» My second birth vlog is finally here 🤍 October 16, 2024 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl; today on her first birthday I am sharing our birth experience.
If you’ve followed my story, you’ll know my first birth was a dream home birth with my midwives. This time, things went in a completely different direction. It wasn’t what I planned — but it was still our story, and it brought our baby safely earthside.
I’m sharing this experience openly because birth can look so many different ways — and every birth matters.
A Note About Maternity Care in the Okanagan:
Right now, the Okanagan and Interior Health region are facing a critical OB/GYN shortage, with reduced access to both obstetric and paediatric coverage in multiple communities. For many families, that means having to travel far from home to give birth — or not knowing where they’ll end up delivering.
Midwives provide essential, life-changing care, and ensuring that both OB/GYNs and midwives are supported and available in every community should be a priority. Birth shouldn’t depend on whether or not your local hospital happens to have coverage that day.
This isn’t just about pregnant or birthing people — it affects families, friends, and entire communities. Because maternity care isn’t optional. It’s essential. Support the people making the people.
📬 If you live in the Okanagan, I encourage you to write to your local MP and MLA to advocate for better maternity care. Here is our list of MP's and MLA's who's ridings cover the Okanagan:
MP: Mel Arnold (Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies) - mel.arnold@parl.gc.ca
MP: Scott Anderson (Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee) - scott.anderson@parl.gc.ca
MP: Stephen Fuhr (Kelowna) - Kelowna - stephen.fuhr@parl.gc.ca
MP: Dan Albas (Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna) - dan.albas@parl.gc.ca
MP: Helena Konanz (Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay) - helena.konanz@parl.gc.ca
-------------------------------------
MLA: David Williams (Salmon Arm-Shuswap) - David.Williams.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Peter Milobar (Kamloops) - Peter.Milobar.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Donegal Wilson (Boundary-Similkameen) - Donegal.Wilson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Harwinder Sandhu (Vernon-Lumby) - Harwinder.Sandhu.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Tara Armstrong (Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream) - Tara.Armstrong.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Kristina Loewen: (Kelowna Centre) - Kristina.Loewen.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Gavin Dew: (Kelowna-Mission) - Gavin.Dew.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Macklin McCall (West Kelowna-Peachland) - Macklin.McCall.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Amelia Boultbee (Penticton-Summerland) - Amelia.Boultbee.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Below is a sample message you can copy and paste, or better yet; adapt to include your own story. Personal stories can make a real impact!! Every email matters.
Subject: Urgent need for maternity care support in the Okanagan & Interior
Dear [MLA/MP’s Name],
I’m writing to express my deep concern about the severe shortage of maternity and obstetric care across the Okanagan and Interior Health regions. Many families are facing reduced or unavailable care during one of the most critical times of their lives.
This issue doesn’t just affect pregnant or birthing people — it impacts their partners, families, friends, and entire communities. When maternity care systems falter, everyone is affected.
Access to safe, timely maternity care is a basic human right, and the current situation is putting families and healthcare workers in unsafe and unsustainable positions.
I urge you to take immediate action to: – Address and prevent further OB/GYN shortages – Ensure stable paediatric and maternity coverage across the region – Prioritize funding and incentives to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in these essential fields
Families in our communities deserve better — and this is a matter of safety, not convenience.
Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your City / Postal Code]
Thank you for all your support over the years, I am so grateful to have been sharing my life with you all for the past 15 years on youtube. We may not connect as much on here as before but please know you're always on my mind and I love connecting with you over on IG where it's a little easier to update/ post during this season of my life.
✖ SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss my uploads - http://bit.ly/karissapukas ✖
Do you like the music I use in my videos? Check out Epidemic Sound for copyright free tunes: http://share.epidemicsound.com/MVJGt ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ☼ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Come Creep me on... Instagram: http://instagram.com/karissapukas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KARISSAPUKAS
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karissapukas
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karissapukas
My old vlog channel: www.youtube.com/creepingonkarissa ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ☼ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
BUSINESS Related: « Please contact me at karissa@infagency.com»
→ This video is not sponsored, featured links are affiliate links where possible. (Thoughts/opinions are as always, my own)
xx