Mom flouts midwifery restrictions with home birth

She doesn't know it, but five-week-old Luna Roche is at the centre of a protest over home births.

Luna was born at home in Musquodoboit Harbour, although new regulations require mothers in the Halifax region who want to use midwives to have their babies at the IWK Health Centre.

It was mom Kat Chaisson's secret plan.

"The beauty of natural birth just doesn't happen in a hospital," she told CBC News.

Chaisson was accepted into IWK's program for a midwife-assisted birth last spring, after the provincial Midwifery Act took effect. She hoped to give birth at home, but the hospital didn't have a policy on it yet.

"When I first got involved they said, 'Give it four to five weeks or so and we will approve home birth and it won't be a problem,' " she said.

As the months passed, Luna couldn't wait any longer. When Chaisson's midwife showed up to help her get to hospital for the birth, Chaisson said she was staying put. Her midwife called for backup and two other midwives arrived.

Chaisson knew this would mean breaking the rules.

"I put my midwives in a very sticky situation. They were not allowed to be here at my home to assist in a home birth," she said. "I felt like I was committing a crime."

Chaisson said the midwives were questioned about whether they were involved in her plan to give birth at home, but she said they were not to blame.

Home births coming: IWK

Midwives and mothers have been pushing the IWK to speed up the delivery of its homebirth policy.

Jocelyn Vine, vice-president of patient care, said the hospital needed extra time to come up with a policy that focused on patient safety. She said the homebirth option will be available "within the next several weeks."

In the end, Chaisson believes she did the right thing in having Luna at home.

"I think she'll be quite proud of her mom, that I decided to do whatever it took to have her in a comfortable environment," said Chaisson.

Unlike in the Halifax region, expectant moms in the South Shore have been able to give birth at home for months.