Our Services

Our services include comprehensive prenatal care, care during labour , assistance with the birth of the baby, immediate post birth care, and home post natal care of mother and baby, including breastfeeding and adjustment to parenting.

Prenatal Care

We encourage booking of your midwifery care as early as possible due to the demand, and also because the nature of the care limits the number of women we can provide excellent care to. Ideally your first visit should be prior to twelve weeks of pregnancy. Although if space permits woman may sometimes begin care later.

 

We are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week by pager. Our clients know they can contact us anytime for questions or concerns that can’t wait until their next office visit.

 

The first visit gives you and your midwife a chance to get to know each other, and will take approximately 1 hour. It includes a complete history and physical assessment , pap test if appropriate, breast exam, lab requisitions, nutrition/lifestyle counseling, as well as time for questions/concerns/choices ie ultrasounds etc. Recommendations of available quality childbirth classes are provided at this visit as well.

 

Subsequent visits ( every 4 weeks to 30 weeks, every 2 weeks to 36 weeks and weekly til baby’s birth) will be approximately 30 minutes. The health of you and your baby will be carefully assessed. Women weigh themselves and test their urine at each visit, then time is spent discussing the progress of their pregnancy, measuring blood pressure, baby’s growth, heartbeat and movement , and interpreting lab tests. We know it is important that you and your family have time to discuss issues important to you, ie planning for labour and birth, emotional issues, relationship/sibling/parenting/ concerns, and this is a priority in your care.

Laboratory tests and diagnostic tests ( such as ultrasounds) or referrals to other health care providers are discussed and booked as necessary.

 

A home visit is scheduled at 36 weeks of pregnancy for women planning a birth at home. An hour is scheduled for those planning birth centre or hospital births. This time is set aside to discuss plans for labour and birth. A list of things to have ready for your birth as well as a “birth supplies bag” is assembled by your midwives to assist you in preparing for your baby’s birth.

 

Labour and Birth Options

Assuming that pregnancy in a healthy mother is progressing normally, it is her choice as to where she will give birth. It is well researched in Canada and around the world, that birth at home or in hospital for healthy low-risk women cared for by a registered midwife is equally safe for mother and baby. Home births, however, have statistically the lowest rates of intervention, most notably caesarean section.

 

Water birth is an option, usually at home or in the birth centre. Many of the woman in our care choose water birth for relaxation and analgesia. Many hospitals in Europe, particularly the UK offer this, however it is not generally available in Calgary hospitals.

We have hospital admitting privileges at all hospitals in Calgary, Canmore, Banff and High River, however the majority of our hospital births occur at Foothills Hospital because of our geographic catchment area. Care in hospital is provided by us as your admitting midwives, and generally no hospital staff are involved in your birth unless we specifically ask for assistance.

 

If medical consultation is necessary, we are able to access our obstetrical colleagues for an opinion, or for assistance in the event of a situation which is outside our regulated scope of practice. We have, over many years, developed very good working relationships with family doctors, obstetricians, pediatric specialists, and other consultant physicians. If a woman requires consultation during a birth in the community, this is usually non-urgent and is accomplished by transferring to hospital, but may be also simply advice provided by telephone consultation.

 

Approximately 85-90% of women wishing to birth at home or birth centre will, in our care, be successful in doing so.

 

Post Partum Care

Immediately following birth, we are with you to assess the health of mother and baby, assist with breastfeeding, bathing, etc. and of course to celebrate with you and your family! If you give birth in either hospital or birth centre, you will generally be home tucked in bed with baby, about 3 hours after the birth.

 

We visit several times over the first week at home, assessing mother and baby, making sure breastfeeding is going well, ( a very major focus of support) and offering advice on early baby /self care etc. This is often seen by parents as the most valuable part of their care! We are of course, available 24/7 by pager for concerns/questions.

 

Mother and baby are seen in the office one week later, at two weeks post birth, for a complete check up to assess baby weight , breastfeeding , emotional adjustment etc. At six weeks, we conclude care with an hour long visit which includes well woman care (breast exam, pap test, contraceptive counseling,) emotional assessment, and adjustment to parenting. A compete baby physical exam and referral letter is provided for the ongoing health care provider. Although the care is “complete” after the six week visit, our families continue to contact us for questions and information, for many months/years, and we always enjoy a visit from “our” families