Big demand for Alberta midwives leads to long waits

High demand for midwives in Alberta is exceeding their supply and leading to long wait lists, a Calgary instructor says. 

It is also leading to a shortage of midwives to help train students enrolled in Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Midwifery program in Calgary, said co-ordinator Debbie Duran-Snell.

• Rallies call for increased midwifery funding
• MRU launches midwife degree program
• Demand outpaces supply of Alberta midwives

“Essentially it's just the demand is increasing, the ability to get trained midwives to be able to provide the service,” she said.

Mount Royal students spend 3,600 hours in clinical practicums as a part of their four-year degree, Duran-Snell said.

"So we need to have the midwives out there willing and able to teach our students in a clinical setting." 

Mount Royal University is only able train 52 midwives over a four-year program, Duran-Snell said.

Increased provincial funding for midwifery services and permitting internationally-trained midwives to practice in Alberta would help the situation, she said.

Demand rising since 2009

Registered midwives have been funded in the province under Alberta Health Services since 2009. Since then demand has been on the rise.

Rallies were held in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Fort McMurray in 2013 to call on the province to increase funding for midwives.

Mothers of Change, the advocacy group behind the rallies, said there was a shortage of midwives in the province then. The group said that British Columbia, which has a million more people, has two and a half times as many midwives.

Midwives provide care to women throughout pregnancy and during the birth, and for six weeks after. They visit mothers at home or in the hospital to provide support and care for the newborn.

Many women in low-risk pregnancies choose midwives for a deeper personal relationship, and hope that there will be fewer medical interventions than in conventional deliveries.