BOOSt Project Shoalhaven Region NSW
Your story and experiences are really important to help us to better understand what Koori women in the Shoalhaven/Illawarra and surrounding regions need and want from maternity services.
We want to magnify the voices of the women in these communities to design and provide maternity care that is better suited to the needs of your community.
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BOOSt is a partnership between Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, universities and health professional organisations. We want to hear from and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to design and deliver the best maternity care for the community.
Join Us
Below is some more information to look at before deciding if you would like to participate.
You might like to talk to a relative, community Elder, or local health worker to help you decide.
Our contact details are listed in the Contact tab, please get in contact with us if you would like more information.
Can I sign up?
You can be part of BOOSt if:
• You or your partner, identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, AND
• You are booked to have your baby at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital (SDMH), in the Illawarra or surrounding areas
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If you decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a consent form or give verbal consent.
Are there any risks?
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We are not aware of any particular risks for you and bub. BOOSt has been carefully designed with all our partners.
What happens if I say yes and change my mind?
If you don't want to take part, you don't have to. You can change your mind at any time.
It is fine to say no, and it will not affect your care in any way.
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Confidentiality
Only our research team can view your information. Your privacy is important. We will de-identify all the stories and information that you share with us.
Penny Haora
BOOSt Research Manager
Having been born and bred in beautiful Aotearoa/NZ (Ngati Pukenga), I am loving the mountain views and beauty of Yuin Country on the NSW South Coast, after relocating from Sydney in August 2019. My work experience has involved maternal, newborn, child, and reproductive health services and midwifery education research and evaluation in various contexts.
I am a midwife, public health/health services and realist researcher, and am being graciously hosted at South Coast Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation (Waminda). I am committed to de-medicalising and decolonizing birth for First Nations women, families, communities and midwives; thereby facilitating opportunities for empowering, enabling, healing and transformative birth experiences. Have been a longterm member of the Australian College of Midwives and am a proud CATSINaM affiliate.