Victoria Midwifery Care - Deanna Wildeman, Registered Midwife

Midwifery Services

Regulated midwifery has been part of the health care system in British Columbia since January 1, 1998. Registered midwives are members of the College of Midwives of B C (CMBC) and the Midwives Association of B C (MABC). They practice midwifery according to the Standards of Practice of the CMBC and carry liability insurance.

The services of Registered Midwives are covered by your B.C. Health Insurance.

Prenatal care includes physical assessment of mother and baby as well as education and counselling.

Registered midwives can order diagnostic and screening tests, e.g. blood tests or ultrasound scans as required.

Registered midwives offer choice of birth setting. They provide care for labour and birth in a community hospital or a woman's home. Healthy women, with no identified risk factors, can choose to deliver at home.

Postpartum care is provided in hospital, home and clinic visits until six weeks postpartum.

Healthy women, with no identified risk factors, have the choice of midwife or physician for maternity care.

Registered Midwives:

are experts in normal childbirth and provide care to healthy women throughout normal pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum
see every birth as a unique and precious moment in the lives of the woman and her family
honour the birth process as a normal physiological event, requiring physical, emotional and social adaptation on the part of the woman and her family
assume full care for women and their healthy babies in home, hospital and clinic settings until six weeks postpartum
combine the knowledge of obstetrics with the traditional art of midwifery
promote decision making as a shared responsibility between the woman, her family and her caregiver
work closely with other health care professionals
provide education and counselling to assist women to make informed choices
provide continuity of care, ensuring the presence of a known and trusted caregiver throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum

Reasons why women choose midwifery care:

want more personalized care
want a home birth
want to be more in control
women want to make their own decisions
desire to avoid interventions
explore non-pharmaceutical methods of comfort measures in labour
want more wholistic approach
want a caregiver who sees birth as a normal life event
desire to know caregiver who will be present at the birth

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