MCNS September 2025 UPDATE
Vera Berard RM is currently booking Postpartum clients, who are due in November, 2025, December 2025 and January, 2026.
Vera’s postpartum capacity is closed for February, March and April 2026
She is glad to book postpartum clients with due dates from May 2026 onwards.
Vera is currently accepting Early Pregnancy clients for initial care, whose last menstrual period is in August-September-October-November 2025 and who are due in May-June-July-August 2026 onwards.
I am happy to report that since January 2022 and January 2025 my partial practice has provided approximately 280 families, averaging 93 families per year with: 1st, 2nd trimester and occasional 3rd trimester prenatal care; prebirth prenatal postpartum recovery and infant feeding preparation consultation visits, phases of afterbirth midwifery postpartum care that began in a client’s home in the first day or two, after they were discharged from hospital with their baby/babies and ended with a closure visit at my office in Shipyards Health, 88 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver around 6-7 weeks postpartum.
In these past 3 years, I have also journeyed with families, who have sadly experienced pregnancy loss. A few returned to my prenatal care with another pregnancy, went onto have a doctor provide their birth care and then also came back to my after birth postpartum service, where I had an opportunity to meet their rainbow baby and journey with them through their first six weeks postpartum.
It took me awhile to fully settle into a part-time partial practice, as I grieved the loss of providing labor and birth services. August 15, 2021 was the last labor and birth that I brought garden flowers into the labor room and attended a birth of a client having her second baby. Her first had been a fast labor. Before meeting at hospital, we played cards. Such a lovely memory that I cherish, along with many others.
In 2021, besides putting 24hr/7d birth services on hold. I also had to let go of Quayside Village office on Chesterfield, where I provided my full-service, full-scope community practice for 20 years with other midwives, an office person and the support of Quayside Village cohousing community. It was a big change getting into a rhythm of undertaking all the clinical and administrative work of my partial practice on my own and from different sites, remotely from my home office, or in person either in a client’s home, or in the office that I now rent in Lower Lonsdale. I had to get used to lot more driving in congested roads.
In the beginning, I was unaware that 2021 would be the last year that I had a full scope practice providing labor and birth services. I only knew I had to responsibly take a break from 24hr/7d coverage. Since BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) allows registrants a 3 year break from full scope work. I took the opportunity to reduce stress in my life, while continuing providing the book ends of my established practice: prenatal, postpartum, early infant feeding, development and parenting services. At the same time, I was uncertain that establishing a partial part-time practice was the way to go, if there was a need, or if the services that I am able to continue to offer would be supported by my colleagues.
Forming a partnership with each client in care enabled me to keep and catch all the balls that I had in the air. Including navigating the increased traffic and difficulty parking on the North Shore. I have appreciated my clients’ understanding and their kind words.
Today, I am confident there is a need for the services that I can provide and that my services are valued. I have a part-time practice that is well integrated into the healthcare system, supported by my colleagues and is financially viable. Besides being good for my overall health, no longer having to undertake 24hr/7d labor and birth coverage has enabled me to develop an improved work-life balance and to affirm that I love what I currently do!
Consequently, this year I officially embraced retiring from 24hr/7d labor and birth services in June 2025. I now confidently provide an alternate midwifery consultant practice that focuses on early prenatal and afterbirth postpartum recovery, early infant feeding, development and parenting that offers other professional and personal opportunities.
I value and am grateful for:
- The collaborative support that I have received from Lions Gate Maternity Clinic doctors, who accept the transfer referrals of my early prenatal clients that either desire physician labor and birth services, or who have been unable to access ongoing midwifery prenatal, labor and birth care. Their collaboration has formed the foundation of the collaborative, alternate practice plan that I submitted to BCCNM.
- The support that I have received from Lions Gate Hospital Division Midwifery, Department Obstetrics and Medical Staff Administration to retire my almost 3 decades Lions Gate Hospital active 24h/7d admitting and discharge privileges, in lieu of consulting privileges. Consulting privileges allow me continued access to VCH electronic health care platform in order to provide care to my partial practice clientele and to keep on participating in medical staff professional committee work and educational activities in order to keep connected and continue life-long professional development. Regularly connecting with nursing and medical staff enables me access to community resources and specialist services in a timely manner and to expand the team around a client or their baby, to a higher level of service when needed.
- The support I have received from Dr Jolene Kennet ND and team in Shipyards Health, where I rent the office that I use for in-person appointments on a Wednesday afternoon, early evening.
- All the prenatal and postpartum families I have been honored to partner with for a short while during their early pregnancy and their postpartum for 6 -8 weeks after the birth of their babies.
- The opportunity to remotely work for and learn with Interior Health Kamloops Early Pregnancy Triage Clinic team, led by Joanna Norman RM.
- The chance to participate in VCH Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee work where I continue with life long learning to become a more present, compassionate, inclusive human being living in Turtle Island on the unceded territory of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
- The ability to plan my part-time practice capacity ahead of time and make known when I have availability and when my capacity is closed.
- Being able to form partnerships with clients in care around their needs and for their understanding of my limitations.
- Over a decade of Mike Carroll’s website hosting and update assistance.
- Many occasions to enjoy playing pickleball, undertake art projects, walk, swim, chant and spend time with family and friends
- The support I have received from colleagues, family and friends as I transitioned to having the life that I now live
I am excited to carry on living in the moment to the best of my ability and with Grace!
