Midwifery has been 'a long time coming' say P.E.I. advocacy groups

Advocates who have been lobbying for access tomidwives onP.E.I. say they'repleasedthe government is moving forward with its plans to implement regulatedmidwifery services on the Island.

Health Minister James Aylwardsaid Mondaythe provinceplans to roll out the publicly-funded service early next year.

He saidone of the first steps will be to hire a midwifery co-ordinator to helpintegrate the program into the heath-care system.

"It's hard to believe really," said Joyce England, president of the P.E.I.Midwives Association.

She has been trying to get the profession recognized onP.E.I. for more than 20 years. She's from the Island but spent decades working in northern Canadaas a nurse and midwife.

'We want to do it our way'

England saidover the yearsshe has had to turn down peoplewho wanted her services on the Island.

"It is really difficult to say 'Sorry we can't, we can'tprovide that care for you,'" England said. "We had lots of people come to us and say, 'We want to have our baby at home. We want a midwife and we want to do it our way.'"

But with no regulation it would have been dangerous for both families and midwives, she said.

The government's announcement said to start, P.E.I.'s regulated midwifery services will focuson pre-natal and post-natal care.The service is then expectedto expand to in-hospital and home births.

'A long time coming'

Midwives provide important care before and after a baby is born, according to Megan Burnside with B.O.R.N., P.E.I.'s midwife advocacy group.

"We are so excited that finally we are going to have publicly-funded registered midwives on P.E.I. It's been a long time coming," Burnside said.

She said families onP.E.I. have been asking for theservices for decadesand introducing midwives here will give Island women more options and control of their care.

"It's a vital service that so many families are going to benefit from," Burnside said.

She said she hopesmidwifery services won't be limited and that government will move quickly to allow home births.

"We have to recognize that theydo have a lot of education and they do know what they're doing," Burnside said of midwives.

Midwifery is like many health-care fields, she said it will be competitive, andshe hopes P.E.I. will be able to recruit the midwives it needs.

Aylward said therollout of publicly funded midwifery services in will begin in early 2020.

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