Indigenous Midwifery Program

Kihkentamowin ekwa mashkihki miiniwewin

“Knowledge and Medicine Sharing”

Here at SGMT, our Midwives have privileges at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Sunnybrook hospital has a long-standing partnership with us and we are committed to working together to provide the Indigenous community with support through the DAN Woman and Babies program. We have two Hospitalist Midwives Claire Osepchook and Odaemin Mckay who work with Sunnybrook staff to help give you a culturally safe experience and offer various forms of ceremony should you or your baby require hospital care.

Kihkentamowin ekwa mashkihki miiniwewin “Knowledge and Medicine Sharing”

Cultural Support for Indigenous Patients of the DAN Women and Babies Program

SGMT has support for Indigenous patients in Sunnybrook’s DAN Women and Babies Program. Please ask your midwife, doctor or nurse at Sunnybrook about the following:

  1. Indigenous-led Midwife Hospitalists who can support you by creating a culturally safe experience at the hospital

  2. Placenta as ceremony

  3. Smudging ceremony, cedar bath and traditional medicines

Indigenous-led Midwife Hospitalists who can support you by creating a culturally safe experience at the hospital

  • Join your health care team for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum care in a supportive role

  • Provide more time for you to ask questions

  • Attend outpatient appointments

  • Visit you during your hospital stay (incIuding NICU)

  • Answer questions about you or your baby’s health

  • Help with communication between you, your family and your health care team

  • Support you to incorporate Indigenous culture into your pregnancy, birth and postpartum plans

  • Connect you with other practitioners, community services or resources

Placenta as Ceremony

  • Ceremonies for the placenta are common and seen as sacred in many Indigenous communities

  • Patients are rightfully able to keep their placenta for this purpose

  • Please tell your care team if you wish to keep your placenta

  • Should your placenta go for testing, you can ask for it to be returned to you

  • Ask the Midwife Hospitalist for more information about Placenta as Ceremony

Smudging Ceremony, Cedar Bath and Traditional Medicines

  • Smudging ceremonies can be done in the Birthing Unit, High Risk Obstetrics, Maternal Newborn Unit and a special room in the NICU. You must tell your nurse or midwife that you would like to smudge so alarms are not set off.

  • Cedar baths are another important ceremony that you can do with your baby in the hospital or at home

  • Medicines are available on request from the Midwife Hospitalist including; sage, sweet grass, tobacco and cedar

  • If you would like a helper or support for a ceremony, please ask for a referral to the Midwife Hospitalist or if you have other cultural practices or ceremony not mentioned here that are important to you please let us know how we can support this

How to Get a Referral for these Supports:

  • Ask your health care practitioner for a referral to the Midwife Hospitals: Odaemin McKay-Loescher and Claire Osepchook

  • Email the midwife hospitals at SBMidwifeHospitalist@sunnybrook.ca

  • Call the SGMT clinic @ 416-530-7468

  • Anyone can make a referral, including yourself