Alberta's midwives rally for provincial funding

Hundreds of midwives and parents marked the International Day of the Midwife on Monday with rallies across Alberta calling for the province to pay fortheir services.

In Calgary, a sign-toting groupaccompanied bychildren branded with $3,500 price tags the cost of a midwife delivery gathered at MacDougall Centre.

Midwives said they cannot understand why Alberta is one of the few provinces not funding their service.

British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario andQuebec have midwifery legislation. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are both moving toward regulation.

"This is a guaranteed service under the Canada Health Act," Nadine Mitchell told CBC News. "And basically, the Alberta government has decided that it doesn't matter. They are going to have women, and families, paying for essential health-care services."

Dozens of midwives also gathered at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton over lunch hour.

Jade Dodd, who has two daughters, called having her second assisted by a midwife "the most phenomenal, empowering experience."

She said when she had her first daughter, in an Edmonton hospital, "I told my doctor I wanted to have a natural birth and he said, 'I don't know why you want to walk when you can drive.' So that's the kind of attitude many women are faced with."

Midwives in the province face several obstacles, including a two-year licensing period and the necessity of maintaining a private practice.

Cost of a delivery frustrating: midwife

Midwife Luba Butska came to Calgary about a year ago from Ontario, where midwifery is funded. "Everyone in Ontario thought I was crazy," she said.

The lack of funding in Alberta and the steep price tag for the births are a constant source of frustration, she said.

"You know midwives have in Alberta been fighting for funding for a really long time. I know that the association that represents midwives in Alberta has regular meetings with politicians at, you know, the highest levels. Those meetings always go really well," she said.

"It's clear that midwifery could really eliminate a lot of the burden also that right now is being experienced on labour and delivery floors. Just funding never actually happens."

Midwivesestimate that by funding midwife-assisted births, the province could save between $1,100 and $1,700 per birth and free up hospital beds.

Health Minister Ron Liepert said the province already helps midwives by subsidizing their liability insurance, and more support will be coming soon.

"What we want to do is ensure we integrate midwifery services into our delivery model, so that it becomes no cost to the patient," he said.