A lack of midwifery services on the South shore has many families in the area looking to take government to task.
The two midwife positions that cover the area have been temporarily suspended due to staffing issues.
Kristen Martell, a Mahone Bay mom and a past patient of two of the past midwives, says she thinks the government needs to commit more to the program.
“If Nova Scotian families are important to this government then investing in a sustainable midwifery program should be a priority,” says Martell. “Really investing in the mom, spouse and child at that stage, benefits society as a whole.”
She along with a group of local families are creating a video to make a plea to government to invest more in midwifery services.
Martell says she made use of the midwifery services with the birth of her two children.
The continuity of care is something she wants all mothers to have an opportunity to experience.
‘It’s about that care all the way through, it’s about education and support during the whole process and post partum.
She adds that some believe midwives are just for home births but that’s not the case – her own children were born in hospital.
Nova Scotia has approximately ten midwife positions across the province, two of which are based in the South Shore.
Both of those positions are currently vacant.
Photo credit: Natalia Ciszak – 3wildflowersphotography
