Midwifery Care During Birth

Your midwife will provide you with clear instructions about when to page in labour. We plan to be with you during your labour, birth of baby and placenta and for the immediate postpartum period. When the time comes, usually once active labour begins, your midwife will assess you at home, in the hospital or at the birth centre. During labour, midwives monitor the client’s well-being, vital signs and progress in labour as well as the baby’s heart rate and position.

Midwives provide support to labouring clients and will often suggest different coping strategies to help them achieve their birthing goals. These may include change of position, massage, relaxation techniques or water therapy. Epidural anaesthesia is available at Michael Garron Hospital for clients who request or require it, and nitrous oxide is available at the Toronto Birth Centre – all are available as part of midwifery care.

As midwives, we believe in providing one-to-one care. Therefore, a second midwife is called to attend before the birth of your baby. The second midwife will be there to help the newborn transition to its new environment and to support the client and primary midwife as needed. At most births the primary and secondary midwife will stay between 2-4 hours after the birth. At this time if you had a hospital or birth centre birth you will be discharged home. If you birthed at home, the midwives will tucked you into bed and head for home.