Shawna Friesen didn’t know the peril her unborn child faced as she was rushed to hospital on the night of Dec. 15, 1996.
Less than an hour earlier, a nurse at Shawna’s hometown hospital in Killarney, Man., advised her to go to Brandon to give birth. Brandon was more than 100 kilometres away, but there appeared to be no cause for alarm. Nobody suspected then that Shawna would give birth in less than an hour.
After arranging care for their two-year-old daughter, Shawna and her husband Vic started toward Brandon. They got about 20 minutes down the road when the contractions started coming every two minutes. Although Killarney was closer, Shawna and Vic kept their vehicle pointed toward Brandon.
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Delivering babies was no longer an elective procedure at the Killarney hospital. Expectant mothers were normally referred to Brandon unless an emergency dictated otherwise.
“We didn’t even think to go back to Killarney,” Shawna recalls. “We figured I would get put in an ambulance and be sent to Brandon anyway.”
Concern became fear as the Friesens sped on. It was winter, it was dark, and Brandon still seemed far away.
“It was a really scary experience,” recalled Shawna. “My husband was driving 180 kilometres per hour just to get there on time.”
When the Friesens arrived at the Brandon hospital, Shawna was on the brink of giving birth. With coaching from nurses, she delayed the delivery until she was in a birthing room.
Taylor Friesen was born 23 minutes after midnight on Dec. 16, 1996. During the delivery, it was discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Taylor’s neck.
“If she had been born en route, she probably wouldn’t have made it,” Shawna said.
Many rural hospitals in Manitoba refer expectant mothers to city hospitals for delivery. Not everyone is happy with the situation, but there’s no indication it will change soon.
Medical staff loses skills
Demographics are cited as a main reason fewer babies are being delivered at Manitoba’s rural hospitals. An aging population has led to a decline in the birth rate. That decline means less opportunity for doctors and nurses at rural hospitals to maintain their skills at delivering babies. It also makes it harder for rural hospitals to justify the medical staff needed to provide that service.
A couple of years ago, two-thirds of expectant mothers in the South Westman Regional Health Authority went to a city hospital to give birth. A portion of those did so out of necessity, while others did so out of personal choice.
Manitoba’s College of Physicians and Surgeons believes a hospital should deliver at least 25 babies a year to maintain the skills needed for that service.
“We don’t rant and rave if it falls below that number,” said Dr. Robert Walker, the college’s deputy registrar. “We do have concerns when the number gets to be very small.”
Regional health authorities have the task of identifying health needs in their areas. The RHAs reviewed those needs last year. Among other things, the research will help them decide what’s needed to ensure women have reasonable access to hospitals where they can safely deliver their babies.
“This is a predominant issue across the province,” said Penny Sorensen, executive director of programs for the South Westman RHA.
However, the review of health needs won’t prompt sweeping changes to Manitoba’s health care. The RHAs are proposing to make changes gradually on an ongoing basis.
In the meantime, there’s a move toward legalizing midwifery in Manitoba. Licensed midwives could be working here by next July.
As for Friesen, she and her husband have opted against having another child. The risk of having a baby born en route to a hospital is one they don’t want to experience again.
“I don’t want my husband to have to deliver a baby,” Shawna said.
“He may end up flat on the floor in the car. Delivering babies is not his thing.”
