Parents Erika Hedley and Koli Aso Pio holding their newborn daughter Teulia Seiuli, who was the first baby born at the reopened maternity services on 8 October at Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service.
The arrival of baby Teuila Seiuli has marked a special milestone for Cooktown’s maternity team, with the birth of the 4.25kg girl celebrating the return of local birthing services after more than four years.
Teuila was born at 2.02am on 8 October to parents Erika Hedley and Koli Aso Pio, who live in Lakeland, becoming the first baby delivered at Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service since birthing services resumed on 14 September.
Cooktown Midwifery Unit Manager Debbie Bannan said both mother and baby were doing well.
For Ms Hedley and Mr Aso Pio, being able to welcome their daughter in Cooktown meant they could share the experience together, close to home.
“It meant that Koli was able to be here with me at the birth,” Ms Hedley said.
“We had originally thought we would have to have the birth at Atherton Hospital, which meant Koli wouldn’t have been able to be there, and I would only have had my sister with me.”
Teuila arrived right on her due date and is Mr Aso Pio’s first child and Ms Hedley’s third, joining her eight-year-old sister and three-year-old brother.
Ms Hedley said the birth was straightforward.
“It was an easy birth, and she is such a beautiful baby,” she said.
Ms Hedley praised the Cooktown maternity team for their care and support.
“The staff here at Cooktown looked after us so well,” she said.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them, and I would recommend anyone to use the birthing service here.
“They made it all really easy and have been so very supportive.”
A new chapter for Cooktown maternity care
Birthing services at Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service formally resumed in mid-September for the first time since February 2022.
During that time, antenatal and postnatal care remained available locally while clinicians with advanced training in obstetrics and anaesthetics were recruited to support safe births, including access to emergency caesarean sections and management of unexpected complications.
Ms Bannan said Teuila’s birth represented months of planning, preparation and collaboration across the maternity team, wider clinical services and community.
The team worked closely with the family throughout the pregnancy, answering questions and helping them feel confident and supported in choosing to give birth locally.
“We wanted the family to feel that they were not just coming to a hospital to have their baby – they were coming to a maternity service where they were known, welcomed and supported by their local team,” she said.
The Waterlily Midwifery Group Practice was established as part of the reopening.
The reopening has also seen the establishment of the Waterlily Midwifery Group Practice, a name chosen following consultation with women, families and community members across Cooktown, Wujal Wujal, Hope Vale, Laura and Lakeland.
Inspired by the waterlilies growing throughout the waterways connecting the region’s remote communities, the name reflects connection, growth, resilience and community.
For First Nations women and families, access to birthing care closer to home can also help maintain connections to family, culture and Country.
Teuila’s arrival is an important first step in a new chapter for maternity care in Cooktown and surrounding communities, bringing the promise of local support and the opportunity for more families to welcome their babies closer to home.