An Equally Safe Choice 

Riverdale Community Midwives nurtures the wonderful option of home birth in our community, and many of our clients choose to have their babies at home. Because media attention is rarely directed towards this very progressive option, we invite you to carefully consider the many benefits of home birth.

Your birthing environment plays a significant role in assuring a physically and emotionally safe labour and birth for you and your baby. For healthy pregnant people, home birth in Ontario is as safe as hospital birth. If it becomes necessary, our inter-professional, team-based approach ensures smooth transport to the hospital. All Ontario midwives carry standardized, fully-regulated medical equipment and medications to safely deliver a baby at home: ask your midwife prenatal class teacher to show you her gear!

Midwives are the only primary care providers who are trained and equipped to attend home births.

We're Having a Homebirth!

Let The Nesting Begin

We instinctively want our living spaces to look and feel like home when our babies arrive. We also have a natural desire to create a birthing space where we feel physically and emotionally safe.

At your prenatal home visit at 37 to 38 weeks, your midwife will explain the contents of your Blue Birth Bag. This bag contains a lovely home birth supply checklist to help you assemble a box with additional items for a home birth. Your midwife always carries the state-of-the-art medical equipment necessary for a safe home delivery. However, if your birth is fast, having a box with helpful items such as baby receiving blankets, towels, and protection for your bed will allow maximum time and space to focus on your labour support needs. It is recommended that you declutter and clean your birth space so midwives have room to work safely and lay out their equipment. Your entrance to your home needs to be cleared to ensure accessibility. As for “nesting,” it doesn’t get better than preparing your home for your home birth!