Strathcona Midwifery Collective
13 reviews 236 E Georgia St #207, Vancouver, BC +1 604-558-1701 www.strathconamidwiferycollective.com suggest an edit
06 October 2023 7:58
We were referred to Strathcona Midwifery by our OB for postpartum care. During our time with Strathcona, we worked with the Hazel Team (Laura and Stephanie) and had an amazing experience. We were always comfortable asking questions with the team and felt that our decisions were respected and supported. The team visited us both in the hospital and at home, making sure that we were well adjusted to our new life with twins. They were an essential part of our transition to this new chapter. We would highly recommend Strathcona Midwifery!
01 February 2022 16:48
We’ve had the support of Strathcona for the births of all three of our children and I can honestly say that I cannot imagine birthing without them. We were so fortunate to have been in the care of Carolyn and Andrea when bringing our children into this world. Compassionate, knowledgeable, patient centered and grounded - there is a reason why Strathcona is well respected in this city. Our births were not straightforward, and we felt heard and supported throughout the whole process. I regularly recommend Strathcona to my clients, family and friends. Thank you to the amazing midwives for supporting us through the triumphs and challenges in this phase of our lives. We are forever grateful.
16 January 2022 2:32
Words cannot describe the amazing care provided to my family by these wonderful women. I was 36 weeks pregnant when I decided to change midwifery care and the huckleberry team (Tia, Sarah and Cello) welcomed me in. Best decision of my life!
My first appointment I was really scared that I made the wrong decision changing care so late, but met Tia and left the clinic laughing of my worries. It was a world of difference from my previous midwife.
Sarah was the one present on my labour and whom I met with a few times afterwards. Thank you, thank you, thank you! So compassionate, knowledgeable and just overall an amazing human being!
Also met Cello a few times, who came to my home twice after birth and took very good care of us! I felt very cared for and very safe. Thank you!?
My birth experience wasn't exactly how I dreamed of, but for sure was amazing, special and very safe, and I have this wonderful team to thank for!
My first appointment I was really scared that I made the wrong decision changing care so late, but met Tia and left the clinic laughing of my worries. It was a world of difference from my previous midwife.
Sarah was the one present on my labour and whom I met with a few times afterwards. Thank you, thank you, thank you! So compassionate, knowledgeable and just overall an amazing human being!
Also met Cello a few times, who came to my home twice after birth and took very good care of us! I felt very cared for and very safe. Thank you!?
My birth experience wasn't exactly how I dreamed of, but for sure was amazing, special and very safe, and I have this wonderful team to thank for!
09 July 2021 19:42
I had a stillbirth Nov 2019, while under the care of Carolyn n Gillian. Even though it was such a tragic event, Carolyn and Gillian were my angels. I couldn't imagine being able to make it through without their love n support. I wouldn't have anyone else by my side during pregnancy. Carolyn Saunders n Gillian are amazing human being and really great midwives.
26 June 2021 2:35
So, if you decide you want an epidural, good luck. You'll be told it wasn't on your birth plan. Then, after your traumatic experience, you'll seriously be told that you can do a home birth next time, even though you hemorrhaged and had a retained placenta. Avoid.
28 May 2021 4:32
My first birth was a home birth with another midwifery. In retrospect, there were so many interventions during my labour and many tests during pregnancy were done without informed consent. I felt I was told to just do it, or only told about the benefits without being told all the risks. So when I was pregnant the second time, I chose a different midwifery. It was slightly better, but still, when I said I wanted to decline ultrasound and the standard glucose test, I could feel the mistrust from the midwives. And I was told that even though my diet and my lifestyle completely changed since the last pregnancy, I would still be high risk for gestational diabetes. And furthermore, I was told that since I've been eating so healthily, it would be ok to take that chemical drink. It made no sense to me!
Several doulas I spoke to recommended I switch to Strathcona Midwifery. They told me if I want true informed consent and hands-off birthing, that's the place to go. I went in for an appointment with Tia when I was halfway through my pregnancy. The difference was night and day! I felt listened to, and was given some alternatives to drinking the chemical drink for the standard glucose test. And I felt respected and trusted when I declined tests, and I never felt the pressure to justify myself. At the end, I decided to free birth, and I felt trusted and respected for my decision. I had the birth of my dreams and wonderful postpartum care. I can't recommend Strathcona Midwifery enough! If you want true informed consent, feel respected, treated as an equal, and trusted in your ability to make the best decisions for yourself and your baby, and a team who support you in realizing your dream birth, Strathcona Midwifery is the place to go!
