Lunchtime Webinars for Professionals
We are delighted to advise that we offer free informal monthly lunchtime webinars, aimed at supporting and training all healthcare professionals around best practices to improve the maternity experience of parents of a baby with Down syndrome.
Created and delivered by parents, experts in the lived experience of pregnancy and life with a child with Down syndrome, the sessions will provide you with a chance to learn from our experiences, to seek advice, and ask questions.
We believe that every woman with a high chance or confirmed result of a baby having Down syndrome has the right to enjoy a pregnancy free from discrimination and not be subjected to any prejudicial language or attitudes.
Sharing the news - best practice
For many expectant and new parents, discovering their baby has Down syndrome will come an unforeseen surprise. At a time when parents are feeling vulnerable and potentially anxious, support from a knowledgeable and trained expert is critical.
October 2024
Maternity Experiences - the good, the requires improvement and the outstanding
We know there can be quite a lot of variation in the maternity care of mothers who have had a baby with Down syndrome.
In this session, PADS Training Manager, Lucienne Cooper, will be joined live by, mum, Elaine with video recordings from Jennifer and Kirsty who will each share their maternity experiences. We will discuss best practice in maternity care and what really makes a difference.
July 2024
The lived experience of heart surgery and how PADS can help
This webinar covers stories about famiies who have undergone heart surgery and the services we provide to support professionals and families of a little one with Down syndrome.
June 2024
Working with Paediatricians
This webinar covers how we can help paediatricians support families who have a child with Down syndrome. Our guest speaker Shilpa Ambulkar is a specialist trainee paediatrician as well as being the proud parent of a 10 year old with Down syndrome.
May 2024
Health Visitors: How PADS supports families
The aim of this session is to help Health Visitors understand what PADS provides for them as professionals and for the families they work with.
We will look at the use of language, why we prefer person-first language, and at best practices to support parents of a baby or child with Down syndrome.
We will share with you a range of resources relating to babies and children with Down syndrome which we hope you will find helpful. These will include breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, constipation, toilet training, introducing signing and much more.
April 2024
What is it like having Down syndrome in the world today?
In this session we meet four young people with Down syndrome to better understand what life is like for them. We explore the modern day reality of living with Down syndrome.
March 2024
Breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome
In this webinar, our Breastfeeding Coordinator Sarah, talks about supporting families who wish to breastfeed their baby with Down syndrome.
We aim to equip you with the facts and the lived experience of the families we support and leave you confident in the support you give. We will talk about some of the challenges that are faced in establishing breastfeeding and what successful support looks like.
February 2024
What PADS can do for you in 2024
In this webinar, our Training Manager, Lucienne, will update you on all the recent initiatives and resources from PADS so you can understand more to be able to support and signpost families.
Often expectant and new parents don’t know where to go for advice and support, so we are keen to ensure you understand the breadth of our services, which include 1:1 and group counselling with an independent counsellor, breastfeeding support, toilet training advice and the regular information-sharing sessions we have for parents that cover development and health-related topics, as well as the practical support around applying for DLA and, as the child approaches school age, applying for an EHCP.
January 2024
The Lived Experience of PADS Dads
In terms of maternity experiences the dads can often be overlooked especially if the mother and baby need a bit of extra care. We are very grateful to 3 proud PADS dads who are going to share with you a dad’s perspective on having child with Down syndrome.
December 2023
Nobody Told Me the Truth about Down syndrome
We realise that many healthcare professionals have limited experience of knowing what it means to have Down syndrome in modern Britain, and yet are being asked by expectant and new parents about what life may look like.
In this webinar, we hear from three proud parents of children of preschool age, about the ups and downs and everything in between in their everyday reality!
November 2023
Promoting Wellbeing in Neonatal Care
Promoting parental wellbeing in neonatal care. We will be joined by Sue Aucutt, experienced midwife, Neonatal Nurse, and counsellor who will discuss how best to promote maternal wellbeing.
October 2023
What Does Good Practice Look Like
We will be giving some of our parents the opportunity to share what good maternity practice looks like to them both antenatally & postnatally and the positive effect it had on their mental wellbeing.
We will also be joined by Lisa Bullows, screening lead midwife at Birmingham Women’s Hospital who will share what a wonderful impact excellent care can have on pregnancy outcomes and the maternity experiences of women where Down syndrome is suspected or detected.
September 2023
The Lived Maternity Experience of a Clinical Psychologist
The lived experience of a Clinical Psychologist and Parent. PADS Training Manager Lucienne Cooper will be joined by Dr Karla Maguire to discuss the impact of care on expectant and new parents’ mental wellbeing.
Karla will share her own experience of receiving a post-natal diagnosis, discussing what worked well and where there was room for improvement.
June 2023
Sonography and Antenatal screening for Down syndrome
Guest speaker, Gill Harrison, from the Society and College of Radiographers. Gill has over 30 years in clinical practice and education.
Alongside Lucienne Cooper, PADS Training Manager, she will be looking at the role of the sonographer within antenatal screening around Down syndrome and foetal development during pregnancy.
April 2023
Living with Down syndrome in the 21st Century
This session will look at the lived experience of living with Down syndrome in the 21st century.
At Down Syndrome UK, we believe it is crucial for professionals working in maternity care to have a contemporary understanding of living with Down syndrome. In this webinar we will be joined by two young people with Down syndrome keen to share an insight into their lives.
March 2023
Antenatal Care Pathway
Delivered by Jo Hargrave and Anne Shurlock of St George’s Hospital London, together with Lucienne Cooper of Down Syndrome UK and Dr Liz Corcoran of the Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation.
Sharing an insight into the development and implementation of the St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust antenatal Pathway, which was introduced in December 2020 for pregnancies suspected or diagnosed with Down syndrome and was created based on the latest evidence and taking into account poor care experiences.
This session will discuss why the pathway was developed, its content and the impact it has had where implemented.
November 2022
Breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome
Breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome led by our Breast Feeding Supporter Sarah Ojar, who will be sharing our research and extensive knowledge and experience around this subject. There will also be a short introduction around the importance of language and an overview of the services PADS provides to parents and professionals.
October 2022