Mookai’s commitment to women and children acts as the foundation of our services, and we continue to respond to the evolving maternal needs of communities, families and culture today!

Mookai’s Indigenous doulas Brooke and Jana travelled to Aurukun to strengthen our connection with the community, and the Aurukun families we serve.

Aurukun is one of the three main communities Mookai supports clients from, along with Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw.

Brooke and Jana caught up with numerous clients, checking in on the progress of mums and bubs and where possible, discussing postnatal and early childhood needs. They particularly enjoyed joining the women by the river in the late afternoons to fish, learning and sharing everyday community life.

They also met with community stakeholders to yarn about community needs and share information about Mookai’s expanding maternal and primary care services. This included meeting with Aurukun Primary Health Care Centre, Aurukun Shire Council, Kooklan Early Childhood Centre, and the Family Support Hub. More formal consultation processes with the community are also in the works!

Brooke and Jana were thrilled with the interest received in our expanding maternal health program! In returning to Cairns, they are more passionate than ever about providing safe continuity of care to pregnant, birthing, and postnatal women into the first 1000 days after birth.

The introduction of our very own Indigenous doulas will provide education, advocacy, and act as a go-between for women birthing at the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. Moreover, with increasing visits to the community, we can best position ourselves to understand and relate to the families travelling to Cairns for medical support, as well as provide early intervention services as needed.

The expansion of existing midwifery services into a more formalised and comprehensive maternal health program is new in 2024. Mookai Maternal Health is being designed as a completely unique program: a community-integrated, midwife and doula-led, trauma, attachment and culturally-informed model of care. The project reinforces the enduring need to improve child and maternal health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families across Cape and Torres communities and beyond.

The introduction of our very own Indigenous doulas will provide education, advocacy, and act as a go-between for women birthing at the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. Moreover, with increasing visits to the community, we can best position ourselves to understand and relate to the families travelling to Cairns for medical support, as well as provide early intervention services as needed.

The expansion of existing midwifery services into a more formalised and comprehensive maternal health program is new in 2024. Mookai Maternal Health is being designed as a completely unique program: a community-integrated, midwife and doula-led, trauma, attachment and culturally-informed model of care. The project reinforces the enduring need to improve child and maternal health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families across Cape and Torres communities and beyond.