Born two weeks early, six-month-old Braxton Lewis’ entry to the world could have been vastly different if not for a service dedicated to improving pregnancy outcomes for Aboriginal women in WA’s East Pilbara.
Living in Jigalong, a remote Aboriginal community in the Western Desert, east of Newman, Braxton’s mother Chrissie Lewis had limited access to maternity care. To give birth, as with all women living in the East Pilbara, she was required to travel 600 kms away to Port Hedland or Perth – a 1300 km trip.
The Kids Research Institute Australia, through the BHP-funded Journey Together initiative, is partnering with Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS) to ensure babies like Braxton have the best possible start to life.
As part of the initiative, the Newman-based PAMS is helping ensure women like Mrs Lewis are better supported when they are forced to travel to give birth at or before 36 weeks of pregnancy. And making sure they are well supported when they return home.
The Kids Director of First Nations Strategy and Leadership, Professor Glenn Pearson said when a woman fell pregnant somewhere like Jigalong, or the more remote desert communities, they faced a tough journey to give birth.
“The long-term ambition of the Journey Together Initiative is to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal kids and families,” Professor Pearson said.
Supporting women as they are required to travel such long distances away from home, friends and family to give birth is not the only role PAMS plays to help pregnant women. Aboriginal family support worker Michelle Mogridge makes it her business to get to know every ‘mum and bub’ in Newman and desert communities to ensure they are getting the care and support they need.
From regular antenatal checks and immunisation for their newborns, to education about the dangers of smoking and drinking during pregnancy and how to care for their babies, Ms Mogridge ensures the East Pilbara’s mums and bubs are getting the best start in life.
“If a doctor or nurse wants to see a child or a pregnant mum, I will go and find them and take them to the clinic and make sure they are seen,” Ms Mogridge said. “We make sure they are up-to-date with their immunisations.
“I also have a yarn with them. I tell them alcohol when you are pregnant is not good.
“I get phone calls at night, people knocking on the door. They know me, they know I can help. It’s lovely to be recognised in a town and people know you can do things to help them.”
BHP recently provided PAMS with access to one of their homes in Newman where a clinic has been established and mothers and their babies can find support for caring for their newborn. Ms Mogridge welcomes the mums and bubs to the home, provides advice about feeding and bathing the babies, yarns with them and even watches television with them giving them support as they navigate motherhood.
“If you sit down and have a conversation with them, one on one and talk about anything and everything, then you can get to the part about why the doctor might need to see them is to check on the bubs, and then they understand why the nurse is chasing them. You have to build trust to get their trust.”
Donations of nappies, formula, baby bottles and clothes help families keep their children fed and clothed and also encourage mothers to return to seek help when they need it. It is a safe space and Ms Mogridge has dreams of a backyard with a playground and sand pit so she can watch the mums and bubs grow and flourish.
“I will watch these kids grow and have babies of their own and help them too. I love my job.”