To say that mothers-to-be in Chilliwack have been under-serviced when it comes to midwifery care would be an understatement.

That's because until Joy Allan and Cheryl Mount came to town, there hasn't been any midwives here at all.

"We found there was a gap in services and a real need for midwifery care based out of Chilliwack," Allan told the Times in an interview. "Right now in Abbotsford, about 40 per cent of the clients come from Chilliwack and that told us there was a real need and we were very keen to fill it."

Mount and Allan opened Cheam Midwifery on Main Street downtown on May 1 and started prenatal appointments on June 1. Prior to starting the clinic both worked with Valley Midwifery Group in Abbotsford, a clinic run by Kim Campbell. Because of the long-term nature of midwifery care, the two have a transitional period as the Chilliwack clinic starts up and they continue to work for Campbell until two replacement midwives are in place.

But there was and is such a lack of services in the eastern Fraser Valley that the Chilliwack clinic is not competing with clinics in Abbotsford and Mission. It's taking up the slack.

"Until now, if pregnant women in Chilliwack wanted a midwife they had to travel to Abbotsford for all their prenatal appointments," said Allan.

Needless to say, women in Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope had to travel even farther.

"Midwifery care is just very difficult to access," said Mount. "Our waitlists are often longer than our actual clients lists. It's crazy and I think it was last year that midwives delivered 15 per cent of all babies in Fraser Health."

There are only about 150 midwives in British Columbia spread all over the province and there is certainly more demand than they can keep up with.

Registered midwives are primary health care providers who provide pregnant women with prenatal care. Midwives also attend women

in labour and deliver babies. They then remain primary health care providers for the woman and her baby for the first six weeks after the birth, according to Allan. At that point the woman and baby return to the care of their family physician.

Midwives deliver babies in hospital but also provide women the option of delivering at home.

Allan said she was quite happy with the support from the local hospital and local doctors who provide maternity care.

"Definitely the obstetrical care providers in Chilliwack have been more than supportive," she said. "The three OBs in town have put their support behind us and have recognized it as a gap."

Tanesha Vaughan lives in Chilliwack and will be giving birth to her second child any day now. She has seen Mount and Allan for midwifery care at the Abbotsford clinic but wishes there had been a local clinic when she was first pregnant.

"I'd definitely use them again," she said, adding that she didn't plan on having any more children. "Now that there is another office, it will allow more people to experience it."

Because of waiting lists at Valley Midwifery, Vaughan was only able to get in for the last half of her pregnancy.

Mount and Allan have been open for just a few weeks, they have done no advertising except for a Facebook page and they are taking clients now who are due to give birth in January 2012 or later. And already they have a waiting list for February 2012.

- Visit www.cheam-midwifery.com for information on the clinic.

phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com