Maternity Team Program

Taking a two-eyed seeing approach to the reproductive, pregnancy, and postpartum experience, our team intertwines a deep knowing and understanding of the childbearing year as ceremony, with MSP covered primary care. Our dedicated Maternity Elder, Elder Betty Clayton, and Maternity Primary Care Doctor, Dr. Melanie van Soeren, work in tandem to support families across a wide spectrum of reproductive, pregnancy, birthing, and early parenting choices, options, and outcomes. Further, Kilala Lelum’s Maternity Care team currently works in partnership with Huckleberry Midwives, an Indigenous-led Midwifery team based out of Pomegranate Community Midwives, alongside the Ekw’í7tl Indigenous Doula Collective, and the Kilila Birthkeeper Collective.

The Maternity Care team also partakes in regular policy advocacy and systems transformation work, geared towards bettering the experiences of Indigenous Birthworkers in the workforce in rural, urban, and remote settings, alongside the experiences of Indigenous families receiving care. We welcome both community and inter-professional invitations to further this work, with Indigenous Birthworkers available to provide consultation, and collaboration. This work is ongoing and funded through WAGE Canada.

If you would like more information about our Maternity Team program, or if you would like to make a request for Maternity Team services, please contact Program Manager Cassie Sutherland at cassie.sutherland@uihhc.ca