What is a midwife?

Midwives are health care providers who specialize in caring for healthy women during their childbearing year. Midwives provide complete prenatal, labour, birth and postnatal care to healthy women and their babies. Read more.

Midwives are the experts in caring for healthy pregnant women, and the best choice to help you achieve a normal birth. Midwives have all the training and skill required to care for women from the onset of their pregnancies, throughout the birth and for the first six weeks afterwards. As long as the client and her baby are well, there is no need to see a doctor as the midwife can provide all of the necessary care. If complications arise, The Hamilton Midwives have access to all the medical services that you may require including hospital services and consultations with obstetricians, paediatricians, anaesthetists and family doctors. Click to hide.

The similarities and differences between midwives and doctors

Midwifery clients receive all the same routine monitoring from their midwife as women who are cared for by a family doctor or obstetrician. All the routine ultrasounds and blood tests are offered, you can have a home or hospital birth, including an epidural if you wish. Pregnant women are seen by their midwife on the same schedule as they would see a doctor, and their babies receive all the same routine health testing whether they are delivered by a midwife or a doctor.

The main differences are our philosophy of care, our model of care, and our postpartum care. Read more.

1. Our philosophy
   Midwives see pregnancy, birth and early motherhood as a normal part of a woman’s life that requires some extra support and guidance. We know that most healthy women will have a normal pregnancy, birth and a healthy baby, but as health care providers, we are continually assessing our clients for signs of complications and are prepared for any emergencies that may arise. We provide care that is tailored to each individual client.

2. Our model of care
   Our model of care is based on 3 principles that guide the way we care for our clients.

   1. Informed choice. You are the main decision maker for your health care choices and for your baby’s wellbeing, and our job is to help you make decisions by giving you good information and guidance. Read more. We will use our clinical skills and knowledge as well as the latest research and guidelines to help you make choices throughout your course of care. Choices include things like which blood tests to have or to opt out of, where to deliver your baby, and what kind of birth you would like to have. We respect each client’s right to make the choices that are best for her and her family within the context of her own situation. Click to hide.
   2. Continuity of care. Our clients develop a relationship of trust with their midwives thanks to 30-60 minute appointments, and the fact that they will be cared for by a small number of midwives. Read more. Women want to know who will be attending their births and The Hamilton Midwives boast a 95% continuity of care in labour rate. That means that when you are birthing, you should have at least one midwife that is known to you look after you for all or part of the time. Client satisfaction, midwife job satisfaction and patient safety are all improved when there is continuity of care. Click to hide.
   3. Choice of birthplace. The Hamilton Midwives deliver babies at St Joseph Healthcare Hamilton (Charlton campus) right across the street from our office. We also provide birth care in the homes of our clients.

3. Postpartum care
   Our postpartum care is one of the aspects of our care that our clients most appreciate. We follow women and their babies for the first 6 weeks of life and each time the baby gets a check-up, mom gets one too. We see our clients in the comfort of their own homes 3-5 times in the first 10 days to 2 weeks. Read more.

   Home visits save women the hassle of bundling the baby up and going out to the doctor when they should be home resting. Our postnatal visits focus on:

   1. The physical and emotional health of the mother to ensure that she is healing well from the birth and adjusting to motherhood. We give you lots of information on how to care for yourself and your baby.
   2. The health of the baby, including making sure that s/he is feeding and growing and that there are no signs of illness.
   3. Breastfeeding support.

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How much does midwifery care cost?

Midwifery care is free for all women who reside in Ontario. You don’t need to be a Canadian citizen and you don’t even need a health card (OHIP). Read more.

Of course we all contribute to health care costs in Ontario with our tax dollars, but there is no out of pocket cost to access the specialized care of a midwife. If you are unsure if you qualify for free midwifery care, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to let you know. We frequently work with new comers and refugees. Click to hide.

Clients without OHIP

There is no cost to you for midwifery care. Also, the government of Ontario has a special program for midwifery clients without OHIP to be able to access most ultrasounds, blood work and consultations with a physician for free. If you choose to have a midwife, the only out of pocket expense you’ll pay is for the hospital stay if you need to or chose to deliver there. Read more.

If you chose a doctor to care for you during your pregnancy and you don’t have OHIP, UHIP or Interim Federal Health coverage, you will have to pay for the doctor’s care as well as pay for your ultrasounds and blood tests. Prices for this vary. With a midwife, it is all covered. This may sound too good to be true but Registered Midwives in Ontario have been chosen to improve access to health care for women who traditionally have barriers to accessing care. Click to hide.

Catchment area

​Because our services include home visits, we restrict the geographic area that we serve, to Hamilton and the surrounding areas.  Please email or call to find out if you live in our catchment area.  

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