The CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS issued a press release on Monday indicating that, for the time being, expectant parents looking to have their pregnancies followed by a midwife in the Eastern Townships will have to look elsewhere. Although the waiting list for access to midwifery services remains in place, the absence of three midwives simultaneously means that it is likely some people on the list will not be able to see a midwife before the time comes to give birth. “This situation is temporary,” assured Johanne Royer, who is responsible for midwifery services at the Maison de naissance de l’Estrie, adding that the absence of three midwives at the same time is a challenging coincidence. Although there is a team of about 15 midwives normally available to cover the needs of the region, Royer explained that it was important to restrict access to services right now because of the fact that so much of the pre and post-natal care offered by the midwives is reliant on teamwork. “What needs to be understood is that every midwife covers a certain number of people per year,” she said, offering 32 as a rough estimate of that number. See full story in the Tuesday, Jan. 28 edition of The Record.
