Registered midwives are trained health professionals who provide primary care to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. As primary care providers, midwives can address the medical and non-medical needs of women and their newborns, and are fully responsible for clinical decisions and the management of normal low-risk pregnancies.
Midwives offer personalized care from early pregnancy to six-weeks postpartum. They provide continuity of care so that women and their families have the opportunity to get to know their midwife or midwives well before the baby is born, and have a familiar care giver with them during labour and birth and for their postpartum care. Registered midwives are able to conduct physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests, assess risk factors and abnormal conditions, and conduct normal vaginal deliveries. Midwives work in collaboration with other health professionals and consult with or refer to medical specialists as appropriate. Registered midwives offer a choice between out-of-hospital or hospital birth unless there is a risk factor that indicates that out-of-hospital is not a safe option for the woman or the baby.
During labour and birth, a midwife stays with a client and manages all their care (a second midwife or other care provider will attend the birth as well). As primary caregivers for childbirth, midwives regularly update certification for the management of maternal and newborn emergency situations. If a complication arises at any point in the pregnancy, labour, birth, or postpartum, midwives consult with specialists such as obstetricians and pediatricians. In cases where management of care needs to be transferred to a physician, midwives will continue to provide supportive care.