Sask. woman calling for province to allow more than one support person for birthing mothers

A Regina woman wants to be allowed to have more than one support person withher during the birth of her first child.

"For millennia, women or people giving birth have been allowed to have a support network around them," Sherry Rapley, who is expecting her first child, said.

In Saskatchewan, women giving birth are currently restricted to one support person in the hospital due to COVID-19.

That leaves Rapley with a tough decision. She has to choose whether to have her husband, her motheror her doula in the room with her as she gives birth.A doula is a person trained to offer support during childbirth. Unlike midwives, however, they are not allowed to medically intervene.

Rapley put herself on a wait-list for a midwife early so she could have a home birth, rather than go to a hospital. She said she was told in February that there are notenough midwives to accommodate her for a home birth, so she started planningfor a hospital birth.

Rapley picked her support team early and planned out everything, thenCOVID-19 changed the regulations.

If she chooses to have her mother or husband with her, her doula could provide support over the phone, but she said it's not the same.

"It's kind of almost a rite of passage in womanhood," she said. "Birth is meant to be a profound experience, a joyful one."

After hearing of the new regulations, Rapley had her doctor forward a letter to themanager of the hospital's birth unit asking to have two people. She hasn't heard back.. She sent another letter last week and included the patient advocate, her local MLA and the provincial health minister.

Rapley said she received a reply from the patient advocate saying the hospital was sympathetic but couldn't authorize the request, because the restrictions were put in place by the provincial government.

It does matter how we bring our babies into the world.- Sherry Rapley

Rapley noted thatin other jurisdictions such as New York, B.C.and Manitoba, restrictions are being relaxed or doulas are being considered an essential part of the birthing team.

"It does matter how we bring our babies into the world."

Rapley said it's important she be in the least stressfulenvironment possible.

She also noted that people can gather at restaurants or gyms as of June 8, 2020 but she can still only have one person with her during her child's birth.

"It doesn't make sense to me."