In the months leading up to the birth of her baby, Lyssa Martin read a number of headlines covering the mass resignation of Royal Inland Hospital’s obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYN) team.
With worry building, Martin wondered what to do – and she wasn’t alone.
While readers may recognize her name as a contributor to The Wren, Martin is also a long time Kamloopsian, and amongst many who are still waiting for a call to finally have a family doctor.
“It was really, really anxiety-inducing being a pregnant woman and not knowing if there were going to be doctors at the hospital,” she says, now several months post-partum with a healthy baby.
The news of the resignation of the seven OBGYNs, doctors who focus on pregnancy, labour and postpartum care,sparked questions on the future of maternity care in Kamloops.
These questions and concerns aren’t new, and the province is suffering a doctor shortage across all specialities, including maternity care.
But with too few doctors, OBGYNs at RIH were being pushed to work long hours, putting patients at risk, the group alleged in its resignation statement.
“We are saddened by the lack of support for women’s health provincially and devastated that we have come to this point in Kamloops,” the group shared.
The doctors had support from the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of BC, which added it has “also raised alarms about this looming maternity crisis, only to be similarly dismissed,” pointing to the ongoing nature of the issue.
“The consequences are now materializing: the loss of Kamloops as a key mid-sized maternity hub will have real and immediate impacts on patients,” the society stated.
With a recorded 379 births in Kamloops Centre North and 490 births in Kamloops Centre South in 2024, mothers-to-be and the community at large asked: What are we to do with no OBGYNs? Moreover, how is Interior Health going to fix this?
Kamloops city councillor and founder of Maternity Matters Kamloops Katie Neustaeter is working to help bring answers.
“We’ve heard…a lot of stories and fear about women not being able to find the care that they need, both while pregnant and then in the weeks presenting afterwards,” Neustaeter tells The Wren.
Maternity Matters Kamloops sprung up in October 2025 as a grassroots collective in response to the resignation of the OBGYNs, but also to advocate for better overall healthcare in Kamloops. The organization was responsible for organizing three rallies demanding solutions from Interior Health for this issue in the community.
“Birth should not be a road trip,” Neustaeter says. “It should not be a question mark whether care will exist when it’s needed most. We need to prioritize pregnant women and babies. That’s non-negotiable in this province.”
Peter Milobar, MLA for the Kamloops Centre area agrees with Neustaeter, sharing his frustration at the lack of information provided by Interior Health.
“This is a serious matter that deserves a serious communication package out of Interior Health to make sure the community truly does know what is going on, what timelines and what is impacting,” he tells The Wren. He says he will continue to work for more clarity around the recruitment of OBGYNs in Kamloops.
There was some support from Interior Health following the Maternity Matters Kamloops rallies, according to Neustater, who says a team met with the group to talk through the issue.
On Dec. 17, 2025, Interior Health shared a statement via Facebook stating its commitment to improving the situation and announcing the recruitment of two obstetricians who will begin in May 2026.
Although this is a start, the need for services is more complex.
What is it like to give birth during this time of uncertainty?
Navigating pregnancy and childbirth during a doctor shortage felt fraught, Martin says.
“Most of the people who have doctors are seniors, in my experience, and so when you get pregnant in Kamloops, most of us, our first instinct is to freak out,” she says.
But even without a family doctor or dedicated OBGYN, Martin was able to access the Early Pregnancy Access to Care and Triage Clinic (EPACT), which helped her through her first and second trimester.
EPACT was designed to create opportunities for low-barrier access to early pregnancy care. The group includes registered midwives, nurse practitioners and registered nurses.
“They were wonderful, and I have no complaints,” Martin adds. “I felt very well cared for.”
After the second trimester, Martin was transferred to the Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) clinic for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Martin admits getting ready to deliver her baby was stressful, especially knowing what was happening with the OBGYN department at RIH, where she gave birth.
But when it came time to be induced, she found the labour and delivery department was “fantastic” and helpful.
Despite the unknowns and anxiety leading up to her due date, she found the experience to be overall positive, particularly her interactions with health care providers.
“I was expecting it to be stressful, and it was the opposite of that,” Martin says.
She says she felt supported, with various options to safely deliver her baby.
“You can give birth by bouncing on a ball. You can give birth like on the bed, in any of the positions you want,” Martin says. “It’s a very high tech thing.”
During her stay at RIH, Martin says there was at least one midwife or one OBGYN, and someone else on call.
Her baby was born on Nov. 25, 2025 along with another two other babies.
“They’re very respectful of all of your choices at RIH. I cannot give them enough praise,” Martin adds.
