far and as wide as possible. Sarah S contact different international mailing lists, Annette with contact the ICM jisc mailing lists for Normal Birth, Research, and Education. Linda will contact Lesley Page (RCM), AIMS and ARM. We will record who is doing what, and our progress on the wiki.
How to judge EOI? Are we going to have criteria for the VIDM conference? Sarah S. will check up on last year's criteria. Mary will check up on ACM's criteria to see if we can adapt them. We need to keep in mind that the VIDM is not a scientific conference, but rather an unconference that aims to give people a chance to present who would otherwise not do so, and also to develop people's digital literacy skills. At the same time, we do want to maintain a level of quality so we remain a credible professional development activity.
Chris and Mary will work out the time frames for the management of the EOI and confirming speakers.

3. Opening speaker

Various suggestions were made, keeping in mind the time zones for when we start the conference.
Mary will contact Frances Day-Stirk because she is the president of the ICM, and ask her to be the opening speaker. Mary will try to find other options if Frances is not available.

4. Social media

Sarah Bandasak, Lorraine, Linda and Sarah S. will coordinate our social media channels, including Twitter and Facebook.

5. Opening and closing sessions
The time that we start will depend on the opening speaker, and when he/she can do it. However, we will start, as usual, in the morning on the 5th May based on New Zealand time.

6. Facilitators and Master Facilitators
We will postpone the decision on master facilitator and facilitator to next meeting when we have a better idea what our technology will be.

7. Time plan and plan of jobs

There are people who have already volunteered to help. We will co-opt them as and when we need them, but will keep the core committee as is so that it doesn't get too big and "unmanageable".
Sarah S. will do a time plan and circulate it.

8. Media release
Linda will work with Sarah S to develop a media release that we can all use to ensure consistency around the world - this will be stored on the wiki for easy access.

9. Sponsorship
Deborah has written a wonderful document on sponsorship but we have left it too late to enact this year. We do need to pursue this more actively once this year's conference is over - it would be fabulous to have our own virtual room that we can use every year without worry about access and seats.

10. Succession planning

Sarah S plans to step back for leading the facilitation of VIDM next year. Linda will work closely with Sarah S this year with the view of contributing more actively with the facilitation next year.

11. No other business

What to do with the saggy bits?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

One of the downsides of losing 32kg of weight is that I am left with areas of saggy skin that I cannot do anything with. My age certainly doesn't help, and after two kids and a number of years of breastfeeding, there are areas of my body that have gone so far south that they'd need a major tilting of the world's axis to ever come right again.

Is there such a thing as a perfect body?
I have been reflecting on this issue of weight loss and the after math, and to be honest, I am surprised at how naive I have been. I thought that by losing weight, I'd be left with a "perfect" body. But the reality is, years of being over-weight and over-stretched has left its toll on my skin. This is an issue that is not addressed by TV shows such as "The biggest loser" - we always see participants wearing fabulous clothes and being very happy, but we never see how they deal with how they are left looking. I must admit, for the first time ever, I have fleetingly thought about plastic surgery to get rid of the tummy roll and baggy underarms that will never go.

Does weight loss make us happy?
The reality of weight loss and the perfect body is also one that has been addressed by Julia Kozerski. Julia is a young woman who lost over half her body weight and like me, felt she'd have the perfect body once she had lost weight. The reality left her feeling very depressed. She has documented her weight loss by photographs, and her very brave approach has started discussion about how we are marketed the myth that weight loss will give us the perfect body, and by association...the perfect life.

Is plastic surgery an option?
I am thrilled that I have lost so much weight, because I am much healthier, and when I have clothes on, I do look much better. However, I also think that we must encourage realistic expectations about weight loss, and build into diet programs such as Weight Watchers, advice about how to deal with the aftermath of weight loss, especially in the more extreme cases.

As for me, as much as I am tempted by the thought of plastic surgery, I would never pluck up the courage to have it. So, instead, I continue to exercise and if all else fails, recommend the use of a good girdle!

Have you ever lost a large amount of weight? What have been the downsides? How have you coped with the aftermath? What do you recommend for getting rid of saggy areas after weight loss?

Image: 'The 1960s-1965 Match ad'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35541543@N08/8092977739
Found on flickrcc.net

Midwives and telehealth

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

One of the projects I am currently working on is the Telehealth Support Project. This is a collaborative project that the Australian College of Midwives is involved with , alongside several nursing organisations, which is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aging.

My involvement is supporting the development of an online education package which will support midwives to think about how they can implement telehealth into their practice, either in hospital or as private practicing midwives. This should be up and running by May. I am also involved in developing midwifery standards for telehealth practice.