Several doulas I spoke to recommended I switch to Strathcona Midwifery. They told me if I want true informed consent and hands-off birthing, that's the place to go. I went in for an appointment with Tia when I was halfway through my pregnancy. The difference was night and day! I felt listened to, and was given some alternatives to drinking the chemical drink for the standard glucose test. And I felt respected and trusted when I declined tests, and I never felt the pressure to justify myself. At the end, I decided to free birth, and I felt trusted and respected for my decision. I had the birth of my dreams and wonderful postpartum care. I can't recommend Strathcona Midwifery enough! If you want true informed consent, feel respected, treated as an equal, and trusted in your ability to make the best decisions for yourself and your baby, and a team who support you in realizing your dream birth, Strathcona Midwifery is the place to go!
15 June 2020 5:16
The turquoise team (Carolyn and Gillian) were truly amazing. We couldn't have hoped for better care. They went above and beyond to help us through a complicated pregnancy.
24 April 2020 22:36
I had great experience with red team. Sarah, Cora and Stephanie are very knowledgeable and experienced, and they answered all my questions. They knows how to resolve a pregnant concerns. Sarah was with me at delivery and I think she did the best work!
19 July 2019 10:39
I moved from Manitoba to BC in the end of my pregnancy. Strathcona was very well recommended by a friend that had 2 babies with them.
This was my 3° pregnancy, the first one with midwives, and was so far the best! The red team is amazing. Jill is so confident, attentive, my first appointment she spent more than 1 hour with me.
Stephanie has the largest smile in Vancouver! And she is so professional! Finally Cora that was with me at my delivery. She was extremely competent and she asked for exames when needed. My labour was so fast with her help.
Also, my first language is not English, and I felt very welcomed as an immigrant there.
If you want a warm and trusthyworth place with serious and competent people, go for strathcona! They can turn this painfull momment to the most beautiful experience of your life!
The "store" inside the midwifery helped me a lot! I didn't buy any newborn cloth and I already returned everything for the next mom. Great idea!
This was my 3° pregnancy, the first one with midwives, and was so far the best! The red team is amazing. Jill is so confident, attentive, my first appointment she spent more than 1 hour with me.
Stephanie has the largest smile in Vancouver! And she is so professional! Finally Cora that was with me at my delivery. She was extremely competent and she asked for exames when needed. My labour was so fast with her help.
Also, my first language is not English, and I felt very welcomed as an immigrant there.
If you want a warm and trusthyworth place with serious and competent people, go for strathcona! They can turn this painfull momment to the most beautiful experience of your life!
The "store" inside the midwifery helped me a lot! I didn't buy any newborn cloth and I already returned everything for the next mom. Great idea!
27 May 2019 6:44
AVOID: Andrea Mattenley and Carolyn
AVOID HER! The clinic is friendly, but she wanted to spend as little time as possible being my midwife when I needed her most. I read the other person's bad review, but I figured she wouldn't need to do any of that stuff so I would be okay. Yeah, hindsight is always cringe-worthy.
My partner called her 3 times asking her to come to where we were staying (a hotel beside St. Paul's Hospital), but she wouldn't come. When she finally came, she checked me, said I was fully dilated and that if I didn't get to the hospital now I would give birth in the hotel (which is not what I wanted). I had already been in 2nd stage of a very painful labour for over 24 hours, was vomiting after every contraction, had not slept nor kept any liquid down, overall felt the worst I've ever felt in my life.
My partner ran to the hospital, borrowed a wheelchair in a huge panic, ran it back to the hotel. I could not move as I was now in 3rd stage contractions which brought the pain to whole new level. While I was on the floor on my hands and knees, the midwife just stood there very uncompassionately telling me to get on the wheelchair or else get back on the bed to have the baby. This situation was her fault. If she had come earlier, I could have just walked over to the hospital between contractions, but we kept waiting for her to tell us when to go. This was our first child and we were both under a lot of stress. (Again, hindsight, we should have noticed she wasn't happy to come to us so we should have abandoned her and just gone to the hospital on our own).
So, keeping the baby from being born as it wanted, I held her in while we went to the hospital in the wheelchair. Midwife told my partner to go to emergency where she would meet him. I told him to ignore her and go to maternity ward, but he didn't listen to me. (Again, both panicking now.)
Finally, midwife met up with us and I got back into giving birth mode instead of bum-in-the-air keep-her-in mode. Birth went quick (obviously), baby got born and put in my hands, yay all seemed like it was okay. I did yell at her that I was tearing inside which she said I wasn't, but okay, whatever, maybe everyone yells that they are tearing. I WAS tearing inside: I got uterine, rectal and urethral prolapse. 2 years later, I still have prolapse even after physiotherapy.
Midwife goes home, we stay at hospital overnight. Next day, baby is spitting up brown. Nurses say its fine, she swallowed blood. I say, I didn't tear and there wasn't blood since the waters burst right before she was born. I call the midwife and ask for pediatrician. MIdwife denies my request and doesn't bother coming back to check in person.
