Men, women, and children attend rally for more midwifery support

A large group of Alberta families gathered at the legislature Wednesday, celebrating midwifery support from the NDP government but also urging improvements in funding.

Organizers said there are 1,800 women on the wait-list for a midwife, but it’s likely many won’t get one due to a cap on provincial funding.

Now, they’re asking for a short-term cash injection to help women preparing to give birth now, and a long-term strategy for funding in the future.

“We have 100 approximate, midwives in our province, plus the 12 Mount Royal University grads that graduate on an annual basis and right now they’re not being fully optimized,” Dana Weatherhead, President of the Association for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth said.

“We show them there’s a demand for their services and so it’s really frustrating that there are women that want them, there are women that can provide the care, but because of the funding issue, they can’t.”

According to organizers, midwifery services are more affordable than hospital births, since a birth with a midwife can be done at home.

Agencies/Canadajournal

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