Seven Generations

The Seventh Generation Principle dates back hundreds of years. It is based on the teachings and philosophy that the acts we perform today may result in a positive outcome for seven generations in the future. It is an Iroquois teaching that results in sustainable and longterm thinking practices and positive effects to the environment and to society. 

As a whole the Indigenous people in Canada have been historically humble and respectable people who lived with the land, not from it. They respect the environment, animals and people within their communities and strive to preserve these things. 

Seventh Generation Midwives gets its name from the Aboriginal population it aims to support. Priority goes to those women who identify as Aboriginal living in the downtown Toronto area. Additionally, those who do not identify as Aboriginal are also accepted. The SGMT midwives are trained professionals who provide antenatal, birth and postpartum health care to women in the community. The midwives who work at SGMT are able to incorporate traditional ceremonies and practices into the prenatal and birth plans for their clients. The Toronto Birth Centre is even equipped with a large family area where traditional birth ceremonies can be held.

We met with our midwife, Kim, in the early days of our pregnancy and have been calmed by her presence ever since. She is a listener. She allows us be the controlling force to our pregnancy and offers help along the way. Prenatal appointments are set with enough time that regular checkups are done with lots of time for questions and thorough explanations. We are given resources when a decision needs to be made about a particular testing procedure and encouraged to ask for more information. ​

The staff is nice and the facility, located at 525 Dundas Street East, are wonderful. They share the building with the Toronto Birth Centre, which SGMT piloted as the only stand alone birth centre in all of the Greater Toronto Area.

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Let me know if there is anything you would like to learn more about the midwifery model of care or anything else you see in this post.