CamBay moms may now deliver closer to home

Sharyne Fraser, the first of four midwives to arrive in Cambridge Bay, says she’s looking forward to delivering babies at the Kitikmeot health centre and teaching local midwives at Nunavut Arctic College’s midwifery program. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE

CAMBRIDGE BAY — If you’re pregnant and living in Cambridge Bay, then you’ve likely met Sharyne Fraser, the first of four midwives to arrive in the community.

Fraser came to Cambridge Bay so that pregnant women in the community with a low risk of complications during may give birth at the Kitikmeot health centre, starting early in 2010.

Shortly after her arrival in September, Fraser began prenatal care to 30 pregnant, offering the same level of care previously provided by nurses.

That’s a large number of women for one midwife to see, but Fraser said that’s no problem: “I’m a midwife, so I like to take care of women.”

A second midwife is set to join Fraser.

Working as a team, Fraser and the second midwife will rotate their stays in Cambridge Bay with two others so that the health centre will always have two midwives on the job.

Since her arrival, Fraser looked for ways to better prepare the centre for deliveries.

The $20-million health centre has been fully equipped to handle births since it opened in the fall of 2005.

Fraser promises to forge a close relationship with the women who choose to deliver their babies in the community with a midwife.

“If you come to a midwife, there will be more involvement,” she said.

But it will be hard to convince women that they can get good care closer to home instead of in Yellowknife or Edmonton to deliver.

Fraser said that based on her experience, pregnant women will begin to trust midwives “when they’re ready.”

“It’s about education and being confident with the team,” she said.

And word-of-mouth information, plusthe participation of local women in Cambridge Bay’s midwifery program at Nunavut Arctic College, should encourage more women to deliver with midwives, Fraser said.

As the midwifery program evolves, Cambridge Bay midwives also want to develop post-natal care for mothers and babies as part of their practice.