Annapolis Valley midwife supporters push pilot project

Supporters of midwifery gathered Thursday outside the district health offices in the Annapolis Valley, pushing for their areato be included ina provincial pilot project for home births.

They handed Valley District Health Authority officials a letter and a petition supporting theAnnapolis Valleyas a place where midwives should be integrated with other medical professionals.

In 2006, theNova Scotiagovernmentpassed the midwifery act, which when proclaimed would make midwives part of the health-care system, andset up midwifery pilot projects at three sites around the province.

Midwives are trained specialists who care for women throughout pregnancy, low-risk births, and in the first weeks after birth. Under the new legislation, midwives would work with family physicians and other primary health-care providers to deliver maternity care.

Kelly Redcliff delivered her son Sam with the help of a midwife. The mother and son were among a group of 20 people who came out to lobby for more support for midwife services.

"Sam was born with the assistance of a midwife, and she was with us from six months before the birth until months after the birth," Redcliff said.

Veteran midwife Louise McDonald said she wants to know what government support there will be for licensing midwives outside of the pilot projects.

"We do have some concerns that, apart from the three sites, midwives may be able to set up in private practice, but it's going to be a difficult process," saidMcDonald, who is one of five practicing midwives in the province.

Health care officials have said it will take time to sort out how to regulate a profession that has been without provincial regulations until now.

Lisa Hammot Vaughn said it's already taken a lot of time.

"You know, we talked to lots of government officials, and its like, 'Wow, we were really going to get somewhere,' but that was in the '80s," she said.

New talks are scheduled for Marchtowork on the details. The act is scheduled to be proclaimed this spring.

Last November Health Minister Chris d'Entremont announced he wanted to make midwives part ofprimary maternity care teams, and the funding for his plan would be announced in the fiscal year 2008-09.