Throughout the day, Baby continues to spit up and throw up brown in larger quantities and starts to have red in it. As in fresh blood. Nurses say its ingested blood from my newly fed on nipples. (it isn't because I've been feeding her by bottle due to poor latch and the milk isn't bloody.) Midwife continues to deny my request to simply call the pediatrician and ask. She says: "I don't want to bother him. What if he's sleeping? " My baby is throwing up blood and that is what she said.
Eventually we get a pediatrician who sees the baby and puts her on anti-acid medication because her stomach acid was burning her enough to bleed. Too much stress during delayed delivery? Acid reflux? Who can know how things might have been different. The baby stays in the hospital for 5 days on medication until the spit up is back to regular milk colour.
The next midwife (Carolyn?) checks in with me because Andrea is probably too ashamed to show her face.or maybe she just couldn't be bothered. Carolyn is sympathetic, but also not good. Carolyn visits my baby in the ICU, but CAROLYN CAME WITH A COLD to the most sensitive place in the whole hospital.
I sorely wish I had gone with a proper doctor as this point. Everyone is all apologies and friendliness, but who cares. Baby and I suffered from my poor choice of midwife.
AVOID HER! The clinic is friendly, but she wanted to spend as little time as possible being my midwife when I needed her most. I read the other person's bad review, but I figured she wouldn't need to do any of that stuff so I would be okay. Yeah, hindsight is always cringe-worthy.
My partner called her 3 times asking her to come to where we were staying (a hotel beside St. Paul's Hospital), but she wouldn't come. When she finally came, she checked me, said I was fully dilated and that if I didn't get to the hospital now I would give birth in the hotel (which is not what I wanted). I had already been in 2nd stage of a very painful labour for over 24 hours, was vomiting after every contraction, had not slept nor kept any liquid down, overall felt the worst I've ever felt in my life.
My partner ran to the hospital, borrowed a wheelchair in a huge panic, ran it back to the hotel. I could not move as I was now in 3rd stage contractions which brought the pain to whole new level. While I was on the floor on my hands and knees, the midwife just stood there very uncompassionately telling me to get on the wheelchair or else get back on the bed to have the baby. This situation was her fault. If she had come earlier, I could have just walked over to the hospital between contractions, but we kept waiting for her to tell us when to go. This was our first child and we were both under a lot of stress. (Again, hindsight, we should have noticed she wasn't happy to come to us so we should have abandoned her and just gone to the hospital on our own).
So, keeping the baby from being born as it wanted, I held her in while we went to the hospital in the wheelchair. Midwife told my partner to go to emergency where she would meet him. I told him to ignore her and go to maternity ward, but he didn't listen to me. (Again, both panicking now.)
Finally, midwife met up with us and I got back into giving birth mode instead of bum-in-the-air keep-her-in mode. Birth went quick (obviously), baby got born and put in my hands, yay all seemed like it was okay. I did yell at her that I was tearing inside which she said I wasn't, but okay, whatever, maybe everyone yells that they are tearing. I WAS tearing inside: I got uterine, rectal and urethral prolapse. 2 years later, I still have prolapse even after physiotherapy.
Midwife goes home, we stay at hospital overnight. Next day, baby is spitting up brown. Nurses say its fine, she swallowed blood. I say, I didn't tear and there wasn't blood since the waters burst right before she was born. I call the midwife and ask for pediatrician. MIdwife denies my request and doesn't bother coming back to check in person.
Throughout the day, Baby continues to spit up and throw up brown in larger quantities and starts to have red in it. As in fresh blood. Nurses say its ingested blood from my newly fed on nipples. (it isn't because I've been feeding her by bottle due to poor latch and the milk isn't bloody.) Midwife continues to deny my request to simply call the pediatrician and ask. She says: "I don't want to bother him. What if he's sleeping? " My baby is throwing up blood and that is what she said.
Eventually we get a pediatrician who sees the baby and puts her on anti-acid medication because her stomach acid was burning her enough to bleed. Too much stress during delayed delivery? Acid reflux? Who can know how things might have been different. The baby stays in the hospital for 5 days on medication until the spit up is back to regular milk colour.
The next midwife (Carolyn?) checks in with me because Andrea is probably too ashamed to show her face.or maybe she just couldn't be bothered. Carolyn is sympathetic, but also not good. Carolyn visits my baby in the ICU, but CAROLYN CAME WITH A COLD to the most sensitive place in the whole hospital.
I sorely wish I had gone with a proper doctor as this point. Everyone is all apologies and friendliness, but who cares. Baby and I suffered from my poor choice of midwife.
19 May 2019 4:56
Amazing service.
Me and my wife just had a baby boy 2 days ago (3d boy). Our midwife was Andrea Mattenley. We are extremely happy with her service. SHE HELPS US A LOT. When we call her she come righ away staying with us all the time answering all of our questions. When the time comes she direct us when to push when to stop all went way better than previous times. Way way better than on duty doctor.
