Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 02/00) - This month's theme at the Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre's open house is exercise.

And staff at the centre hope the recent event is only the beginning for expectant mothers.

"That was our first open house of this type and we're hoping to have monthly public get-togethers," said midwife Chris Siksik.

The centre, which moved into the Keewatin Regional Health Centre building, is bright, clean and inviting.

The reason for the move was mainly because more space was needed for the centre, but Siksik says there are other spinoffs.

"It was mainly because we needed more space, but it's nice to have a separate centre so (the expectant mothers) are away from the sick clinic," she said.

The centre is staffed by three midwives, two maternity workers and a clerk interpreter, and receives between 70-80 women a year.

A woman usually makes her first visit to the centre during the eighth week of her pregnancy, returning every four weeks after that until she is 28 weeks pregnant.

After 28 weeks, the visits increase to once every two weeks until the mother is 36 weeks pregnant.

From then until she gives birth she will visit the centre weekly.

"During all of the visits we look after them and teach them and part of it is socializing and answering any questions they may have," said Siksik.

Deliveries are performed at the Health Centre. Although the Birthing Centre is an independent unit, it is also integrated with programs at the Health Centre.

Each week a perinatal committee -- the nurse manager of the Health Centre, the birthing staff, the client and the resident physician -- meet to discuss clients' cases, such as where the delivery should take place and considerations for extra care.

Since opening in 1993, the Birthing Centre has helped hundreds of pregnant women.

The centre has also expanded its services to help women outside Rankin.

Those who are from out of town keep in contact with the centre during their pregnancy via conference calls, and only come to Rankin when they are ready to give birth.

During the 1980s, the need for a birthing centre's services was identified in a medical study. In 1995, the centre went from being a project to a running program.