Do you use telehealth in your practice? How do you use it? What has been your experiences? What would you like to see embedded into standards for telehealth practice?

What clinical experiences makes a good student midwife?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:28:00 +0000

Midwifery education in Australia is about to undergo a review as the Nursing and Midwifery Board look at the standards underpinning midwifery education. One of the potential controversies that is likely to be debated during the consultation process, is the clinical requirements that students are expected to achieve.

Follow-through (continuity of care) experiences
At the moment, student midwives are required to obtain 20 follow-through, or continuity of care experiences during their education. During the continuity experience, the student follows a woman through her pregnancy, birth, and up to six weeks after the baby is born. Students feel that this experience is an incomparable learning experience, and gives the student a sense of the whole context that a woman comes from, which is invaluable, whatever model of practice the student goes on to work in as a midwife.Students also find it easier to obtain experiences and skills such as perineal repair and vaginal examination when they are working with women they know well, as opposed to complete strangers.

Workload
The problem that students are finding is that these experiences are very time-consuming, expensive and being on call means they are not free to work during their time off. These requirements, along with all the other clinical requirements, are creating huge workloads for student midwives.

Contraversey
There are some midwifery educators who want to drop the number of continuity requirements because of workload issues, whilst others see the continuity experience as a non-negotiable elements of midwifery education, especially as the Australian maternity system is so fragmented.

Need to focus on normal midwifery
Having spent 11 years as an educator in New Zealand, as well as one year teaching in Australia, I whole heartedly support the continuity experience as one that not only provides clinical skills, but also re-enforces an understanding of childbirth as a holistic process, and not a fragmented one which is encouraged by the other clinical requirements such as 100 antenatal visits, 100 post natal visits, and so on. I believe the continuity experience should not be a luxury or add-on, but the essential core of midiwfery education. However, my personal feeling (and not necessarily that of the Australian College of Midwives) is that student midwives in Australia have too big a clinical workload.

If any requirements are reduced, it should be those that focus on the technical, medical skills that are quickly picked up in hospital, such as working with women with epidural, or providing care for women who have had cesarean section - midwives pick up those skills quick enough once they are registered because of the high epidural and cesarean rates in Australian hospitals.

Holistic midwifery
During their education program, students must be given the opportunity to learn about supporting normal birth, and develop a full understanding the role of midwife. They may not go on to work in a continuity scheme as a midwife, but they will understand how midwifery is provided in that context so they can support their sisters who do work in these models of care. But more important, they have a framework on which they can base their understanding of childbirth, and guide their interactions with women and families, especially when they work in fragmented hospital systems.

If you are interested in reading more, here are some references that the Australian College of Midwives is currently collating: http://www.midwives.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=MIDW/ccms.r?PageId=10175

Are you a student midwife - what do you think about your clinical experience? How does it prepare you for practice as a midwife? What would you change, if anything? Are you a pregnant woman? Have you had experience of working with a student midwife? What did you enjoy about having a student midwife?

Image: 'Soheyl'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035803024@N01/3098180874
Found on flickrcc.net

5 top tips for pregnant women about to have their baby

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 23:30:00 +0000

I was asked the other day by some pregnant women to write a post about labour and birth. So here's my top 5 tips for women who are about to have a baby.

My default position is that every pregnant woman should have a known midwife who provides care throughout pregnancy and birth, and home birth for low-risk women. However, not every woman can have, or chooses, either. These tips are for women who have chosen to have a hospital birth, and in particular do not have their own midwife.

1. Do not agree to have your labour induced the minute you reach 40 weeks pregnancy
There's no doubt that every day over 40 weeks of pregnancy seems like the longest day of your life. This problem is accentuated by all the modern tests we have that emphasize pregnancy dates. Gone are the days when women think about having their babies in terms of.... the phase of the moon.... month... or even season. These days we talk about giving birth down to the last day, hour, minute...

The reality is pregnancy varies considerably from woman to woman, and term pregnancy is defined up to 42 weeks gestation. There is evidence to show that mortality increases after 42 weeks pregnancy, however, the number of deaths are few, and each mother and baby's risks should be reviewed individually. My experience has been that when you try to induce labour before the mother's body is ready, the induction process is much longer and painful for the mother, with increased risks of medical intervention at a later stage. This is what we call the "cascade of intervention", which is so often started by unnecessary induction of labour,

It goes without saying that if you have risk factors such as high blood pressure or your baby is showing signs of ill health, then you must follow the advice of your doctor. However, if you are fit and healthy, and have a low risk pregnancy, then resist pressure to have your labour induced. Focus on keeping active, yet relaxed, and spend your time preparing your body and mind for life as a new mum.

