Editor: Thank you for sharing the excellent news about the labour and delivery room expansion. My heartfelt thanks to the family for this generous donation.
Although it is not mentioned in the article, I recently learned that there are no plans to put bathtubs in these new rooms. That oversight has been a bit of topic around town and my hope is that this omission can be reconsidered before the final plans are drawn up by the architect.
I had two of my children in the Canmore hospital using the poorly functioning scalding hot/icecold shower for the first, skipping it for the second and laboured for my third in a tub of water, finding that to be an absolute godsend. I had read about how helpful a tub was for reducing pain, but I was amazed at the immense difference between labouring in a tub versus a shower.
When I found out last week that input could be given I gave it and was told there is no room for tubs in the rooms and that women didn’t identify them as a need. I can’t believe it. For real?
Even if a woman doesn’t see herself using a tub in labour, wouldn’t she want that option available for others who would? If a woman stays home in her own tub too long because there isn’t one at her final birthing destination ... will that be the best scenario?
Are we absolutely sure we can’t find a way to add them? They are in many modern hospitals across the world. If indeed women from Calgary are travelling here for their births, don’t they want a fully equipped room? Anything that can reduce pain and the need for painkilling interventions which are costly and increase risk to mother and baby should be reconsidered.
Please, please, please, reconsider.
Is space really the issue? I don’t know about yours, but my shower and bath are combined and take up the same amount of space. If there is space for a shower, I imagine the footprint is similar for a bathtub. In this day and age, there must be a way.
I’m done having babies, but I would love to see a few tubs for those women who aren’t.
Rayna Tupper, Canmore
