CamBay moms may now deliver closer to home
Nunavut midwife program moves forward in Kitikmeot
Sharyne Fraser, the first of four midwives to arrive in Cambridge Bay, says she’s looking forward to delivering babies at the Kitikmeot health centre and teaching local midwives at Nunavut Arctic College's midwifery program. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE
CAMBRIDGE BAY — If you’re pregnant and living in Cambridge Bay, then you’ve likely met Sharyne Fraser, the first of four midwives to arrive in the community.
Fraser came to Cambridge Bay so that pregnant women in the community with a low risk of complications during may give birth at the Kitikmeot health centre, starting early in 2010.
Shortly after her arrival in September, Fraser began prenatal care to 30 pregnant, offering the same level of care previously provided by nurses.
That’s a large number of women for one midwife to see, but Fraser said that’s no problem: “I’m a midwife, so I like to take care of women.”
A second midwife is set to join Fraser.
Working as a team, Fraser and the second midwife will rotate their stays in Cambridge Bay with two others so that the health centre will always have two midwives on the job.
Since her arrival, Fraser looked for ways to better prepare the centre for deliveries.
The $20-million health centre has been fully equipped to handle births since it opened in the fall of 2005.
Fraser promises to forge a close relationship with the women who choose to deliver their babies in the community with a midwife.
“If you come to a midwife, there will be more involvement,” she said.
But it will be hard to convince women that they can get good care closer to home instead of in Yellowknife or Edmonton to deliver.
Fraser said that based on her experience, pregnant women will begin to trust midwives “when they’re ready.”
“It’s about education and being confident with the team,” she said.
And word-of-mouth information, plusthe participation of local women in Cambridge Bay’s midwifery program at Nunavut Arctic College, should encourage more women to deliver with midwives, Fraser said.
As the midwifery program evolves, Cambridge Bay midwives also want to develop post-natal care for mothers and babies as part of their practice.
(4) Comments:
A friend of mine was giving birth in the south at home with 2 mid wives. They planned it for 8+ months and she was monitored regularly. No issue were forseen so they went a head.
There was an issue with umbilical cord and the way the baby was facing. After trying unsucsessfully for 6 hours the had to rush her to the hospital for an emergency c-section. Mom and baby turned out fine, but without access to the hospital both would likely have died.
Hopefully Cambay will be able to handle these situations.
All that said, I am often saddened when a mother has to fly alone ou of her community to give birth. That is the time she needs family and friends the most.
Shouldn’t the caption say “the first of four non-Inuit midwives to arrive in Cambridge Bay”...?
Inuit women have been acting as midwives for thousands of years, long before Euro-Canadian nurses and doctors decided to take over the activity and turn it into a profession that needed to be certified in the South by English or French-speaking people.
At the end of the article it says “local participation in the Arctic College program should encourage more women to deliver with midwives”
—-what does the author think Inuit were doing before 1950? (1990?)
Speaking as a white person reading this, I am amazed at the arrogance of my people to assume that we are always the ones bringing such ‘new’ and ‘advanced’ ideas to the North…..
Oh by golly, we’re so smart! Didja know we white guys invented this way of travelling in a small covered boat too?
We call it a “Kayak”!
Now if only we could set up a program at Arctic College to encourage Inuit to use it….Hmmmmm.
Just sayin - are you willing to accept the baby (and birthing mother) mortality rates that existed uses traditional means? If not, I dont think you have a leg to stand on.
Having worked and hung out with lots of families in Cambridge Bay I’m very pleased to see that there will be an option for women in terms of birthing their babies in the community. Midwives, by their calling and training, are there for the mom, baby and family, the pros are going to far out-shine the cons. And it will be great to see Inuk women get back to this role.