Midwifery has been a registered and legalized profession in Alberta since the mid-90s. Unlike all other provinces in Canada with regulated midwifery, our province failed to carry through with supporting the fully funded integration of midwifery into the public health care system. To this day Alberta couples pay $2500-$3300 for midwifery care.
There have been many instances in the past when consumers and lobbyists have become excited at the suggestion that public funding would be forthcoming. So I hate to get my hopes up , yet again. However, this recent letter from the Executive Vice President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, addressed to Alberta's health Minister is a powerful endorsement. I really hope it holds strong political sway.
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I too am happy to see that midwives in alberta may one day be funded, after paying for a midwife in 2001. But after several years here in ontario now, and work with a community advisory board attached to a midwifery practise, I am feeling very reserved towards this idea. I have watched these midwives jump through hoops to get funding, to jump through more hoops to get hospital priveleges so that they can get the funding, to stretching themselves beyond sane limits to make themselves attractive to the gov't to get the funding. (they do not receive any money until after discharge of care which takes place 6 weeks after the birth) this wonderful group of women have been pulled every which way and in the sake of preserving their priveleges have been unable to always offer the care that they had dreamed of.
So what I am saying is that although funding is necessary, it can come with a price. After my experiences here (including the birth of my second child-where I fired midwives when I was 38 wks pregnant to hire another) I would much rather pay and have the kind of midwives I had in alberta. The kind who respect you, and will support you in your desicions without worrying about what the OB or chief of staff is going to think about their actions.
holisticmom
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