Healthy at Every Stage

Maternal support groups empower pregnant and postpartum women with the knowledge they need to keep themselves and their babies healthy before, during, and after delivery.

Sessions are held at St. Boniface Hospital, 2-3 times per month, for approximately 30-50 patients per session. In 2025, we were proud to hold 25 sessions for 1,238 total attendees. 

Each session is facilitated by a social worker, nurse-midwife, or community health nurse, leveraging their years of experience. Topics include spotting warning signs of gestational diabetes, preparing for childbirth, breastfeeding techniques, and more. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions and speak with facilitators or other maternal health staff members about any concerns or issues. 

“I have been attending maternity support groups since I was 3 months pregnant,” says 28-year-old Chèry. She rapidly lists off everything she learned: how to eat well so her baby stays well-nourished in the womb, the benefits of breastfeeding, and even what to wear to the hospital for delivery. However, one of the most important things she learned was how to prepare her mind and body for labor. “The midwives taught me how to have good mental fortitude when I give birth, so that I don’t lose strength, so that my delivery can go well. I felt good when my delivery went well.”

Chèry has encouraged many other women in her life to attend maternal support groups, so they can keep themselves and their babies healthy and safe. “I highly recommend the quality of care provided by HSB hospital,” she says. “For me, it is the best place a mother can get care.”