Reprinted with permission from the Midwives of Muskoka - Please note: We are NOT the Midwives of Muskoka!
Your Care
Prenatal care is required for all clients. Prenatal visits are not only a safeguard for your health, but they give you the opportunity to learn more about your body and your baby as the pregnancy progresses. Care includes monitoring maternal and fetal well being and providing time for questions and discussion.
Appointments are scheduled to be 30 to 60 minutes in length (45 minutes on average). Clinic days are somewhat limited because much of our time is spent in the community attending births and doing home visits.
The frequency of your visits is as follows:
Sometimes, due to births or midwifery emergencies, appointments may have to be rescheduled at short notice. We will rebook your visit as soon as possible. While we hope that this will not occur often, please understand that the nature of midwifery care means that we are dedicated to be there for women when they need us. Also know that we will be there for you too.
Your partner and other significant support people and family members are welcome to attend appointments with you as often as you would like. If you are planning sibling attendance at the birth, we suggest you also bring your children with you occasionally. You may also wish to arrange childcare for some visits if you find your little ones are a distraction for you.
Intrapartum care by a midwife includes monitoring the clinical progress of labour, supporting the well being of the mother and baby during birth and after, screening for problems and addressing them, discussing options with you, suturing the perineum if necessary, performing the newborn exam and taking emergency action should that be necessary. Our role is to provide care in normal circumstances, to recognize developments outside the norm and to take appropriate measures to correct any problems. In emergencies, which are rare, we depend on the basis of trust we have developed over time to allow us to work together quickly, where lengthy informed choice discussions might be impossible and inappropriate.
Appointments are scheduled to be 30 to 60 minutes in length (45 minutes on average). Clinic days are somewhat limited because much of our time is spent in the community attending births and doing home visits.
The frequency of your visits is as follows:
- Once a month until 28 weeks
- Every other week from 28-36 weeks
- Once a week after 36 weeks until the birth of your baby
- Postpartum you and your baby will be seen every day or two for the 1st five days; every 3-4 days until the 10th day, and then at 2, 4 and 6 weeks postpartum.
Sometimes, due to births or midwifery emergencies, appointments may have to be rescheduled at short notice. We will rebook your visit as soon as possible. While we hope that this will not occur often, please understand that the nature of midwifery care means that we are dedicated to be there for women when they need us. Also know that we will be there for you too.
Your partner and other significant support people and family members are welcome to attend appointments with you as often as you would like. If you are planning sibling attendance at the birth, we suggest you also bring your children with you occasionally. You may also wish to arrange childcare for some visits if you find your little ones are a distraction for you.
Intrapartum care by a midwife includes monitoring the clinical progress of labour, supporting the well being of the mother and baby during birth and after, screening for problems and addressing them, discussing options with you, suturing the perineum if necessary, performing the newborn exam and taking emergency action should that be necessary. Our role is to provide care in normal circumstances, to recognize developments outside the norm and to take appropriate measures to correct any problems. In emergencies, which are rare, we depend on the basis of trust we have developed over time to allow us to work together quickly, where lengthy informed choice discussions might be impossible and inappropriate.
