Giving Birth with Midwifery Care in Ontario, Canada

04/24/24 • 43 min

In this episode, Suzanne speaks with Isabelle Milot, a midwife working in the Chatham-Kent region of Ontario. Isabelle is originally from Quebec, and has been practising midwifery in southwestern Ontario since 2006. She has chaired an Association of Ontario Midwives’ committee for five years and is currently an elected council member of the Ontario College of Midwives. Isabelle shares with us how the model of midwifery care works in Ontario.

Listen to this episode to find out:

how women can choose midwifery care in Ontario
the difference between midwifery care and obstetric care
the wide scope of care midwives have in Ontario
how better postnatal care has led to better results for families
the postnatal program started by the Chatham midwives
how the Covid pandemic has affected midwifery retention in Ontario
reasons why midwives in Ontario have been leaving the profession
how the landscape of working conditions in midwifery is changing in Ontario
what happens if a woman’s pregnancy becomes high risk during midwifery care
what is a woman’s choice in homebirth
how midwives individual scope of practice may differ, based on their experience

Isabelle is with the midwives at https://midwivesofchathamkent.ca/
The Association of Ontario Midwives is at https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/

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music by Shooglenifty with Dhun Dhora
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The Mother Podcast is produced by Garry Finlayson and Suzanne Maier

Listen to this episode to find out:

how women can choose midwifery care in Ontario
the difference between midwifery care and obstetric care
the wide scope of care midwives have in Ontario
how better postnatal care has led to better results for families
the postnatal program started by the Chatham midwives
how the Covid pandemic has affected midwifery retention in Ontario
reasons why midwives in Ontario have been leaving the profession
how the landscape of working conditions in midwifery is changing in Ontario
what happens if a woman’s pregnancy becomes high risk during midwifery care
what is a woman’s choice in homebirth
how midwives individual scope of practice may differ, based on their experience

Isabelle is with the midwives at https://midwivesofchathamkent.ca/
The Association of Ontario Midwives is at https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/

Send us a text

Previous Episode

Advocacy in Birth with Cáitlin Heavey

What is advocacy in birth?
Why would anyone need an advocate for their birth and during their birth experience?
This episode includes a discussion with Cáitlin Heavey, a birth doula and mentor, active birth and yoga teacher, birth educator and woman's health physio.
Our discussion includes

how you might figure out what you'd like and not like for your birth experience
why you might want a birth worker to support you during the birth of your baby
how informed consent is dependent on where you get the information from
working out your negotiables and non-negotiables in your birth plans
partners and working out their needs during birth
how advocacy changes between a home birth and a hospital birth
thinking birth as an event that includes more than just a baby coming out of a vagina
what are considered outcomes of birth, and the longlasting effects that are not audited as outcomes

Cáitlin can be found at https://caitlinheavey.co.uk/
Cáitlin is on Instagram at caitlinheavey_yogabirth

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Next Episode

Home Birth in Scotland

Have you considered having a home birth?
A few generations ago, birth was moved from primarily the home into the hospital. We are now facing record high numbers of medical interventions in birth including caesarean sections and instrumental deliveries. The research is clear that for "low risk" pregnancies home birth is just as - if not more - safe than hospital birth.
Home birth is on the rise in Scotland, but still only makes up just over 1% of all births. Why?
In this episode Suzanne speaks with women who have recently given birth at home, midwives who work in a dedicated home birth team, and the Chief Midwifery Officer for Scotland to explore the reality of home birth in Scotland.
We discuss

reasons for choosing a home birth
having your first baby at home
home birth to avoid the cascade of intervention
using hypnobirthing, and how that works well with home birth
government strategy supporting choice of place of birth
how midwives work in a dedicated home birth team
what the midwifery care is like for a home birth
how choosing a home birth results in less fragmented care
practicalities of preparing for a home birth
pain relief at home
having other children, or pets, at your birth
the postpartum care at home
birth as a mainstream choice
the safety of home birth from the midwifery perspective
recommendations for choosing home birth

The mothers on this podcast were Laura Somers and Simone Bowie.
The midwives were Diane Cunningham, Jenni Conway and Rachel Heron and they work in the Ayrshire and Arran Home Birth team.
The Chief Midwifery Officer for Scotland is Justine Craig.

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