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Published on: September 22, 2020 | Last Updated: September 22, 2020 6:38 PM EDT

Debbie Mpofu is the new midwife in Fort McMurray. Supplied image/ Alberta Health Services

For Fort McMurray’s first midwife, her first year in the region has been an interesting one.

Debbie Mpofu of Passages Midwifery began working in the city this past February and after a few weeks, she was already booked until the end of September.

Demand did not slow when COVID-19 restrictions began in mid-March, but it did make in-person sessions challenging. Other clients also lost their jobs.

When nearly 13,000 people were impacted by April’s flooding of the lower townsite, medical services at downtown clinics— such as ultrasounds and blood work—became unavailable.

Finding new midwifes for displaced clients, while also tracking down physicians and specialists that had been impacted, was a challenge.

“It really has been an interesting time, but I have to tell you Fort McMurray people are amazing,” said Mpofu. “They have welcomed me with open arms and absolutely helped all the way in anything at all.”

Fortunately, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre helped arrange meeting times with obstetricians.

“That has been challenging because sometimes the specialists, you need them today,” she said. “But Fort McMurray people are resilient. They just help one another and share information, share resources, so it has been an amazing journey.”

It is too early to tell if spring’s lockdowns will trigger a local baby boom later this winter.

Because it is her first year in the region, Mpofu said she does not have a baseline to compare 2020 to previous years. However, she said demand has been consistent.

Data from Alberta Health Services shows Fort McMurray has continued seeing steady birth rates.

In 2017, there were 1,263 births in Fort McMurray, followed by 1,176 in 2018 and 1,226 in 2019. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 21 of this year, there have been 784 births.

Even with vacation time taken into consideration, Mpofu is booked until February 2021. There is also a waitlist.

A second midwife, Rita Manu, arrived in Fort McMurray in April.

“Every single month we are booked up and there are ladies who are on the list whom we have not been able to take on,” said Mpofu. “Even with having Rita here… Alberta Health Services is definitely looking at the population, the child bearing population and increasing the number of midwives as time goes on.”

Midwifery services have been in demand locally since the 1990s.

As Fort McMurray’s population and economy grew during the last oilsands boom, so did its birth rates. Those birth rates remained high after the economic slow down of late 2014 and the May 2016 wildfire.

Fort McMurray’s public and Catholic school divisions are expecting enrollment to continue growing in the near future as more young families and couples opt to stay in the region.

Now that more mothers in the community can share the experience of having a midwife, Mpofu said she believes the demand for midwife services is stronger now than before.

*The midwives featured in this article are no longer at this practice, you can find them by using the “request care” button and selecting Fort McMurray.

Originally published at: https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/local-news/2020-keeps-fort-mcmurrays-first-midwives-busy-as-services-booked-until-february?fbclid=IwAR1IXSglLc05vOEDuPQB8XBDmpyA6yTL9XNkhfW4L1UgXdEIBCAcIS2cz7g