Ask the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa

Prenatal midwifery care is typically scheduled every 4 weeks before 28 weeks pregnancy, every 2 weeks from 28 weeks to 36 weeks of pregnancy and every 1 week after 36 weeks until baby arrives.

Once your baby has arrived the first 3 appointments postpartum will be at your home or hospital during the first 2 weeks postpartum. We will then check up on yourself and baby at 2, 4 and 6
weeks postpartum in our clinic.

All clinic visits are 30 minutes long with the exception being 1 hours for your second visit.

Longer visits allow for physical, emotional and social health assessments and allow time for informed decision making and the development of a trusting relationship between clients and their care providers. (Since the pandemic, we see our clients every 6 weeks in the first 28 weeks, every 3 weeks until 36 weeks and every week until birth.

We will discuss your preferred place of birth with you. We offer births at home or at the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre for clients who are healthy and whose pregnancies have been normal. We have admitting privileges at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital and any of our clients may choose to give birth there, as well.

The midwives at the Collective work in a primary/shared call model, meaning that you will be assigned a small team of midwives, with a single “primary” midwife who is responsible for coordinating your care. You will meet each member of your team during your prenatal care, so that you have the opportunity to get to know all of them. This gives you the best chance of being attended in labour by someone you know.

Doulas do not provide medical care and do not deliver babies. Midwives are trained to provide all the necessary medical care and to monitor the health and well-being of you and your baby. Doulas work as a part of the team, with a midwife or doctor and nurse during labour or be a part of your postpartum care plan. Doulas provide continuous emotional, physical and practical support. For more information about doulas, please visit the Association of Ontario Doulas.

Most of our midwives are involved with teaching students, because we are committed to the growth of the midwifery profession in Ontario and think our practice is a great place to learn! Depending on the student’s level of training, her role might be hands-on or hands-off, as appropriate. Students are always directly supervised by a registered midwife, and you are always free to decline student participation in your care.

Yes! Midwives in Ottawa practice to the full scope of what the regulations allow, which means we can manage epidurals and oxytocin. Even though midwifery clients tend to need fewer epidurals when compared to the general population, we are experienced and comfortable in supporting clients who choose epidurals for comfort in labour.

If there are health concerns for you or for your baby during pregnancy, labour, birth, or the postpartum period, we will consult with a doctor. Depending on the nature of the issue, that might be your family doctor or a specialist such as an obstetrician or paediatrician. Often, we will work in concert with the doctor to manage your care together. However, we cannot treat medical problems such as high blood pressure and cannot manage the care of an ill newborn. In cases such as those, we transfer care to the doctor. In that circumstance, we are still involved to provide support and advocacy for you and/or your baby, and your care will be returned to us when you and/or your baby is well again.

Each pregnancy can only have one primary care provider. Because OB-GYNs and midwives are both primary care providers, once you choose midwifery care, the midwives will take over the care for your current pregnancy.

Midwives are experts in healthy pregnancy and normal birth. If you choose to become a client of MCO, we will be your primary caregivers. If your particular medical circumstances require a physician’s consult, we will refer you to one of the highly qualified doctors that we have a working relationship with.

Six weeks after delivery, when your midwifery care is completed, you will be transferred back to your family doctor

Yes! Midwives order and interpret the same tests as doctors do in pregnancy, including blood and urine tests, Pap tests, and ultrasounds. We can even do many of them in the clinic, saving you a trip to the lab!

Be an informed participant in your care. Use our lending library if you wish. Write your questions down and bring them to your visits and get the answers. Attend information sessions in your community about maternity services.

Midwives take holidays on a regular basis throughout the year. During each month, the midwives have an on-call/off-call schedule. If your primary midwife is scheduled to be off-call, or is attending another birth, your second midwife will be available to address any concerns you have or attend you in labour. If both your primary and second midwife are unavailable, another midwife on your team will attend you. Midwives sometimes must take off-call time at short notice, such as for professional meetings or personal emergencies. We always try our best to make sure you have a midwife you know available to you.

Your midwifery records are your property. You may have access to them at any time. If requested, we will provide you with a photocopy at your last visit. Anything you tell us is held in the strictest confidence; we will never share any information you tell us with anyone not directly involved in your care without your permission. This includes family members, including your partner. For this reason, we will not release any information, such as test results, to anyone but you, and if you page us with a concern, we will ask to speak to your directly rather than speaking to someone on your behalf.

Ask your midwife at your next appointment! There are no silly questions and we are happy to help with anything that’s on your mind.