What is a Midwife?

Denise Fuller - Registered Midwife - Midwifery Collective of Ottawa

Women have been helping women with the safe delivery of their babies since there were babies. But while midwives of the past may have become such purely based on circumstance, today's midwife is a highly trained, regulated health care professional who provides one-on-one care and support for pregnant women and their families.

Pregnant women who chose a midwife as their primary caregiver have access to all the modern diagnostic tools that a doctor offers, but also enjoy a more personalized health care regime. Women will develop a relationship with one or more midwives during their pregnancy, midwives who will encourage them to be active participants in all their health care decisions. A home birth is an option for women cared for by a midwife, as is a hospital birth.

Midwives specialize in the care of healthy, low-risk women and their babies from conception to six-weeks postpartum. The intensive training of midwives includes the ability to recognize and deal with high risk and emergency situations should they arise. Midwives also have privileges at local hospitals and work as part of the woman's health care team, providing women and infants access to an obstetrician or pediatrician if necessary.

Midwifery services are available to all residents of Ontario and are funded through the Ministry of Health. All provinces except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have similar legislation regarding midwifery, and the majority of provinces fund midwifery for their residents.

Residents of Ontario can learn more about midwifery and how to find a midwife through the Association of Ontario Midwives website (www.aom.on.ca) or by contacting the association at 1-866-418-3773.