Practice
- College of Midwives – Definition and Practice
- Choosing Midwifery Care
- Prenatal Care
- Teaching Practice
- Prenatal Education
- Labour and Birth
- Postpartum Care
- Client Records
- Lending Library
College of Midwives of British Columbia
DEFINITION OF A MIDWIFE:
A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational program duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practise midwifery.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE OF THE MIDWIFE:
“The midwife must be able to give the necessary supervision, care and advice to women prior to and during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries on her own responsibility and to care for that newborn infant.
This care includes preventative measures, the detection of complications in the mother and child, the procurement of medical assistance when necessary and the execution of emergency measures in the absence of medical help. She has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the patients but also within the family and the community. The work should involve pre-conceptual and antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and extends to certain areas of gynaecology, family planning and child care. She may practise in hospitals, clinics, health units, domiciliary conditions, or in any other service.”
This International Definition is supported by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), The International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) 1994.
MODEL OF MIDWIFERY PRACTICE:
The midwifery model of practice as developed in British Columbia is autonomous, community-based primary care, and incorporates the principles of continuity of care, informed consumer choice of birth setting, collaborative care, accountability and evidence-based practice.
Further information on the model of midwifery care in British Columbia can be found on the College of Midwives of BC website.
The midwifery model of care focuses on pregnancy and birth as normal healthy process. We provide continuity of care and facilitate your informed decision-making. We work as primary care providers and are fully funded by the government. There is no additional charge to your family.
We provide prenatal care at our clinic on Commercial Drive. For planned hospital birth we will assess your labour at your home and once labour is established organize the move to hospital for the birth. Most of our clients choose early discharge from hospital and the majority of postpartum care is provided in your home. Low-risk women may choose to have their babies at home. In this case, a second midwife (back-up) arrives close to the birth of the baby to help out.
Informed choice is a fundamental principle of midwifery care in B.C. The childbearing woman is recognized as the primary decision-maker and it is the responsibility of the midwife to provide you with the information and evidence necessary to make choices for yourself and your family. We anticipate that you will be actively seeking out information, from your midwives and other sources, in order to make informed choices.
Your commitment to ongoing prenatal care gives us the opportunity to share knowledge so you feel in control of your care. A basic tenet of midwifery care is the trust relationship that builds between the midwives and their clients. Our fundamental accountability is to the women in our care. Secondly, we are accountable to our peers and our regulatory body to provide safe, competent and ethical practice. If we feel your care falls outside of our scope of practice and abilities, we will refer you to another care provider better prepared to care for you. We work in close collaboration with medical professionals and refer when indicated.
Prenatal care plays an important role in preventing and detecting problems that can arise in pregnancy. Your health and your baby’s well-being are assessed during prenatal visits which are 30 to 45 minutes in duration. In addition, close attention is paid to the social and emotional aspects of pregnancy and parenthood.
We provide clinical supervision to midwifery students from the Midwifery Program at the University of British Columbia and midwives working toward registration in BC, as well as medical students. We will discuss the options available for you to have a student involved in your care.
Attending prenatal education classes is recommended as a part of your preparation. We have brochures for many of these classes in the waiting room.
By the time your labour begins, your midwives are aware of your wishes and plans for this special event. We will have discussed important issues requiring decision-making as well as what to expect at the time of birth and the first weeks postpartum.
Once you are in active labour, the midwife on call will be with you throughout the active labour and the birth. If a hospital birth is planned we encourage you to labour in the comfort of your home until labour is well-established before moving to hospital. Your midwife will stay with you following the birth for the first 1-2 hours postpartum.
Your midwives will be caring for you following the birth and for the first six weeks of your baby’s life. We will visit you at home around 3 to 4 times in the first ten days and also make contact by phone to answer any questions. For those mom that are interested we provide postpartum group visits for the 2 and 4 week visit, Thurs. 10:30 to 12:00 noon this give all our new moms an opportunity to get out, visit with each other, and weigh their babies. During group we cover topic’s like breastfeeding joys and challenges, Vitiman D supplements and normal newborn behaiviour and growth patterns. Around 6 weeks postpartum you make an appointment with us in the clinic and we complete your care and discharge you and your baby back to your family physician.
Your records are confidential and the information in them belongs to you. You may read and/or copy your chart at any time. At the last postpartum visit you will receive a set of records of your care and, with your permission summary records will be forwarded to your family physician.
All the books and information in our waiting room are for lending and have library cards in them. Books can be borrowed from one prenatal visit to the next.