A Midwife is a Primary Care Provider

Midwives, unlike doulas, are primary care providers for healthy pregnant people and their newborns. Midwifery care is unique in that it spans pregnancy, labour to birth, and six weeks postpartum. For the first week after your birth, midwives visit you and your baby at home to facilitate optimal recovery and bonding.

Ontario midwives are fully integrated into the health care system. All midwives hold privileges at their local hospital and are part of an inter-professional maternity care team. Midwives are experts in low-risk pregnancy and birth, and you will not see a physician unless there are concerns. Should complications arise, your midwife consults with a physician. If your pregnancy becomes abnormal, midwives coordinate a timely transfer to high-risk obstetrics, while continuing to provide supportive care for you and your newborn.

Midwifery Philosophy

Instilling confidence, building trust

Midwifery in Canada is founded on the principle of protecting and supporting childbirth as a healthy and meaningful event in a person’s life.

Midwives actively promote physiological childbirth by placing a strong focus on prevention, birth preparation, alternatives to the routine use of drugs and a commitment to one-on-one labour support. Fundamental to the philosophy of midwifery is inclusiveness, building a relationship of trust with you and your family, as well as non-judgmental guidance and support towards health and well-being.

Informed Choice

Good decisions made thoughtfully

In a world where pregnant people are inundated with advice and information, making the right decisions about your care can become overwhelming. Informed choice means that you and your midwife engage in an open and truthful dialogue with full disclosure of information. Midwives recognize the birthing person as the primary decision maker. While it is impossible to completely erase uncertainty, your midwives use a collaborative approach to facilitate meaningful discussions, offer valuable insights so your decisions will resonate with your core beliefs, promote safety and, ultimately, allow you to birth with strength and dignity.

Safe options for low-risk pregnant people

Midwives are the only care providers who have the skills, the experience and the equipment to attend home births . Although home birth is an excellent and equally safe choice, midwives will accompany you to your chosen birth setting. You can plan to give birth at home, in a hospital, at a birth centre, or in a health clinic, depending on what facilities are available in your area.

Videos About Midwifery

Learn more about midwifery with these videos from the Association of Ontario Midwives.