Three University of Alberta medical students have created a unique documentary, in hopes of educating people about midwifery and natural birth.
Danielle Lewis is a second year medical student and became interested in midwifery when she was pregnant with her first child.
“What drew me to it was the mothering nature. It was my first pregnancy so I was a bit nervous, and when I first met the midwife I felt really, really comfortable with her.”
She says it became clear to her that there were a lot of misconceptions when it came to midwifery.
“A lot of people didn’t really know that yes, a midwife can deliver in a hospital and yes, a midwife has a four year degree and yes, they’re very well trained,” Lewis adds.
Fellow med student, Katie Stringer used a family physician for the birth of her child. When she was discussing her birthing experience with Lewis, they realized how different they were.
The conversation also made them realize there wasn’t a lot of instruction on midwifery and various birthing practices in the University curriculum. Along with classmate Bailey Adams, they decided to take the matter into their own hands.
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“We thought maybe there was room for improvement in our curriculum,” says Stringer.
The three women created the documentary “Birthing Babies Together”, which will become part of the U of A curriculum next year.
“We wanted students entering into clerkship years, which is when we’re in hospitals, to know about midwives, so that if they run into them there, they would have an idea of who they’re working with, what their skill sets are,” says Adams.
“Whether you’re a family physician, a pediatrician, an obstetrician, you’re going to run into women who are going to want midwifery care. So, I feel like it’s important for us to know what their scope of practice is, what they’re capable of doing, and being able to support women in their choices,” adds Stringer.
“Our documentary is about birthing options and women-centred care,” explains Adams adding, “It’s not just about midwives, it’s about different models of care that physicians can use in their practice when working with moms.”
Their documentary also touches on the relationship between midwives, physicians and nurses.
“I was transferred to an obstetrician due to an emergency complication (during the birth of my child), so that’s when I first became interested in the balance of medical intervention and natural childbirth and how we all work together to best support the woman,” says Lewis.
The documentary features midwives from Nelson, BC. Stringer says there, it’s not uncommon for the physician, nurse, and midwife to all be present during the birth. She says this isn’t something you see too often in Edmonton.
“There’s a lot of collaboration that occurs between the midwives, the nurses, the physicians and the obstetricians. They talk a lot about how they all hang out, and often times at a birth, all three might in the room,” Stringer explains.
Joanna Greenhalgh is a registered midwife who was interviewed for the documentary. She says there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding what midwives do.
“People think that we wear long skirts and Birkenstocks,” she laughs adding, “Midwives are experts in normal, healthy birth.”
Greenhalgh says their job is to focus on the mother and her choices, as well as help her through the entire pregnancy process.
“We place great emphasis in being informed about what you’re choosing, because this is your pregnancy, it’s not my pregnancy, and this is your experience, not my experience.”
All three students say they have received phenomenal support and encouragement from the faculty at the University.
Alberta began funding midwifery services in 2009 and their popularity has been growing since that time. Now, Mount Royal University is offering a four-year Bachelor degree in midwifery – the first such program in the province.
With files from Su-Ling Goh.
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