2. Stay at home as long as you can before you go into labour
The longer you stay in an environment where you feel relaxed and in control of what's happening to you, the better the outcome for you. The longer you are in hospital, the greater risk you run of being submitted to unnecessary medical interventions. This can be a little tricky, especially when you are expecting your first baby because you don't know what to expect. I find it is often the dads/partners that get nervous and want to take their wife into hospital as soon as they can, so it is helpful to have someone with you at home who can support you. The best thing, if you can arrange it, is to get a midwife to come and check your progress at home, and make sure you do not go into hospital until you are in established labour.

3. Have an advocate with you when you are in labour
By this, I mean, have someone with you who will ensure you have your wishes adhered to, that you are treated with respect, and that your right to informed choice is maintained at all times. I don't think that husbands/partners can always do this because they can become very emotionally involved. So I think you should take a third person who is not so closely related to you. This person may be a friend or family member, or even an employed doula. This person must recognise that there are times when the best laid plans can turn to custard and medical intervention is required, but at the same time, be able to stand up for you against pressure for treatment, or attitudes that are inappropriate, and that everything is fully explained to you at all times.

4. Wait as long as you can before you have an epidural, if that is your choice of pain relief
I have mixed feelings about epidurals. On the one hand, when epidurals are well managed they can relieve severe pain, and assist mum to have a quiet, controlled birth which is a joy to behold. But in my experience, these births are few and far between.

Epidural interfere with the physiology of labour and birth, make labour longer, increase the risk of needing powerful drugs to increase contractions, prevent women from being able to push and increase the risk of a forceps delivery - with the accompanying risk of damage to mum and baby. Epidural also increase the risk of cesarean section for baby distress, which is thought to be caused because epidural increase maternal body temperature.

Bottem line: if you can manage your pain without an epidural, then do so. However, if you decide to have an epidural, leave it as long as you can before you have it because you will increase your chances of having a normal birth.

5. Do not agree to continuous baby heart monitoring with a CTG machine unless your doctor or midwife can provide strong evidence that your baby is at risk
Many hospitals insist that women have a CTG baby heart monitoring trace when they first go into hospital, and even that they have continuous monitoring throughout labour. However, for low risk women, this medical intervention has been shown to have no impact on birth outcomes, and indeed, increases a woman's risk of procedures such as cesarean section.

If you are not sure what goes on in your hospital, check out their policies and guidelines for labour and birth while you are still pregnant. The more homework you do before you go into labour, the better prepared you will be.

What are your top tips for a pregnant women to think about before she has her baby?

If you want to read more details with links to research evidence, have a look at this article: What to reject when you're expecting. 10 procedures to think twice about during your pregnancy. The other blog that presents excellent evidence-based information about birth is: Science and Sensibility. And if you're a dad, may I recommend this blog: Beer and Bubs. As a midwife, some of the places I go for evidence-based information about labour and birth are:

Cochrane database;
NICE guidelines;
The Royal College of Midwives' Normal Birth campaign
Australian College of Midwives Position Statements
Google Scholar - has some academic articles freely available, although they can be a bit tough to read and understand some times.

Image: 'untitled'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48819968@N00/698687002
Found on flickrcc.net

Needing help to develop smartphone apps for the Australian College of Midwives

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:30:00 +0000

One of the things that really stands out to me, working with midwives in Australia, is how "mobile" they are. They do not have the time to sit around for ages glued to a computer, but they do like to access information, resources and services via their smart phones. Consequently, I have been thinking about what services and resources the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) can provide to midwives via smart phone apps.

What could be turned into apps?
Needless to say, there are any number of resources that could be turned into apps for midwives from straight forward pieces of information, such as the Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation & Referral, to more interactive activities such as the recording of CPD straight into the midwife's MPR portfolio system.

Making your own apps?
I know there is software available on the Internet that allows you to make your own apps, such as TheAppBuilder, but to be honest, I do not have the time these days to investigate or "play" with development. But at the same time, the ACM are getting an increasing number of requests from midwives for "mobilize" itself.

Student project
What I was thinking was that developing some apps for the Australian College of Midwives would be a nice project for IT students. So, if you know of any lecturers in the university or tafe sector who might be interested in working with us, please let me know.

Have you ever made your own apps? What software did you use, and what tips would you pass on? Have you come across any apps that would be relevant and useful for midwives?

Image: 'Make the Call'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01/296372880
Found on flickrcc.net

A response (of sorts) from The Warriors about their sponsorship deal with a formula feed company

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:20:00 +0000

At the end of last year I wrote to The Warriors and CEO of the NRL, in my role of Professional Development Officer, about the concerns the Australian College of Midwives has about The Warriors new sponsorship deal with the formula feed company, Fernbaby. Needless to say, the response has been less than reassuring!

