What is Midwifery?

Midwives are trained and skilled professionals who provide care for their clients throughout pregnancy, labour, and birth, and also to clients and their babies for the first 6 weeks postpartum. Our Toronto midwives can attend your birth at home, at the Toronto Birth Centre or at Michael Garron Hospital. Midwives will give you information to make choices that are right for you and your family. At The Midwives’ Clinic (TMC) one of your midwives will always be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for urgent concerns. At TMC you will be cared for by sensitive female caregivers that respect the individual needs of the families in our community. Cultural sensitivity is an important part of the care your midwives will provide.

Midwives are fully funded by the Ministry of Health and offer complete care for you and your newborn baby. You do not need to see a family doctor or an obstetrician in addition to your midwives. When complications arise, midwives make appropriate consultations to specialists such as obstetricians, pediatricians and lactation consultants.

Midwifery Care Includes:

Prenatal Care

Prenatal visits include checking your blood pressure, baby’s growth, position, and heart rate, routine lab tests, and referrals for ultrasounds and genetic testing as necessary. Limited Ultrasound Examination is available at our clinic for certain clinical indications. Information regarding community programs and resources are also made available.
Your first visit will usually be between 8 and 10 weeks of pregnancy. Your visits will occur once a month until 28 weeks, every two weeks from 28-36 weeks, and once a week from 36 weeks until your baby’s birth. Prenatal appointments are 30-45 minutes to allow time for answering questions and providing information regarding your pregnancy. Family members and support people are always welcome to accompany you to your appointments.

Labour and Birth

One of your midwives will be with you throughout active labour. A second midwife will come towards the end of your labour and both will be there for the birth of your baby and the 2-4 hours after your birth.

We monitor the progress of your labour, assess you and your baby, and provide ongoing emotional and physical support. If you plan to birth at the hospital or the Toronto Birth Centre (TBC), we relocate at the appropriate time and continue to provide care for you and your baby at the hospital or at TBC.

Postpartum…after the baby is born

After the birth your midwives will stay with you for 2-4 hours. They will make sure you and your baby are both doing well, check your vitals regularly, assist with breastfeeding, and do a complete physical exam of your baby.

Your midwives will visit you and your baby at home in the first week and regularly in the clinic after that, until your baby is 6 weeks old. The routine visits in the first week postpartum are usually done on the 1st day, the 3rd day and then between the 5th and 7th day. There may be additional home visits in the first 10-14 days as needed.

Midwifery Resources

College of Midwives of Ontario http://www.cmo.on.ca/ or 416 327-0874
The CMO protects the public by regulating the profession of midwifery in accordance with the RHPA and by setting the minimum standard of professional behaviour and clinical practice expected of Midwives in Ontario.

Association of Ontario Midwives www.aom.on.ca or 416 425-9974
The AOM provides services for midwives in Ontario.

Read the Association of Ontario Midwives’ client resources:
https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/client-handouts

Read the Association of Ontario Midwives’ clinical guidelines
https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/cpg