Halifax home birthers being hassled?

[Bluegoat]

So, I noticed in the last issue of The Coast a letter to the ed on the midwife issue. It said that there were a few moms who had given birth at home who were being given legal hassles. Does anyone heard anything about this? Hassles for birthing alone, or midwives practicing without a license, or ???

[shenanegans]

I have been wondering how the midwife/homebirth program is going in N.S since it was all legalized with the birthcenters so recently. I know it takes a reaaaally long time for those kind of things to function well. I am from NS but live in Montreal now. Midwifery has been going and covered my healthcare for almost 20 years here but it is still extremely difficult to get a spot in one of the birthcenters to get a midwife. I had to hire a lay midwife for my homebirth and pay out of pocket.

[Bluegoat]

Looks like the Halifax portion of the program is in real trouble!  Only one midwife left, and she is on leave until January.  Of the rest, I think one was let go and the others quit.

[Twinklefae]

Actually, two were let go (One in August, one in November) and one resigned in protest last week.  :(  Unfortunately, this leaves me back at my family doctor's with no possiblity of a homebirth.

The whole program is 'suspended' until mid-January.

[Bluegoat]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae 

Actually, two were let go (One in August, one in November) and one resigned in protest last week.  :(  Unfortunately, this leaves me back at my family doctor's with no possiblity of a homebirth.

The whole program is 'suspended' until mid-January.

I didn't realize that two had been let go.  The news I heard said the last one had been grated a leave of absence.  Wow.

I don't know if you are happy with your GP, but there is an OB in Bedford I think who used to be a midwife.  I don't know much about her, but if you are looking for someone who understands a natural birth model it might be something to look into.

[KoalaMama]

Does this mean there is no option for a midwife attended homebirth in Halifax right now? Or are there midwives practicing outside of this program that will attend births at home?

I just moved here from ON, expecting my fourth in August, and am trying to figure out how this whole system works!

[Twinklefae]

None in Halifax right now at all to the full extent of my knowledge.  If you wait to the end of the month, they are 'meant' to have the program back up and running.

[clutterbug]

I didn't realize that two had been let go.  The news I heard said the last one had been grated a leave of absence.  Wow.

That is correct - there is still one employee, as far as I know.  She is on leave till middle of January (at least, I don't think anyone knows for sure).

They started with 4: two were let go (one in 2009 and one in 2010) and then the resignation of the third in December 2010 left just one more, who subsequently went on leave.

Koalamama, there is just one midwifery group in Halifax, one in Antigonish, and one in Bridgewater.  So the options are pretty limited (well, at the moment, they are non-existent within Halifax).  You might try contacting the South Shore if you would be interested in travelling for appointments, birth and postpartum, they take some out-of-district people if they have space available.  Obviously, though, it's not the ideal of having care in your own community and home. :(  By August, you might find that things have worked themselves out in Halifax. *crosses fingers*

And just in case you haven't come across them in your figuring things out, the regulatory system is described at www.mrcns.ca.  The Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia also has the story of recent events laid out on their main page (just Google them, they pop right up).

[KoalaMama]

Thanks for the replies. What a sad state of affairs it seems to be here right now!

So another question... are there any other birth attendants operating privately that will attend a homebirth? In other words, is there an option for homebirth other than the non-existant midwives that are registered and an unassisted birth? I don't care about paying out of pocket... I just want a qualified (registered or not) person who will attend and support us at the birth. Gosh, that just seems like such a simple request... I have a hard time believing it isn't possible!?

[Bluegoat]

Originally Posted by KoalaMama 

Thanks for the replies. What a sad state of affairs it seems to be here right now!

So another question... are there any other birth attendants operating privately that will attend a homebirth? In other words, is there an option for homebirth other than the non-existant midwives that are registered and an unassisted birth? I don't care about paying out of pocket... I just want a qualified (registered or not) person who will attend and support us at the birth. Gosh, that just seems like such a simple request... I have a hard time believing it isn't possible!?

When the new legislation was passed, private midwives were allowed, but they are required, I believe, to pay for malpractice insurance.  My understanding was that this is so expensive it effectively made it impossible for privately paid for midwives to practise legally.

If there is anyone out there willing to do it under the table, I don't know.  That is what I would look for myself, but there are obviously downsides to doing that.

[KoalaMama]

Ah. That would explain why I keep running into the answer "there are no other midwives". Thanks for the info!

[Lily Bea]

There is a rally being held in Halifax on Jan. 20 regarding this issue:  the info is on the link below (hope ot works).  The midwifery coalition of NS has a good Facebook page and website that explains things really well too.  Not a nice situation!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=179359545427811 

[doulawoman]

reviving this thread...I am moving back to my home province at 36 weeks pregnant and looking for a home vbac...I only have a hospital option and travelling 1.5 hours on sketchy roads in january to the south shore midwife (other on holiday) I would be more than willing to pay for a private birth attendant...anyone who knows anything please PM me!

[AndreaJay]

Just read through this thread scoping out the NS scene through the forums.

Doulawoman, hope you're enjoying your little one! How was your birth experience?