Community Midwives of Brantford Information

This team usually shares prenatal care, attends the birth and shares postnatal care. A third midwife is assigned each month to cover overlapping births or time off call. Midwives do their best to rebook cancelled appointments at the most convenient times that fit their busy schedules. Being on call 24 hours a day most of the time means they are required to attend births, as well as home visits and clinic. Unfortunately, this means not all personal requests for specific appointment times can be accommodated, as with any medical care provider. If you have questions, please direct them to your midwife. Thank you for your understanding. Midwifery care means you are choosing a distinct style of maternity care, focused on childbirth as a normal healthy process, continuity of care and informed choice. Midwives work as independent, primary caregivers and are funded to provide comprehensive care to clients and their families during pregnancy, birth and the first six weeks postpartum. Our services are an alternate to, not in addition to, medical and nursing care, for normal pregnancy and childbirth. If complications arise, we work in a team with medical and nursing professionals. We provide prenatal care in our clinic, with one prenatal visit at home at 36-38 weeks gestation. We attend labour and birth at home, and in the hospital. We provide early postnatal care in the hospital, in the case of a hospital birth, and in the client's home for the first two weeks and later postnatal care in our clinic. Midwifery care for planned hospital births includes monitoring labour at home, transfer to the hospital late in active labour with first babies and in well-established labour for subsequent births, and early discharge, usually within 3 hours after the birth from the hospital, with postpartum care provided by your midwives at home. The emphasis in midwifery care is on birth as a normal physiologic process and an important life event and in supporting clients to make informed choices. As primary caregivers our role is limited to low-risk pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Midwives provide a "low intervention" style of care that seeks to avoid the routine use of drugs. Midwives work together with clients and their families and support people to use alternatives to birth. During labour and delivery midwives use position change, hands-on comfort measures and emotional support to reduce the need for pain-relieving drugs. Although the use of technology and drugs is sometimes necessary and is always open to midwifery clients. Pregnant and looking for a midwife? Fill out our intake form. Community Midwives of Brantford