Midwifery Services

Midwifery Services Office is located at:

531 Princess Avenue
c/o Brandon Regional Health Centre
150 McTavish Avenue East
Brandon, Manitoba R7A 2B3

Ph: (204) 571-5530
Fax: (204) 571-5537

What is A Midwife?
The word midwife means "with woman." In Manitoba, the title of Midwife is given to those who are registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba. A midwife gives care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour, birth, and after the baby is born. Midwives provide care in homes and in hospital. A midwife can admit and discharge you from the hospital, order lab, ultrasound tests and prescribe certain medications. The midwife works with you to help prevent problems from developing. She notices if something is not normal and gets medical help if needed. She may talk to other caregivers or refer you to see one if she thinks that will help you.

Midwifery Values

• Each woman is unique with the right to respect, choice, and quality care
• Pregnancy and birth are natural, healthy times in a woman's life
• The decision making process is shared between the woman, her family, and her care givers
• Midwives form a bond of trust with women and families
• A woman knows the midwife who attends her birth
• Pregnancy and birth has special meaning in a woman's life
• The community a woman lives in plays a role in a woman's pregnancy and birth
• Midwives work with other care providers to give quality care
• Midwifery is an evolving profession

Services

Prenatal Care
Regular prenatal care helps us to get to know you and your baby. It also helps us see if you and your baby are staying healthy. Visits usually take from forty-five minutes to one and a half hours. Prenatal visits give you time to talk about yourself and any worries you may have. We aim to help you develop confidence in your ability to give birth and be a mother. During the first visits we will take a medical history and do a physical exam.

At most visits we will also:

• Take your blood pressure and pulse
• Test your urine
• Check your baby's heartbeat
• Measure the size of your uterus
• Feel the position of the baby
• Ask if you are feeling the baby move
• Check to see if you have any swelling
• Ask how you are sleeping, eating, and feeling
• Spend time with you talking about any concerns for this pregnancy or upcoming birth

Labour and Birth
In early labour we will keep in close contact with you either by phone or in person. In order to do this we need to be told of early labour signs so we can plan our time for you. Once labour is established, your midwives will be with you until after the baby is born and everyone is stable and comfortable.

After Baby is Born
We will keep in close contact with you by phone and in person for the first week after birth. This usually means we will visit you in person within 24 hours, and then on the third and fifth day after birth. We will then visit you around two, four, and six weeks after birth. We will visit more often if needed. After six weeks we will refer you to another care provider such as a doctor or a public health nurse.

Please call ahead for an appointment with a midwife.
Services are covered by your provincial health insurance.