Dealing with northern Ontario's doula shortage

Northern Ontario could be facing a shortage of doulas.

A doula provides support emotionally, informationally and physically to women and their families during pregnancy and the birthing process, while a midwife, a nurse or a doctor provides the medical assistance.

Meg Kant, founder of Northern Mama Maternity Services said the shortage in northern Ontario is posing challenges for the handful that work in the region, especially compared to places like Toronto, where she said almost all pregnant mothers have a doula, and there are enough to help ease the pressure.

"There are four or five of us [in Sudbury] that are practicing at the moment," Kant said. "And within all of northern Ontario there's actually less than 15, which is wild considering that we have about 7,800 births a year...and 1,800 of those are actually in Sudbury and less than five percent of these are attended by doulas."

A doula typically can take on between 3 and 5 clients a month, she said. Kant added that with those limited numbers, it's difficult to support all the families that require the service.

"I also think people not knowing about doula support is a huge thing," she said. "Two parents might not be aware that this is an option that kind of fits the need between your medical provider and support within the birth space."

The strong demand for doulas coupled with a shortage of providers means working doulas face some challenges.

"You're overworked, for example. You can't accept new clients because there's so many people wanting a doula. Which is again a huge other reason why we need more," Kant said.

"There's just not enough for us to be supporting all of these births."

Kant, who is also the master trainer for an international company called Bebo Mia, is also encouraging people to consider training to be a doula through an online course.

"Our training is completely online. You could do it from the comfort of your home with a baby on your lap if you need to."

On a personal level, Kant said her career choice has been rewarding.

"It's such an honor ...to be present at a birth," she said. "You literally get to be there the first time somebody becomes a parent and sees their baby face to face and it's just...one of the most magical moments of all time."

To listen to the full interview with Meg Kant click on the audio file below.