Choosing a practitioner

A multidisciplinary team will support you during your pregnancy, delivery and recovery.

If you want to have your baby at St. Paul’s Hospital, the first step is to find a care provider to look after you during pregnancy and childbirth. Your care provider can be a family doctor, registered midwife or obstetrician. Your choice will depend on your health-care needs and personal preferences.

A man and a woman wearing blue scrubs stand with their arms around each other in the hallway of a hospital

If you have a family doctor, ask if they deliver babies at St. Paul’s Hospital. If yes, most family doctors are able to support low and moderate risk pregnancies.

If you don’t have a family doctor, or if they don’t deliver at St. Paul’s Hospital, you can self-refer to the St. Paul’s Maternity Care Clinic. The clinic has family doctors and midwives who can provide your pregnancy care.

Clinic staff provide comprehensive care during your pregnancy, delivery and immediately postpartum. They can also help you manage other medical conditions during pregnancy, including mental health concerns. They will also provide baby care and infant feeding advice for the first six weeks after your baby is born.

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Obstetricians are specialists who support both low and higher-risk pregnancies. This includes pregnancies complicated by pre-existing medical conditions or obstetrical concerns. If you have a family doctor and they don’t deliver babies, they may refer you to an obstetrician.

Your family doctor can refer you to an obstetrician who delivers at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Obstetricians are specialists in pregnancy and birth and can deal with the most complex situations. They don’t provide care for your baby after it is born. They can help connect you to a family doctor or midwife to help care for your infant in the weeks immediately following birth.

Obstetricians who practice at St. Paul’s Hospital
- Dr. Robert Anderson
- Dr. Marketa Gogela
- Dr. Elisabet Joa
- Dr. Julianne Kelly
- Dr. Susan Kim
- Dr. Andrea Massey
- Dr. Nancy Mitenko
- Dr. Jennifer Oakes
- Dr. Rita Sassi
- Dr. Jennifer Yam
Registered midwives care for low-to-moderate risk pregnant people and their newborn babies. A midwife provides care throughout your pregnancy, labour and birth. They also care for you and your baby for up to six weeks after you deliver. Midwives provide a holistic view of pregnancy. You do not need a referral to access a midwife.

The BC Medical Services Plan covers midwifery care for BC residents.

You can use the locator on the BC Midwives website to find a midwife who practices in your area. Please contact the clinic to confirm which midwives are able to deliver at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Pediatricians attend 80 to 90 per cent of the births at the Pregnancy, Birthing and Newborn Centre. They care for babies delivered by caesarean section or babies who are born prematurely. They are part of the care team along with your family doctor, obstetrician or midwife.

If an obstetrician delivers your baby, a pediatrician will look after your baby while you’re in hospital. If a midwife or family doctor delivers your baby, they will care for you and your baby while you are both in hospital. If your doctor or midwife has any concerns about your baby’s health, they will ask a pediatrician to see your baby. All the babies in our NICU are under the care of a pediatrician.

The pediatricians at the Pregnancy, Birthing and Newborn Centre do not follow your baby once you and your baby go home. If you don’t have a family doctor, you should start looking for one while you are pregnant so there is someone in place to look after your baby once you leave hospital.

Visit the BC College of Family Physicians website for information on how to find a family doctor.
Some members of our team have completed specialized training to become lactation consultants. These clinicians have advanced knowledge to help you feed your baby, should you choose to breast/chest feed. All our nursing team has taken extra infant feeding education to support you and your family after birth.

Nurses in the Pregnancy, Birthing and Newborn Centre have specialized training to support you and your family during the birth of your baby. They are trained to:
- Provide labour support
- Assess the status of your labour
- Support pain management
- Administer pain relief medications as directed by a physician and/or midwife
- Monitor your baby’s heart rate
- Support infant resuscitation in the event of an emergency
Other members of the team who may be involved in your care:
- Dietitians
- Indigenous Wellness Liaisons
- Laboratory technicians
- Respiratory therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Social workers
- Spiritual health practitioners
- Unit clerks

Last reviewed: March 12, 2025

Choosing a practitioner

Obstetricians who practice at St. Paul’s Hospital