Midwifes are professionals we wish to have try them before.
My wife does not have any tearing stitches with a baby 37.5 head and over 4 kg. Not bad for a Korean lady.
Thank you for your professionalism Andrea Mattenley and Strathcona Midwifery.
You are awesome.
Me and my wife just had a baby boy 2 days ago (3d boy). Our midwife was Andrea Mattenley. We are extremely happy with her service. SHE HELPS US A LOT. When we call her she come righ away staying with us all the time answering all of our questions. When the time comes she direct us when to push when to stop all went way better than previous times. Way way better than on duty doctor.
Midwifes are professionals we wish to have try them before.
My wife does not have any tearing stitches with a baby 37.5 head and over 4 kg. Not bad for a Korean lady.
Thank you for your professionalism Andrea Mattenley and Strathcona Midwifery.
You are awesome.
29 September 2018 3:45
I had the ABSOLUTELY best experience with Strathcona Midwifery! Thank you! I cannot express my heartfelt gratitude enough for their loving care from pregnancy to postpartum.
The Red Team (Cora, Stephanie, Jill, and intern Jo) were collectively the most empathetic, understanding, beautiful, nonjudgemental team of humans, and I'll forever be grateful for them. My son's birth was the most spectacular and extraordinary experience in my life.
After we attended Cora's Home Birth Night at 36 weeks my hubby and I decided on attempting a home birth. Cora is just so darn brilliant and trustworthy- we were floored by her medical knowledge and the statistics of how safe home births are in BC.
Oh and that briefcase! After Cora opened up her medical briefcase we were completely BLOWN away by the complexity of the gadgets and gizmos in it, and WHAT procedures could be done at home if complications arose for either Le Babe or La Mama.
We were fortunate to be able to deliver our son via home birth/water birth, under their angelic guidance. It was spectacular!
When Cora stepped through the door (while I was pushing my son out), the energy in the room shifted. It went from slightly frantic to a sense of calm, security, and safeness. Stephanie rolled up shortly after and brought her additional warmth and knowledge. Their amazing midwifery student Jo, caught our baby.
I had some complications at the end with my placenta, and their breadth of knowledge on how to handle this was remarkable.
I felt safe the entire time and my heart trusted them 110 percent.
Oh my! And then there was their postpartum care. The midwives were a strong and much needed support force through the ups and downs of the hazy postpartum weeks.
If the RED TEAM wasn't covered by MSP, I would pay for their services. I pray I will be graced with their extraordinary care once again for my next one.
Kinda makes me want to get pregnant again sooner than later. ;)
Gratitude and words cannot express my LOVE for the RED TEAM! They are making such an impact and difference in their community.
Thank you.
The Red Team (Cora, Stephanie, Jill, and intern Jo) were collectively the most empathetic, understanding, beautiful, nonjudgemental team of humans, and I'll forever be grateful for them. My son's birth was the most spectacular and extraordinary experience in my life.
After we attended Cora's Home Birth Night at 36 weeks my hubby and I decided on attempting a home birth. Cora is just so darn brilliant and trustworthy- we were floored by her medical knowledge and the statistics of how safe home births are in BC.
Oh and that briefcase! After Cora opened up her medical briefcase we were completely BLOWN away by the complexity of the gadgets and gizmos in it, and WHAT procedures could be done at home if complications arose for either Le Babe or La Mama.
We were fortunate to be able to deliver our son via home birth/water birth, under their angelic guidance. It was spectacular!
When Cora stepped through the door (while I was pushing my son out), the energy in the room shifted. It went from slightly frantic to a sense of calm, security, and safeness. Stephanie rolled up shortly after and brought her additional warmth and knowledge. Their amazing midwifery student Jo, caught our baby.
I had some complications at the end with my placenta, and their breadth of knowledge on how to handle this was remarkable.
I felt safe the entire time and my heart trusted them 110 percent.
Oh my! And then there was their postpartum care. The midwives were a strong and much needed support force through the ups and downs of the hazy postpartum weeks.
If the RED TEAM wasn't covered by MSP, I would pay for their services. I pray I will be graced with their extraordinary care once again for my next one.
Kinda makes me want to get pregnant again sooner than later. ;)
Gratitude and words cannot express my LOVE for the RED TEAM! They are making such an impact and difference in their community.
Thank you.
13 September 2018 4:15
The Red team (Cora, Stephanie and Jill) is amazing, they are knowledgeable, approachable and very professional. As new immigrants in this country, my wife and I concerned a lot about having a baby here, the cultural difference, medical systems and terminologies made us worried. The Red team provided excellent support from the very beginning to post delivery, they answered all of our concerns with facts and data, also encouragements and care. Working with the Red team helped us feel relieved. I would highly recommend the Red team to any to-be parents.