Midwifery services have returned to the Bow Valley.
Meghanne Reburn, previously with Mountain Valley Midwives, is returning to the Bow Valley after a year from covering a maternity leave with Cochrane Midwives.
“Midwifery care is back in the Bow Valley and it’s been funded since 2009,” said Reburn, who has delivered close to 550 babies in her career, both at home and in hospital.
“I love living in a small town and love watching families grow. I run into the kids at the grocery stores and places around town and it’s so lovely to see them grow.”
Reburn is now accepting clients with due dates after June 15, 2012 and offers women a choice of where they want to have their babies – at home or in hospital in Banff, Canmore or Calgary.
She said one of the biggest advantages of having a midwife is that women receive care from six weeks of pregnancy to six weeks after their child’s birth. Most visits last between 30 and 60 minutes and are in the home.
“The biggest advantage is longer prenatal visits and I do it mostly in women’s homes and so they don’t have to worry about childcare,” she said.
“There is also extensive breastfeeding support in the home after the baby is born.”
Should women choose to give birth in a hospital, she said she has good working relationships with family physicians and nurses in the Bow Valley and in Calgary.
Reburn offers natural births and water births.
“We’re experts in natural birth. If you’ve got a sore tooth you go to the dentist, if you’re pregnant and you want a natural birth, you go to a midwife,” she said.
“I love the relationships I get to build with women. I love being a facilitator in the births because I believe I’m not the one delivering the babies; the women deliver their babies.”
Reburn is affiliated with Calgary Midwifery Cooperative and women interested in having her as midwife for their delivery for should go to www.calgarymidwivescooperative.com
Meanwhile, Mireille Caron, who was Reburn’s co-worker at Mountain Valley Midwives, is no longer working as midwife.
“I’m moving away from Canmore,” said Caron. “I will miss the community.”
