Midwifery Practice – What is a Midwife?

Registered midwives are health professionals who 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 their 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 professionals and consult with or refer to medical specialists as appropriate. The midwifery model of care promotes normal birth, enables women to make informed choices, and provides continuity of care and support throughout the childbearing experience. Midwives attend births in hospitals, birth centres and at home.

For more information, visit the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Consortium website: What is a Canadian Registered Midwife?

Definition of a Midwife: adopted by the International Confederation of Midwives July 2005 (PDF document)