Providing continuity of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families
The Galinjera Maternity Program is a small team of dedicated midwives and doctors, who will provide care to you throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond. Regular visits with a midwife you know and trust is important so that you and your baby feel safe, supported and well cared for. The midwives and doctors of the Galinjera team are committed to providing you and your family with respectful care.
What is the Galinjera Maternity Program?
If you or your baby are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you will be offered care through the Galinjera Maternity Program at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s.
The Galinjera Maternity Program is a small team of dedicated midwives who provide care to you throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Regular visits with a midwife that you know and trust is important so that you and your Boorai feel safe, supported and well cared for.
If you are interested in taking part in the Galinjera Maternity Program, please let the midwife or doctor know, or contact the team at [email protected]
Who will look after me if my needs are complex?
If you have complex health or pregnancy needs, you can still choose to have care with the Galinjera Maternity Program. Your midwife can provide pregnancy care together with any other health professionals you or your baby need, and will usually attend these appointments with you for support.
How does the Galinjera Maternity Program work?
The Galinjera team includes four midwives, two doctors, and a social worker. The team operates in partnership with the Aboriginal Health Unit and the Koori Maternity Service midwife.
You will be allocated a primary midwife, who will see you for the majority of your visits. If your midwife is unavailable, you will see another Galinjera midwife instead.
Your primary midwife will be “on-call” for your birth. You can also phone your midwife directly with any worries. When your primary midwife is “off-call”, their phone will divert to another Galinjera midwife. It is good to meet all the midwives on the team, in case they are “on-call” when you birth.
Aboriginal Health Unit and Koori Maternity Service
You can find the Aboriginal Health Unit and Koori Maternity Service on the ground floor of Sunshine Hospital. It’s a cosy place to share a cuppa, have a yarn, and meet the team. They can help you to access any support you need. The Koori Maternity
Service midwife can support you and your family during the pregnancy, birth, and after bub is born.
For more information contact the team at
[email protected] or phone 03 8345 0949
Galinjera is a word from the Wemba Wemba language group that means “to come together and connect with love”.
Western Health would like to pay our respects to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations, the traditional owners of
the land on which Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s is located. We also acknowledge all of the women who have
birthed on this land and the courage, wisdom and resilience of Aboriginal women.
