Maternity care provided by a midwife © Pexels/Mart Production
Expecting a baby is one of life’s most monumental journeys. The choices you make during this time—from your healthcare provider to your birth plan—shape not only your experience but also your transition into parenthood.
Midwives are primary healthcare providers who specialize in prenatal, birth, and postnatal care. They work with you and your family to ensure you receive the care you deserve, respecting your individual needs and including you in all decision-making. Midwifery care is fully covered by provincial and territorial health insurance in Canada, making it accessible to those who choose it. Depending on your preference, midwives can attend births in hospitals, birthing centres, or at home.
“When looking at midwife vs doctor care, we decided that as long as we had a healthy pregnancy, we wanted the more hands-on approach that midwives offer; longer appointments, easier access to our caregiver,” said one expectant mother.
Midwives work in partnership with expectant parents, ensuring they feel supported and empowered throughout their journey. They provide comprehensive prenatal visits, routine blood work, diagnostic tests, and postnatal care to help parents and babies thrive in the crucial early weeks. Because midwives work in pairs or small teams, there is always a familiar provider available on call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Pregnancy Your Way
Midwives take the time to foster a relationship built on trust and respect, ensuring that expectant parents are informed decision-makers in their own care. Their care does not end at birth—they continue to see parents and newborns for at least six weeks postpartum, addressing physical, emotional, and psychological needs during the crucial early days of parenthood.
Choice and Inclusion in Midwifery Care
Midwifery is informed by research, clinical experience, and evidence-based guidelines to bring about the best possible outcomes for both parent and baby. Inclusion is a vital part of this process, so midwifery ensures respect for cultural traditions and individual values and inclusive care for all families, including Indigenous and racialized communities.
Indigenous midwifery, for one, views birth as a deeply sacred event, and this practice plays a key role in building healthy and safe Indigenous communities. The National Council of Indigenous Midwives (NCIM) advocates for the restoration of midwifery education and the provision of midwifery services within Indigenous communities, consistent with the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Related – Your Pregnancy, Your Choice: A Guide to Midwives
Midwives in Canada play a critical role in providing culturally safe and equitable care to diverse and racialized communities, ensuring that expectant parents receive respectful, individualized support through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They often work within community-based models that prioritize language accessibility, traditional birthing practices, and trauma-informed care that work to address systemic barriers that marginalized groups may face in the healthcare system.
“Midwifery worked for us because we felt totally comfortable with our decision,” an expectant mother shared. “My advice to expectant parents considering midwifery would be to talk to anyone and everyone you can and make the best choice for you and your family. But I wouldn’t have done it any other way!”
To learn more, visit havingababy.co
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The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) is the national organization representing midwives and the profession of midwifery in Canada.