To help others have similarly positive experiences, The Wren explored a few options available to folks in town navigating pregnancy without a family doctor or OBGYN.
EPACT a key resource to maternity care in Kamloops
Joanna Norman, owner of Mighty Oak Midwifery Care and clinical director for EPACT, has been a midwife for 25 years, working in Kamloops since 2008. She was the first registered midwife in the city and helped integrate midwifery into the hospital and the medical system.
“With EPACT, people who are pregnant do not need a referral from another provider,” Norman says. “They can actually just self-refer. They can call us or text message as well in order to get an appointment.”
The organization encourages people to call as early as possible in their pregnancies for better care.
“There’s a lot that goes on in the first trimester, prenatal genetic testing and screening for high-risk conditions and ultrasounds. Our service helps to just make sure that people have access to that care in a timely manner when it really matters.”
With services like those provided by EPACT, expecting parents can avoid the emergency room, Norman adds.
EPACT sees pregnant people through their second trimester, before referring patients to other clinics such as STEPS.
“If people have a local family doctor or a family nurse practitioner, we simply package up their care and refer them back to their family care provider in the third trimester,” Norman says.
EPACT puts a lot of focus on education for labour and delivery, helping patients understand what will happen, and how to best prepare. The team also manages postpartum care for up to six weeks with the mother and the newborn.
“We’re just really trying to kind of fill the gaps and make sure that people have that full spectrum care,” Norman says.
To contact EPACT folks can call or text at 250-318-3861 or email info@earlypregnancy.ca
Mental health support for expecting parents in Kamloops
Jenna Nickle is the manager of mental wellness at YMCA BC and oversees programs across the province.
The YMCA BC branch in Kamloops offers a prenatal wellness support group, welcoming those who are giving birth and a support person who could be a friend, family member or partner.
Those eight weeks pregnant can learn tools to use throughout their pregnancy and when the baby comes, such as anxiety, depression and self-compassion support. These lessons are held by experts and people with a lot of experience in their field.
“We have Vanessa Mack from Your Birth Matters who comes in and does some conversation around what to expect in labor, what are your different options and what does it look like,” Nickle says.
There are also plenty of trained mental health staff there, Nickle adds.
“If anybody feels a whole lot of anxiety at the thought of giving birth, there’s folks there to support them through that.”
The group covers a wide range of topics from how to pick a car seat, newborn care and how to change a diaper.
“All of those pieces and the different things you need to know about really trying to set parents up to lower their anxiety, to improve their mental health as they make this big transition,” Nickle says.
The group provides a low-barrier and affordable space for folks to get information not always easily accessible.
“Without having traditional care providers in town for a lot of people right now, there just isn’t a place for folks to ask those questions and to get support,” Nickle adds.
Particularly, Nickle works to provide first-time parents with vital information like getting a Group B Streptococcus swab while pregnant, and more.
The information on how to register for these programs is available on Kamloopsy.org, and varies based on the demand of people wanting to attend. There are an average of 14 participants in this group.
YMCA BC Kamloops also has Postpartum Connections, a support group for those who are new caregivers. They consider postpartum based on the baby’s age from birth to 18 months.
Postpartum Connections focuses on postpartum depression, ,covering the gaps in mental health support in the community. Postpartum depression can occur after birth and symptoms include anxiety, exhaustion and sadness.
“This is for folks who are having that anxiety and depression but maybe more on that mild to moderate side of things and just needing that support to build some community,” Nickle says.
Information on how to register to this group is available online.
More resources are available
Folks in their third trimester are always welcome to call labour and delivery at the hospital, Norman says.
“You can actually just call labor and delivery and say, this is what’s going on.”
To contact the RIH Labour and Delivery call 250-314-2635.
Other resources online like the Pregnancy Hub offers a 12-month online perinatal program with resources and unlimited access to local pregnancy outreach programs and service referrals. Registration is free for expecting and new parents with infants up to 12 months.
Another resource is the prenatal text messaging program SmartParent app. It sends information to support parents through pregnancy, from five to 42 weeks. This app is free and people can enroll online.
Expectant parents can also join Facebook groups, Norman adds.
“My reiteration to our clients here is to advocate for yourself. Ask questions,” Nickle says. “If now is not a good time to ask questions, then call again later and ask those questions because you deserve the answers.”
Offering reassurance for pregnant people in Kamloops, Norman says families can still access comprehensive maternity care.
“I would really love to just reassure people that there actually is full spectrum care available in Kamloops,” Norman says. “Right now the efforts are being put into making sure that families are taken care of.”
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