A Salmon Arm resident was named in one of four recent public advisories issued regarding the unauthorized practice of midwifery.
The B.C. College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM) issued the notices on Nov. 13. One was named Holly Malashewsky of Salmon Arm, and the others named Leila Naderi of 琉璃神社 and Michelle Short and Berkley McNamara of the Fraser Valley.
The notices identified Malashewsky as a "traditional birth keeper," and the others as birth attendants and stated they "may be offering midwifery services and performing restricted activities as set out in the Midwives Regulation, without being permitted to do so."
"Holly Malashewsky is a former Licensed Practical Nurse registrant of BCCNM," reads the one notice. "She has never been a Registered Midwife registrant of BCCNM. She is not entitled to practice as a midwife or as a nurse in British Columbia."
A notice for Naderi states she has never been and is not a registrant of BCCNM, and is not entitled to practice as a midwife in the province.
The Observer contacted Malashewsky who declined to comment on the notice. In 2011, she was part of a group that rallied to increase midwifery care in Salmon Arm. At the time, midwives operated in many Interior hospitals but not at Shuswap Lake General. Through , Malashewsky offered services as a traditional birth keeper, a birth educator, a prenatal yoga teacher and a "sacred ceremonialist." In a social media post for monthly gatherings called Village Prenatal 鈥� Community Birth Circles," she describes herself as a "seasoned birth keeper with over 20 years of experience."
"These monthly circles are an opportunity to connect with others, and to embrace and embody what it means to have a sovereign pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience," reads the post for an upcoming gathering on Dec. 2.
On the , Naderi says she "supports women in all things birth with gentle traditional wisdom, current contemporary research, herbalism, and love." She also notes the difference between a birth keeper and a medical midwife in B.C., explaining the latter is a "medically licensed professional who services women with low and high-risk pregnancies through a management-based birth model." She stresses that a birth keeper is "NOT a licensed medical professional," and does not offer medical advice, assessment, nor the following clinical practices according to the law in British Columbia:
1. Perform internal vaginal exams
2. Deliver the baby (instead, she assists the mother and/or partner in getting the baby to her body and chest if needed)
3. Administer medicines, pharmaceuticals, injections and the like, nor perform any clinical tests, requisitions, or procedures.
Regarding the unauthorized practice of midwifery, the BCCN stated on Nov. 6, 2023, public advisory (updated Feb. 22, 2024) that it had received reports of "tragic outcomes 鈥� including death 鈥� from people using unauthorized providers."
"These individuals do not have the same training, experience, and access to life-saving medications and equipment as midwives, nor integration with hospitals for emergency care if needed, resulting in significant risks to the health and safety of birthing persons and their babies," reads the statement.
The BCCNM notices encourage the public to verify the registration status "for any individual who holds themselves out as a midwife. This can be done through the BCCNM website, or by direct inquiry to the BCCNM registration department."
