Birth centre set to close during Calgary baby boom

Calgary's only private birthing centre will likely close by the end of the year unless the province or the health region starts funding it directly, says the Arbour Birth Centre's director.

"The overhead costs for running the birth centre are just rising much faster than the income for the birth centre. It's running at a deficit," said director and midwife Diane Rach.

Calgary is in the midst of a baby boom. More than 15,000 babies will be born in Calgary this year or 41 babies a day.

The Alberta Association of Midwives argues birthing centres could take the pressure offcramped maternity wards, which made headlines this year after a handful of high-risk moms were sent toMontana andToronto to give birth.

"It would be nice if they could just see us an extension, another floor, of the Foothills Hospital that provides low-risk care," said spokeswoman Patti Lenstra.

'It's comfortable, it's homey'

Leh Price, who is 15 weeks pregnant, gets regular checkups from her midwife every few weeks at the centre. When the time comes, she may even have her baby in one of the delivery rooms upstairs at a cost of about $500.

"I've looked at the centre here, it's comfortable, it's homey," said Price.

The centre is capable of handling as many as 90 low-risk births every month.

"Some people feel this is the safest and most comfortable place to give birth and we feel they should have that option," said Rach.

Alberta 'open to talking'

Privately run birthing centres are common in the U.S. and Quebec. Rather than funding individual facilities here, Alberta says it wants midwives to partner with other health providers and work within the public system.

"What we're looking at doing is figuring out ways to design programs where they can fit in with the different regional health authorities," said Howard May, a spokesman for Alberta Health. "We're open to talking to them."

Alberta doesn't fund midwife care, which costs mothers about $3,000.