Registered Midwives provide comprehensive primary care to healthy women through all stages of their pregnancy and birth, and continue to care for both mother and baby for up to six weeks postpartum. Midwives are skilled in normal, low-risk pregnancy and birth.

Midwives view pregnancy and birth as healthy and profound events in a woman's life and believe that unnecessary intervention is an interruption of a healthy process. Fundamental to midwifery care is the understanding that a woman's caregivers respect and support her so that she may give birth safely, with power and dignity.

Midwives believe that involving the woman and her partner in shared decision-making is critical to empowering them to make their own best choices. By combining medical care with education and information, midwives provide complete holistic care to the entire family.

Registered Midwives provide care that is similar in many ways to physician care. We order and interpret the same lab work and tests such as ultrasounds that are routinely used in pregnancy; and we see our clients on a similar schedule. However, the midwifery model is unique in health care. Some of the distinctions include:

Informed Choices
Midwives promote decision-making as a shared responsibility, between the woman, her family and her caregivers. We encourage you to actively participate in your care. Your visits will include education and counselling about prenatal testing, labour/birth procedures and newborn care in a relaxed, non-authoritarian, co-operative manner, enabling you to make informed choices. In order to accomplish this, you are provided with longer visits where we can answer your questions and provide detailed information about choices you are making.

Continuity of Care
Midwives provide continuous, individualized care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum; responding to a woman's social, emotional, cultural and physical needs. You will be cared for by a team of two midwives throughout pregnancy, labour and after the birth. This enables you to build a trusting, personal relationship with your care providers. One midwife is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to provide support, answer questions, and to attend your birth.

Choice of Birthplace
Women are supported in their choice of birthplace - home or hospital. Your midwife will explain the risks and benefits of each so that you are able to make this important decision. Midwives respect the woman's right to choice of place of birth in accordance with the Standards of Practice of the College of Midwives of BC. You are encouraged to consider both options and make the choice that is best for you and your family.

Learn more about the Midwifery Model of Care through the College of Mdiwives of BC website.

Read an article about Tracy Simpson published in the May 3, 2008 edition of the Burnaby News Leader.