Women who live in rural areas of Ontario are faced with a serious lack of care and choices regarding pregnancy. Travelling to city centers is costly and inconvenient. If the number of midwives was to increase they would be able to services these rural women. Currently, in the Sault Ste. Marie area midwives are not available to women who live in rural areas because there are not enough to accomodate travel distances and also offer the appropriate care.
Dear Sir:
We the undersigned write to you with great concern regarding the lack of choices available for pregnant women in the outlying rural areas surrounding the city of Sault Ste. Marie. The shortage of Doctors and Midwives is the main problem. The Midwives of Algoma are not able to service women that live in rural areas. They are refusing clients because of travel distances. The women are left with only one line of maternity care. They must travel to Sault Ste. Marie for appointments and labour. This creates a problem for women with lower incomes and no transportation, not to mention personal choices that determine their labour experiences.
Once they are in labour they have no choice but to deliver their baby in the hospital with the Doctors and Nurses that are currently on duty. If the shifts end in the middle of their labour they are met with a whole new team of people.
I realize that the shortage of health care practitioners is a nationwide problem but if we could increase the amount of midwives then women in rural areas would have a couple of choices. First, they could think about having a home birth rather than a hospital birth. They could also receive midwifery services in the hospital. This would free up Obstetricians and Gynecologists to service only the women who require special care for complicated pregnancies. The quality of care and successful outcomes would increase. It is proven in many studies that homebirths, longer in-depth appointments and a developed trusting relationship with a health care provider increases natural, drug-free healthy births. Women who experience this kind of birth are less likely to develop post-partum depression and are more likely to breast feed their babies. These bonds are the beginning to happy, healthy children who become contributing citizens later in life.
This issue is important to many women in the area. Please note the signatures listed that support this move towards more midwives in the Sault Ste. Marie area. We hope to hear from you as soon as possible regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
Concerned Women in rural areas.
