Frequently Asked Questions About Midwifery Care
What is a registered midwife?
Midwives are formally trained and fully integrated
primary health care professionals who provide comprehensive care to
women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and the first six weeks
postpartum. Across the rest of the world, most babies are born into the
hands of capable midwives. The term ‘Registered Midwife’ is a
protected title in BC, and indicates that the midwife has met the
standards to register with the College of Midwives of British
Columbia, and maintains her status through ongoing recertification and
training.
What are the advantages of midwifery care?
Midwifery clients experienced lower rates of forceps,
vacuum extractions, cesarean sections, episiotomies, infections and
babies born requiring resuscitation in studies where midwifery care was
compared to physician-led care. Midwifery clients are encouraged to make informed
choices about their care, and have access to all routine medical
testing during their pregnancy including blood work, genetic testing
and ultrasounds. In addition, midwifery clients benefit from knowing
and trusting their midwives, with whom they develop a close
relationship during pregnancy. Paramount to midwifery practice is that
women feel respected and supported so that they are able to experience
pregnancy, give birth, and become mothers with power and dignity.
Is midwifery care safe?
Most
definitely! There is a large body of evidence that supports midwifery
care as a safe choice for low-risk healthy women. Data was gathered
from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Holland where regulated
midwifery is widely practises in order to justify its regulation in BC.
In fact, researchers founds that women and babies did better on average
in countries where midwifery was the normal care.
What kind of training do midwives have?
Midwives come from a variety of backgrounds, all of
which comply with rigorous set of standards set by the College of
Midwives of BC. Many midwives train overseas and others complete
degree programs here in Canada. Ask your midwife about her individual
training.
What is the working relationship between midwives, family doctors, pediatricians and obstetricians?
Midwives
consult with family doctors, obstetricians, pediatricians or and other
specialists if situations arise that fall outside the Midwife's scope of
practise. Midwives have clear indications of when to consult and when
to transfer care during pregnancy, birth and post-partum as set out by
the College of Midwives of BC. This information is made available to
every woman who chooses a midwife as part of the fundamental principle
of midwifery care - informed choice. My working relationship with
Prince George's local specialist's is excellent.
I’m already seeing a doctor-
Is it too late to consider a midwife?
Absolutely not! Midwives are happy to take clients at
any time in their pregnancy, provided we still have room. Just call our
office to book an appointment.
I’ve been told that I’m “high risk.” Can I still see a midwife?
Some women with certain medical conditions or
complications of pregnancy are indeed best cared for by a physician,
and these situations are listed in the College of Midwives of BC’s guidelines.
However, the best way to find out if you are too high risk is to book a
consultation with a midwife to discuss your case. Many of the
reasons people think they are ‘high risk’ do not preclude you from
midwifery care. For example, women have told us they thought they were
‘high risk’ for being over the age of 35, struggling to get pregnant,
or previously having a miscarriage. In fact, we care for women in these
circumstances all the time.
Can I see a midwife and a doctor?
No. The Medical Services Plan will cover one primary
care provider (registered midwife, family doctor or obstetrician) for
the duration of your pregnancy and birth, and up to six weeks
postpartum. The choice of caregiver during your pregnancy is up to you.However, should complications develop in the course of
yours or your baby’s care, midwives will arrange for a family
physician, anaesthetist, obstetrician or pediatrician to become involved
in your care to ensure you get the safest and most appropriate care
for you and your baby. Of course, you are welcome to see your family
physician at any time for non-pregnancy related issues. Once your baby
is about six weeks old, your care is transferred back to your family
physician, who will resume care of you and your new baby.
What if there is an emergency during the birth?What if I need a cesarean section?
Midwives are trained to handle a variety of emergencies
that might occur during labour and at the time of birth, and are
annually recertified in neonatal resuscitation. At home births,
midwives carry oxygen, resuscitation equipment and drugs to control
postpartum hemorrhages. Midwives are trained to suture tears and
episiotomies. If you require caesarean section, your care will be
transferred to an obstetrician for the delivery and your midwife will
remain present and part of your health care team the whole time.
Follow-up care remains the same whether you have a vaginal or caesarean
birth.
Can I have pain medication during labour with a midwife?
Yes. The appropriate use of a range of natural and
pharmaceutical pain relief options, including epidurals, is part of the
midwifery scope of care. Midwives support your choice of pain relief
options during labour.
Can I have a midwife and still give birth in the hospital?
Yes!
Midwives support womens’ right to choose the place of birth and offer
women home or hospital births. All Registered Midwives obtain and
maintain hospital privileges so they can provide comprehensive care in
both the hospital and home setting.
Do I have to pay for midwifery care?
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Health pays for
the services of Registered Midwives. If you are covered under the BC
Medical Services Plan, all you have to do is show your BC CareCard. If
you do not have a CareCard, please speak to our office manager.
When do I make my first appointment?
As soon as you have a positive home pregnancy test.
Midwives can formally confirm the pregnancy with a simple blood test if
you desire.
Can I come to Northern Midwifery Care if I don't live in Prince George?
Although most of our clients live in Prince George, we have
taken care of people from the surrounding areas and all over
BC. Particularly, we have taken care of many women from Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Quesnel and Smithers.
How often do I come for appointments?
Generally, your appointments will follow the standard
antenatal schedule in BC-- every 4-5 weeks until you are 28 weeks
pregnant, every 2-3 weeks until you are 36 weeks pregnant and weekly
thereafter until you have the baby. After you have the baby, we usually
see you in your home during the first week, and then in the clinic until your baby is six weeks old. However,
we often adapt this schedule to ensure that you get the personalized
care that you need.
How long are prenatal appointments?
Appointments are 30-45 minutes long. This gives you and
your midwife lots of time to get to know each other, ask questions and
to help you prepare for birth and for caring for your baby. Women who
have already had a baby (or two, or three….) might not want or need
such long visits, and can mention this when booking appointments.
Can my partner or my other children come to my appointments?
Certainly. You are welcome to bring whichever support
people you would like. Prenatal appointments are a great opportunity
for your partner to meet the midwives and have his or her questions
answered, and for your children to get comfortable with the midwives
and participate in your pregnancy. All our appointment rooms are
equipped with books and toys for children.
What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?
Although there are some similarities between midwives
and doulas in the sense that both provide emotional support and
suggestions for coping with labour, the biggest difference is that your
midwife is responsible for monitoring the health and well-being of you
and your baby, and the progress of your labour. Doulas provide you
with uninterrupted support, but they do not provide medical care, and
do not deliver babies. There is good evidence demonstrating that the
presence of a doula decreases a laboring woman's need for pain
medication and improves outcomes.
