Philosophy of Midwifery Care



• Midwifery care is based on a respect for pregnancy as a state of health and childbirth as a normal physiologic process and a profound event in a woman's life.
• Midwifery care respects the diversity of a woman's needs and the variety of personal and cultural meanings which women, families and communities bring to the pregnancy, birth, and early parenting experience.
• The maintenance and promotion of health throughout the childbearing cycle are central to midwifery care. Midwives focus on preventative care and the appropriate use of technology.
• Care is continuous, personalized, and non-authoritarian. It responds to a woman's social, emotional and cultural as well as physical needs.
• Midwives respect the woman's right to choice of caregiver and place of birth in accordance with the standards of practice of the College of Midwives of Ontario. Midwives are willing to attend birth in a variety of settings, including both hospital and home.
• ​Midwives encourage the family members to actively participate in their care throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period and make choices about the manner in which her care is provided.
• Midwifery care includes education and counseling, enabling a woman to make informed choices.
• Midwives promote decision-making as a shared responsibility, between the woman and her family (as defined by the woman) and her caregivers. The mother is recognized as the primary decision maker.
• Midwives regard the interest of the woman and baby as compatible. They focus their care on the mother to obtain the best outcomes for the woman and her newborn.
• Fundamental to midwifery care is the understanding that the woman's caregivers respe
• Informed choice plays a vital role in choosing the care of a midwife. We expect that the families we serve will want to be an active participant in their own health care. Informed choice means that you will be given a wide range of options that will hopefully encompass a choice that is right for you and your family.