Sunday 7 March 2026 - PCYC Whitsundays - 9AM - 2.45PM
Maternal Wellbeing Symposium
For mothers of all ages and stages – for the people who love them and the practitioners who support them. We’re bringing together services, speakers, experts and information into one room – because maternal wellbeing is everybody’s responsibility.
Who you'll hear from
Dr Winne Orchard
Dr Winnie Orchard is Australia’s leading cognitive neuroscientist specialising in how pregnancy and caregiving reshape the brain.
Holding a PhD from Monash University and a postdoctoral fellowship from Yale, her research show that the neurological transformation during matrescence is not a footnote in maternal health, but one of the most significant aspects of our development.
Winnie will be focusing on the biological changes in the brain during pregnancy and the impact parenting and the mental load has on the maternal brain.
Dr Camille Rains
PERINATAL PHYSIOTHERAPIST
A physiotherapist specialising in women’s pelvic health with over 25 years of clinical experience and a Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Camille specialises in postpartum recovery, pelvic floor rehabilitation and perimenopause support.
Bringing a compassionate, whole-person approach to the stories women are rarely given room to tell, she’ll be focusing on the warning signs, symptoms and the lasting impacts that are often dismissed.
Dr Alice Harriott
MATERNAL ORAL HEALTH
A partner at Whitsunday Family Dental and a familiar face in the local community, Alice holds a BDSc with Honours from the University of Queensland and a Fellowship with the International College of Oral Implantologists, and has served Whitsunday families for over a decade. At the symposium she’ll explore the connection between maternal oral health and wholebody wellbeing – because “you lose a tooth for every child” is more than a saying, and mothers deserve to know why.
Dr Nathan Harriot
PSYCHOLOGIST & SLEEP SPECIALIST
A psychologist and partner at HMM Health in the Whitsundays, and co-founder of Restore Sleep Clinic – the region’s only dedicated sleep clinic – Nathan brings evidence-based care to regional communities, with expertise in sleep disorders, anxiety, mood disorders and trauma. He’ll be speaking on the relationship between sleep and maternal wellbeing, and how sleep changes across postpartum, mothering and menopause.
Amanda Jackson
FOUNDER, MOTHERHOOD & MATRESCENCE
Founder of Motherhood and Matrescence and author of a book by the same name, Amanda’s work centres on matrescence – the profound and often invisible transformation of becoming a mother, including the identity shifts, invisible loads and impossible expectations that shape how mothers see themselves. At the symposium she’ll explore maternal anger and unpack how the good mother myth impacts our wellbeing and our relationships with our children.
Maggie-Laurie Spark
WOMEN'S HEALTH & FITNESS COACH
A former elite athlete – an Australian Institute of Sport volleyballer and Ninja Warrior competitor – turned women’s health and fitness coach, Maggie specialises in functional strength training, pelvic floor health, postpartum exercise and injury prevention. At the symposium she’ll speak about why strengthening and nourishing our bodies matters, and how we can do that as we age.
Dr Nathan Harriot
PSYCHOLOGIST & SLEEP SPECIALIST
A psychologist and partner at HMM Health in the Whitsundays, and co-founder of Restore Sleep Clinic – the region’s only dedicated sleep clinic – Nathan brings evidence-based care to regional communities, with expertise in sleep disorders, anxiety, mood disorders and trauma. He’ll be speaking on the relationship between sleep and maternal wellbeing, and how sleep changes across postpartum, mothering and menopause.
Sunday 7 March 2026 - PCYC Whitsundays - 9AM - 2.45PM
Spaces are limited - secure your seat today
Join us for a day of connection, learning and support for mothers, families and the practitioners who care for them.
Symposium schedule
Doors open 9:00am · Finishes 2:50pm
9:00
Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country
15 min
Session one – early matrescence
9:15
Dr Camille Rains – Pelvic Rehabilitation
25 min
9:40
Dr Nathan Harriot – Sleep
25 min
10:05
Dr Winnie Orchard – Brain Changes in Matrescence
40 min
Morning tea
25 min
Session two – the invisible loads
11:10
Amanda Jackson – The Good Mother Myth
25 min
11:35
Dr Winnie Orchard – The Mental Load & the Maternal Brain
40 min
12:15
Dr Alice Harriott – Oral Health & Holistic Wellbeing
25 min
Lunch
30 min
Session three – the long game
1:10
Maggie-Laurie Spark – Building Strength for Longevity
25 min
1:35
Amanda Jackson – Alchemising Anger
25 min
2:00
Dr Nathan Harriot – Peri/Menopause & Sleep
25 min
2:25
Prize giveaways
10 min
2:35
Close & acknowledgements
15 min
Symposium schedule
Doors open 9:00am · Finishes 2:50pm
9:00
15 min
Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country
Session one – early matrescence
9:15
25 min
Dr Camille Rains – Pelvic Rehabilitation
9:40
25 min
Dr Nathan Harriot – Sleep
10:05
40 min
Dr Winnie Orchard – Brain Changes in Matrescence
Morning tea
25 min
Session two – the invisible loads
11:10
25 min
Amanda Jackson – The Good Mother Myth
11:35
40 min
Dr Winnie Orchard – The Mental Load & the Maternal Brain
12:15
25 min
Dr Alice Harriott – Oral Health & Holistic Wellbeing
Lunch
30 min
Session three – the long game
1:10
25 min
Maggie-Laurie Spark – Building Strength for Longevity
1:35
25 min
Amanda Jackson – Alchemising Anger
2:00
25 min
Dr Nathan Harriot – Peri/Menopause & Sleep
2:25
10 min
Prize giveaways
2:35
15 min
Close & acknowledgements
Little ones welcome
You’re welcome to bring little ones – they remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian.
Silent disco headphones
A number of silent disco headphones will be available on the day for use.
Food on the day
Food options are being confirmed and will be shared closer to the day.
Become a stallholder
The Maternal Wellbeing Symposium is bringing together mothers, families and practitioners – and we want local services and businesses to be part of it. We’re inviting local businesses, health practitioners, community organisations and service providers whose work supports maternal and family wellbeing to join us.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO
- Make your services visible to mothers who need them
- Connect with other local practitioners and services
- Contribute to a community-wide conversation about maternal wellbeing
- Be part of something meaningful - the day before International Women's Day