This summer, expecting patients in Pincher Creek and area welcomed one more delivery option — midwife services.

Midwives provide primary care to Albertans during pregnancy, antepartum, labour, birth and postpartum period up to six weeks, according to Alberta Health Services. They also give information about birthplace decisions and work collaboratively with health teams in hospital settings.

“Registered midwives, physicians and care teams at Pincher Creek Health Centre have been working collaboratively to prepare to support midwives and their clients, with all staff and facilities now ready to support midwife-assisted births,” said Kelly Morris on behalf of AHS communications in an emailed statement to Shootin’ the Breeze.

According to Morris, about 6,314 Albertan families accessed midwife care over the past year, including about 440 people in the south zone. AHS has over 168 midwives with 14 in the south.

Earlier this summer, AHS announced that four Cardston-based midwives had been granted clinical privileges at Pincher Creek Health Centre.

“Families in the community have been asking for additional maternity services,” said Health Minister Adriana Lagrange in a June media statement. “Opening the health centre to the area’s midwives enhances maternal care, giving expectant parents more options of where and how they deliver.”

Chelsae Petrovic, the region’s MLA and the parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement, also noted her excitement for these new services.

“We know more families are recognizing midwifery as a valuable option for maternal and newborn care,” she said.

The midwives had their first success story in the area when a baby girl was delivered by the team in early June. 

According to an AHS publication, mother Shae-Lynn Wolosuk was happy with her experience at the health centre with the maternal care team, including midwives, who worked together to support her and her growing family.

“I would highly recommend having a baby with midwives here,” Wolosuk told AHS. “It was a great experience.”

After a successful delivery at the health centre, the midwives, Terri Demers and Eve Verdon, continued to provide at-home care for the mother and baby for the weeks following birth.

“All of us at Cardston Midwives are so excited because Pincher Creek Health Centre is so receptive and willing to have us there,” Demers told AHS.

Pincher Creek and area residents can request midwifery services through the Alberta Association of Midwives Request Care web page at alberta-midwives.ca/request-care.

Related article: Maternity care on the ropes in Pincher Creek

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