What is a Midwife?
Registered midwives are health care professionals whom provide primary care to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. As primary care providers, midwives may be the first point of entry to maternity services and are fully responsible for clinical decisions and the management of care within the scope of practice.
Midwives provide the complete course of low-risk prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care, including physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests, the assessment of risk and abnormal conditions, and the conduct of normal vaginal deliveries.
Midwives work in collaboration with other health care professionals and consult with or refer to medical specialists as appropriate. The midwifery model of care promotes normal birth, enables women to make informed decisions and provides continuity of care and support throughout the child bearing experience. Midwives attend births in hospitals, birthing centres and at homes.