Expectant women have new options in rural Alberta

 Laureen F. Guenther  

Times Contributor   
 
Expectant Strathmore mothers currently must make the trek to Calgary or Drumheller to deliver their babies, they are not permitted to deliver at Strathmore Hospital. Locally, they may receive prenatal care until their babies are about 20 weeks gestation, then they’ll be referred to a Calgary maternity clinic for support until their babies are born. 
They may take prenatal classes through local public health at any time during their pregnancies.
Nurse and midwife Amy Deagle has been concerned that Strathmore women aren’t always served adequately by the pre-scheduled prenatal classes. If they or their spouses work out of town, such as on the oil rigs, or are in seasonal work like farming, they can’t necessarily attend the classes at the times they’re offered.
Deagle says, “I was frustrated by the fact that women living in rural areas did not have the same access to care that women in the city did.” 
Deagle, has worked as a nurse and midwife in Alberta, Alaska, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and British Columbia. 
“I believe that women and couples need the education, information and support…so that they can make confident, informed choices in the best interests for themselves and their families,” said Deagle.
With these concerns in mind, Deagle recently launched Expecting Success. She explains that the new company offers online support, education and information for women during preconception, pregnancy and early parenthood.
Before conception — in the stage that Expecting Success calls “Baby Talk” – Deagle and her staff offer online support & education. During pregnancy — the “Baby Bump” stage — women and couples can contact Expecting Success for pregnancy support and information, and for in-person or online prenatal classes. During Baby Steps — the early stages of parenting — Expecting Success provides parenting support & information.
All across Canada, Deagle says, women and couples can receive information online and via telephone from Expecting Success’s RN Consultants. Additionally, in the communities where the RN Consultants are based, expectant women and couples can arrange for in-person prenatal care, consultation and education. They can also access individual or group prenatal classes, scheduled to fit into their lives and tailored to provide the information they need.
In Strathmore, Deagle said, “there is a local Expecting Success RN Consultant, Sara Phillips, who will provide the online maternity and parenting support as well as offer private & group prenatal classes.”
Deagle believes the services offered by Expecting Success will make a significant difference for rural Canadian women and couples. 
“Knowing that they have a medical professional that they can email for advice or schedule a call with,” she says, “should decrease stress and increase the empowerment of parents.”
To learn more or to contact Expecting Success, see www.expectingsuccessinc.com.