Midwifery Care.

Midwifery care is an essential health care service covered by Alberta Health Services. Registered Midwives are equipped with education and experience that enables them to be primary care providers for low risk pregnant people. If you are a generally healthy person with no existing conditions that make your pregnancy high-risk, a midwife is very likely a suitable care provider for you! Midwives can oversee you throughout your whole pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum journey. Midwives have access to all of the same labs, ultrasounds, genetic screening, and other options available through other streams of care. The midwifery model is unique in its specific pillars of care: informed choice, choice of birth place, continuity of care, and inclusive care.

Informed Choice.

Midwives offer evidence-based practice. This means that your midwife will offer resources, testing options, etc as per the most up to date evidence. All options, procedures, and tests will be presented as an informed choice. This means that your midwife will share with you what the evidence on the particular topic demonstrates, as well as the risks and benefits that have been found to arise from accepting or declining the routine test, screen, ultrasound, etc in question. Your midwife will facilitate you in having the most up-to-date information on current evidence shaping the risks, benefits, and alternative options, will share their recommendations for you as an individual, and will ultimately support your informed choices.

Choice of Birth Place.

Midwives attend births in homes, birth centres, or other out-of-hospital settings, as well as at some of the hospitals in the area. Midwives are the only primary maternity care providers equipped to offer birth outside of the hospital. Midwives help educate and properly screen clients interested in birthing at home or in other out-of-hospital settings to ensure that those who are planning home births are low-risk for complications. Home birth is appropriate for most midwifery clients who are low-risk and live within 30 minutes of emergency medical services. Studies have shown home birth to be a safe alternative for low-risk birthing people and babies. Follow the link to read more!

Continuity of Care.

Midwifery care offers a unique opportunity to form a relationship with your maternity care provider through ample one-on-one time. Prenatal visits last approximately 30-60 minutes in length, offering the opportunity to discuss your hopes and dreams for your experience as well as ask questions to ensure your understanding of the transition you are going through. Rather seeing a rotating team of care providers, at Aspen Community Midwives you will get to know your midwife/midwives very well over the course of your care!

Inclusive Care.

Midwives are called to offer inclusive care to their clientelle. At Aspen Community Midwives, our midwives are committed to offering non-judgemental and respectful care to best support individual clients with differing identities, sexual orientations, life stories, and ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. We promise to stand in solidarity with you and do what we can to always learn and grow as care providers.