Homebirth in Alberta?

[curiouscanadian]

Still TTC#2, but was wondering the other day if a homebirth with a midwife was even POSSIBLE in Alberta (Edmonton, to be more precise). I know with all the funding changes recently midwives are in extremely high demand, but I was also wondering if it affected their availability to do homebirths?

I'll have enough of a challenge convincing DH a homebirth is a good idea - no WAY would he go for an unattended homebirth - but I reeeealy want one! Has anyone had one recently??

[Panonim]

Hi! I am in Edmonton, and had a midwife-attended homebirth in August 2008. Back then it was not yet funded of course, and even then you had to book a midwife pretty much as soon as you get your BFP. I booked my MW when I was about 4 weeks pg (had just found out) and I had no problem.

I don't know anyone who's had a homebirth since the funding went through. I do know that there are a couple more homebirth midwives in the area than there were when I had my homebirth. The Stony Plain program has dissolved and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think some of those midwives are now doing homebirths.

There is also a family doctor in St. Albert who does homebirths, not sure how you would feel about that. I believe her name is Dr. Marlene Lidkea.

The most important thing I would suggest is to start NOW with meeting and interviewing midwives, there will be no time for that after you get a BFP. Decide who you are comfortable with, so that as soon as you get that BFP, literally the same day, you just have to make a phone call and say "Book me in please!!"

Oh, and my DH was adamantly opposed to a homebirth initially, but he came around pretty quickly when I read him blurbs out of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, and after we did our initial consultation with our midwife, before I even got pregnant. He ended up loving our homebirth and is 100% happy with our decision.

Good luck to you!

[mum2row]

I had my second homebirth in October. I live in the Calgary area. I know that the midwives in the Calgary area are super busy and some take repeat clients over new clients so it can be difficult to get in with them. I haven't heard of any decrease in the number of homebirths with the new funding. I guess because lots of women that want the type of care midwives provide also want a homebirth.

My DP was not up for a hb with our first but with some education by me and taking Bradley classess he changed his mind. With our second there wasn't even a discussion about it because our first experience was so good.

Definately phone around now to find out the policies of the midwives/ referrrals from previous clients.

Check out this magazine http://www.birthunlimited.ca/

Ab midwife association http://www.alberta-midwives.com/index.php

good luck

[curiouscanadian]

Thanks for the replies ladies! Panonim - I actually gave birth to DS in Aug 08 with Dr. Lidkea! She was okay, but well, it was still in the hospital and last I'd heard she'd lost her nurse backup so couldn't do homebirths anymore...
It's probably very wise advice to suggest I look into midwives now! Thanks for the links mum2row.

Oh, and my DH was adamantly opposed to a homebirth initially, but he came around pretty quickly when I read him blurbs out of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, and after we did our initial consultation with our midwife, before I even got pregnant. He ended up loving our homebirth and is 100% happy with our decision.

Any other recommendations on how I can get DH on board? I ended up deemed Failure To Progress with DS after 5+ hours of pushing, and I know DH will be very concerned about a repeat. (Although I've come to see/believe that it was at least partially caused by my self-conciousness in the hospital.)

[is it puppies?]

I am in Edmonton and wanted a home birth and am currently seeing Dr. Lidkea (who no longer does home births). It was nearly impossible to get in with a midwife, and a lot of them will only do home births in certain areas of the city (ie westside midwives will only do westside, or stony plain again only in west side or stony area). A lot of them are only taking repeat clients, and some will take you on only for hospital births. I have gotten in with one (just by good luck and a few connections) and she will likely only birth me in the Stony Plain centre due to where I live- however because of my blood pressure I might be risked out of birthing with her anyways! There are of course always cases like that so it's worth being on the wait lists too but I know I was put around #30 on the wait list with a couple of midwives only 6 weeks or so into my pg. There are a number of new midwives in training, so if you talk to some of the midwives you might also ask when their trainees will be certified!
The problem is I believe that they are only funded to do a certain number of births per year, the MW I have gotten into says that she will actually have to stop birthing about 7 months into the year due to this! After finding out it seems to be funding, I was seriously tempted into trying to pay cash money to birth at home!

[mandib50]

yaa, it can be pretty tough to get into a midwife now that it's funded. they can take on 40 courses of care a year, and they have pretty big waiting lists. with funding, the number of births did go down, many of the midwives were doing closer to 50 or 60 births a year.

[herins]

I had a midwife-attended home vbac 11 months ago. My midwife actually suggested calling her when we start TTC, rather than waiting until we are pregnant. I would suggest you do the same. There are quite a few midwives in Edmonton (not enough, but more than there were a few years ago). Simply meeting a midwife may be enough to convince your husband. The care is unequaled.

[springfever]

We are planning a homebirth in Edmonton with a midwife, any day now! It will also be a VBAC. I was very blessed to get in with her, I called for a spot when i was 3w4d which helped me get in, and my doula I hired for my last labour is her student midwife now so that connection helped too. She never mentioned anything about only doing homebirths in a certain area of the city, but I do know the Westside Midwives practice only does homebirths in the west end and spruce grove area.
Also a note on Dr. Lidkea - I switched my care to her from an OBGYN at 40 weeks with my last pregnancy and ended up with what I feel was definitely an unnecessary c-section for failure to progress and descend. I wouldn't recommend her personally, I also found her to be discouraging and condescending when I was in labour. But I hadn't met her before that so we didn't know each other at all.