Episode 12 – Sonya Niess
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Born and raised on Maui, Sonya received her Masters in Public Health, with special emphasis on Maternal Child Health, from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Upon returning home to Maui, Sonya continued her work as a doula, and also worked in both non-profit and private sectors promoting the health and well being of the community, primarily in policy and systems change and in technology. Sonya is a co-founder of Pacific Birth Collective, has served as board president for many years and is currently the Director of Policy & Partnerships. She is a practicing doula and childbirth educator since 2006. She sits on the board of the Maui Family YMCA, is the Vice Chair of the Committee on the Status of Women - Maui County, is a Ka Ipu Kukui Fellow, and is the mother to four beautiful children.
In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with birth worker and advocate Sonya Niess to explore maternal care and birth options in Hawaiʻi. Sonya explains the roles of doulas and midwives and how the midwifery model of care centers emotional, physical, and community support throughout pregnancy and postpartum. The conversation highlights how Hawaiʻi’s maternal health system faces shortages of providers and structural barriers that make it difficult for many families to access the care they need.
Ashley and Wren also discuss the policy and cultural shifts shaping birth in Hawaiʻi today. Sonya shares her work with the Pacific Birth Collective and the challenges midwives face navigating licensing, insurance, and regulation. The episode explores how collaboration among birth workers, healthcare providers, and families could improve outcomes while restoring agency and dignity to the birth experience. Together they reflect on how strengthening maternal care systems can better support mothers, families, and communities across the islands.