Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority launched a midwifery program last November to improve residents’ access to prenatal, labour, birthing and postpartum care, and has plans to expand the program in future to accommodate home births.
IERHA is offering midwifery satellite clinics in different communities and has a midwifery clinic at 100 Easton Dr. In Selkirk.
“We are really committed to increasing access to prenatal care in the region,” said Beckie Wood, IERHA’s midwifery access and coordination lead. “We’re caring for families who need prenatal care and experience barriers to accessing health services.”
The provincial government announced last year it was strengthening access to sexual and reproductive care, and prenatal and family care in IERHA by introducing a midwifery program, which is integrated with existing obstetrical services at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre.
The region’s midwives have admitting privileges at the Selkirk hospital, which is the only hospital in the Interlake-Eastern region that offers delivery services for uncomplicated births.
A midwife is a health-care professional who supports women and pregnant people through pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period.
Wood said it’s a rewarding profession.
“Midwives find it very rewarding to get to know the families they work with, and the families say they really appreciate the continuity of care and the relationship-building,” she said.
Midwifery training is offered through a direct-entry, four-year bachelor of midwifery program at the University of Manitoba, and graduates are then registered and regulated under the College of Midwives of Manitoba.
“We can order routine tests for pregnancy and prescribe needed medications. If you develop a complication, we’ll make sure you have a referral to a specialist,” said Wood. “People have access to all the needed services at the Selkirk hospital. You can get an epidural for pain relief if you need one. You’ll get nursing and midwifery supportive care during labour. And you can get support with infant care and, breastfeeding.”
Midwives can also treat infections and provide contraceptive care. If a complication arises during a birth, Selkirk has a team of surgeons.
“The midwives also have access to emergency and planned caesarian sections,” said Wood. “It’s a wonderful hospital and a great place to be for low risk pregnancies.”
Selkirk doesn’t handle pre-term deliveries, and high risk pregnancies are transferred to either the Health Sciences Centre or St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.
The midwife program started in November with prenatal support services then midwives started attending births at the hospital in January, said Wood. The program is currently offering a satellite clinic in Lake Manitoba First Nation.
“As we develop our program and increase the number of locations where we can offer the midwife service, we’ll be able to meet community needs for prenatal care and fill in the gaps for other services including contraceptive care,” said Wood.
Pregnant people can either ask their health-care provider for a referral to a midwife or they can set up their own referral to become a client of the program.
“We’re accepting referrals from nurse practitioners, family doctors and public health nurses from anywhere in the region,” said Wood. “And anybody can request the service of a midwife.”
There are currently two full-time midwives, said Wood, and IERHA is hoping to hire a third midwife in the next month or so as it has funding for three full-time positions.
In the meantime, the health authority has limitations on the number of people it can currently accept. Despite that, Wood said the midwives are “working very closely with the family medicine and obstetrical team in the region to make sure that everybody who calls for prenatal care will have a provider.”
In the past three months since the program got off the ground, there have been almost 100 referrals, she said. The program started a central intake where people can be assigned to either a midwife depending on availability or a family physician.
There’s a movement called “free” birthing or “wild” birthing in which people give birth at home without doctors, midwives or other health-care professionals present, but the medical establishment has concerns that it can be dangerous for mothers and babies should complications arise such as hemorrhaging or breach births. The movement has been linked to permanent injury and child deaths around the world.
When asked about the trend, Wood said people can get “really good care with a midwife” and that midwives will be eventually offering planned home births.
“Down the road, we’ll be attending planned home births once we have everything in place with the hospital and the emergency services,” she said. “The only thing that makes a planned home birth safe is if you have access to emergency services when you need it. Midwives are trained to recognize emergencies and complications.”
People can access a midwife or other care provider at any stage in their pregnancy.
“We’ll make sure people get prenatal care whatever stage they’re in. It will be with a midwife or the family medicine group,” said Wood. “We’re very integrated; we work really closely with doctors and nurses to find out where the needs are and to provide care to families.”
To request a midwife, call 1-204-482-2150 or email prenatalintake@ierha.ca
