OUR TEAM

We are a team of three midwives. Your prenatal visits will alternate between midwives to give you the opportunity to know all of us during the course of your pregnancy. A midwife is always on-call for the practice. When you go into labour, whichever midwife is on-call will attend your birth. The on-call midwife can be contacted at any time during your pregnancy or postpartum for emergencies. We meet regularly as a team to discuss our clients and review charts. By working together, we are able to provide you with continuity of care while ensuring that the midwife you are with is well rested.

PRENATAL VISITS
Your prenatal visits will take place in our clinic at West 4th and Alma. Visits are booked for 30 or 45 minutes, depending on your needs and the stage of your pregnancy. Initial visits, for example, are generally longer. Please feel free to bring family members or a friend with you to your  appointment. We welcome little visitors, and have toys for big sisters  and brothers to play with in our reception area. Appointments will be monthly until you are 28 weeks pregnant, every 2-3 weeks until you are at 36 weeks, and then weekly until your baby is born. During prenatal visits we monitor your pregnancy by doing routine clinical checks on both you and your growing baby. Blood pressure checks, fetal heart checks, fetal growth and position assessments, and urinalysis are all included. We offer physical exams and well-woman care, and can order prenatal labs, blood tests, ultrasounds and prenatal genetic screening. We can prescribe medications for you and your baby. In addition to ensuring your physical well-being, we will discuss¬† the emotional aspects of pregnancy with you and help you prepare for childbirth and new parenthood.

LABOUR AND BIRTH
All of the midwives in our practice have privileges at BC Women’s Hospital and St.Paul’s Hospital and can also attend homebirths. We feel it is important for you to plan to birth where you feel safe and comfortable. Two midwives will be at your birth if you if you do choose to have your baby at home. When you think you are in labour,  you will page the on-call midwife. One of our midwives will be with you for the duration of your active  labour and for the birth of your baby.

POST-NATAL CARE
We do home visits! Our hope for your first days with baby is that you are snuggled in at home, resting, recovering and getting to know your new little one. We will care for both you and your baby for the first six weeks after the birth.  Regular home visits during the first week ensure that your questions are answered, the health of you and your baby is monitored, and that you aren\’t required to pack your baby up to attend appointments when you should be home resting. We will then see you at 2 weeks and 4 weeks with a final visit at 6 weeks. If your baby has any health concerns, immediate referral to a pediatrician or an appropriate specialist will be arranged.

EDUCATION
We provide all women with resources about pregnancy and childbirth preparation. We have a lending library in our clinic and can recommend childbirth classes, which are especially helpful for first-time parents.

DOULAS
You are welcome to have a doula at your birth. Doulas provide physical and emotional support during labour, and will often provide postpartum support. They do not provide clinical care.

STUDENTS
Like most midwifery practices in the province, we are a teaching practice. We are excited to be clinical preceptors for the UBC Midwifery Program. Students enrich our practice by bringing with them great enthusiasm and a love of learning. We also offer clinic observation days to medical and nursing students so that they may learn about midwifery care.

INDIVIDUALIZED CARE
Your experience is important to us. Please let us know if you have any special needs, questions or concerns. We will do our best to make this adventure a positive one for you and your growing family.