SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Heather Redshaw is Yellowknife's sole midwife and she's popular.

"Every month I get more and more calls," said Redshaw. "I've had to turn away about 12 women who called me. I've filled my quota for each month."

Couple Suling Duong and Jeff Wilson say they are pleased with the care they have received from midwife Heather Redshaw, left, for Duong's pregnancy. - Jason Emiry/NNSL photo

Redshaw has helped birth seven babies since she began working in Yellowknife in March, and has 15 more due between now and February 2009. She accepts three more patients each month.

Jeff Wilson and Suling Duong are two of Redshaw's clients.

"It was my first pregnancy," said Duong. "I don't have much family here. I wanted more support and I knew that I would have more time with a midwife. I didn't know how I was going to handle pregnancy."

Registered midwives monitor the health of mothers throughout pregnancy and birth, providing education and counselling and performing various diagnostic tests. They can prescribe and administer drugs.

They also provide care for newborn infants for up to six weeks.

"Pregnancy and birth and new babies have always fascinated me," said Redshaw, who studied midwifery in Bristol, England. "I always felt that babies were a miracle. I have a nursing background. I worked on obstetrics for many years. I really enjoyed helping women achieve a satisfying birth experience."

Redshaw became interested in the profession after using a midwife for the birth of her second son.

"I was hooked after that," she said.

Redshaw meets her clients as soon as they find out they are pregnant. Then she will meet with the expectant mother every four weeks over 28 weeks, then every two weeks. In the last month of pregnancy she sees women once a week. Such appointments are standard for prenatal care, but midwives provides longer visits, Redshaw said. Appointment lengths range from 45 minutes to one hour.

Redshaw makes daily visits after the baby is born. Visits are less frequent if the baby is healthy and breastfeeding goes well.

Redshaw also gives support before pregnancy.

"If a woman is planning to get pregnant she could make an appointment with me and we could sit down and we could talk about ways that she can keep herself as healthy as possible," said Redshaw. "This helps her get off to the best start."

In Yellowknife, midwife-assisted births take place only at the hospital. There is always one other attendant on hand to assist with the birth, usually an obstetrical nurse. If complications arise, physicians, nurses and other health-care staff are on hand to help.

During the birth, midwives provide primary care. But if there are serious concerns, a physician will take over and the midwife will take on more of a supporting role.

There are currently just two other midwives in the NWT, located in Fort Smith. The NWT brought in legislation regulating midwifery in January 2005, becoming the sixth jurisdiction in Canada to recognize the profession.

Ontario was the first province to regulate the profession - a result of the home birth movement that grew in the 1970s.

"Midwifery is on the rise in Canada," said Gisela Becker, a registered midwife in Fort Smith and the current vice-president of the Canadian Association of Midwives. "It is becoming a more integrated system and profession and works collaboratively with other health professionals."

Midwifery training is offered at five different locations in Canada through a four-year direct entry program.