Health PEI midwives help Island families navigate the birthing process
Health PEI's midwives are playing a vital role in supporting Island families throughout the birthing process. Since launching in May of 2024, midwifery services have helped deliver 10 babies on Prince Edward Island.
Harriet Dreise, who delivered her son Ruben on May 15th, is one of the first mothers who have benefited from the midwives' care. Dreise, originally from the United Kingdom, was excited about the prospect of receiving personalized care from midwives, something she was accustomed to in her home country.
"When midwives came to the Island, I was really excited for the different kind of care. It's a bit more personalized," said Dreise. "I found that they're different from other health care practitioners because they explain things in an almost non-clinical way, ways you can understand. They don't rush you to make decisions. You feel like everything is an informed choice, which is how it should be."
Ruben was born prematurely and spent twelve days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Dreise is grateful for the support she received from the midwives during this challenging time.
"Ruben was under the care of the doctors and nurses, but I was under the midwives' care," she said. "They checked in pretty much every day to see how we were doing and came to the hospital to check on me. The support at that time was really important and beneficial for us."
Elizabeth Salazar Valez gave birth to her son Sebastian on July 10th with the guidance of midwifery services.
"I was really scared, because I'm from Colombia and I didn't know a birth would be here," said Elizabeth. “For me, the most important was the emotional part. I didn't feel alone."
Elizabeth said she felt supported throughout her pregnancy.
"The midwives were amazing. They were teaching us a lot of stuff in each appointment. It wasn't just a medical appointment. They were teaching us and telling us the options."
Midwives provide comprehensive care to women throughout their pregnancy, including preconception counseling, prenatal care, and postpartum support. They can also deliver babies at the hospital or at home.
“It is honestly so rewarding to see this program come to fruition,” said Midwifery Services Lead and registered midwife Melissa Roberts. “So much planning has gone into bringing midwifery to PEI and to see the pieces come together is incredibly exciting. Midwives in Canada are still such a small community, and this is being celebrated both locally and across the country”.
At present, Health PEI has three midwives, with another coming in October. A fifth will arrive in January, completing the Charlottetown-based team, at which point they’ll begin building a team based in Summerside.
If you are interested in receiving care from a midwife, you can self-refer by calling the midwifery clinic at 902-288-1482. For more information, visit: Midwifery Services.