Sponsorship deal
Toward the end of last year I blogged about my concern that the rugby league team, The Warriors, had signed a sponsorship deal with a formula feed company. This includes wearing the company's logo on their shorts. The concern is that the World Health Organisation marketing of formula product has been contravened, with the implication of giving mixed messages to families about breastfeeding. The Warriors is giving the message that they support formula feeding, which we know is detrimental to health. This is particularly concerning considering the population that supports The Warriors are at especial risk of exactly the health conditions that formula milk increases.

Australian College of Midwives
In December I supported the posting of letters to The Warriors and the CEO of the NRL, in conjunction with UNICEF, voicing our concerns. Interestingly, there are constraints around rugby companies signing up for sponsorship from cigarette companies, yet no such consideration with this equally importnat public health issue.

Newspaper
As yet, we have not had an official reply. However, both the NRL and Warriors have spoken to a sports reporter, Daniel Lane, and confirmed that The Warriors will be going ahead with the deal, and that it has not contravened the NRL sponsorship guidelines.

In thinking about what we can do next, I am considering that we need to write a paper giving guidance about marketing, sponsorship and issues about engaging with formula companies, for the NRL and similar bodies. What do you think? What do you think should be our next move, or do you think we're getting our knickers in a twist about a non-issue?

The pros and cons of Kobo

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Stewart) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:26:00 +0000

I have been reading books via a Kindle app on my smartphone for some months, but because my phone is quite small, the reading experience has not been a particularly comfortable one - I have found it to be great when I'm doing short journeys, on the bus to work, for example. However, for serious reading sessions, the print has been too small, and I have to be forever turning the pages. When I decided at long last that I would succumb and buy an eReader, my daughter beat me to it and gave me a Kobo eReader for Christmas.

What I like about my Kobo
I am really enjoying my Kobo Glo. It's light to carry and easy to use. The pages turn with a light tap. There are a number of functions such as spell check and annotation, if you want to little more interactivity.

There is a back light which is meant to facilitate reading at night, but I have it on all the time. I am not sure how this will impact on battery time, but I am happy to accept a shorter battery life. The battery is supposed to last for a month, but I am not too sure about this. I haven't had it long enough to assess, but it looks to me that this is a little optimistic.

It did take me a little while to work out how to sync the reader with my Kobo desktop. Unfortunately, the instructions on the website were not as clear as they could be, but I got there in the end.

I have read various complaints on the internet about Kobo, saying that it crashes a lot, but I haven't found that to be a problem - the reader itself works like a dream. But.....

What drives me mad about Kobo
The thing that has put me right off Kobo is the website and experience of buying a book. I have lost count of the number of computers I have used, and Internet browsers, but I seem to come up across the same problems and issues.

Getting messages that say - "Sorry, we do not have any items at the time"

I don't know if the web site crashes at times of extreme use, or what happens. Sometimes, the message clears when I clear my browsing history. The problem is...in one session on the website, I might have to clear my browsing history at least half a dozen times, which is really annoying.

Having the currency appear in New Zealand dollars, and not Australian dollars.

This has come about because I originally set up my account when I was in New Zealand at Christmas. But now I am back in Australia, the currency has not changed in response to my change in IP. To be fair, the Kobo team are trying to fix this, but it is taking forever to come right, and is irritating to say the least.

The other things about the web site that are irritating are:

Having to sign into my account every time I buy a book , even in the same browsing session.
Having to buy each book individually instead of being able to put it in a shopping basket and buy all in one go.
Having no way to save to a wish list.

Comparing Kobo to Amazon

The book prices do not appear to be much different, and whilst Amazon probably has a greater range of books than Kobo, I have always been able to find the books I want on Kobo.

I do not have a Kindle eReader, but as I have said before, I do use a Kindle app on my smartphone. Whilst I love my Kobo eReader, the experience of the Kobo website is very poor compared to Amazon. I have never had any problems shopping, buying or downloading books from Amazon.

The other thing that gives Kindle the edge over Kobo is I am able to download hundreds of free books in the genre I read....historical romance. I even belong to an Amazon email group that constantly updates readers when new freebies are released. Kobo does have some free books that you can download, but no where to the extent that Amazon does.

My recommendation
I don't think I can recommond one reader over another because I haven't used a Kindle. I am certainly loving my Kobo. But my very frustrating experiences of the Kobo website has put Amazon and Kindle way ahead of Kobo. So if you're thinking of buying an eReader, it is worth taking these things into account.

Do you have a Kobo eReader? What experiences have you had? What would you recommend?