Labour and Birth

During early labour, a midwife will be in contact with you by telephone and will provide in-person or telephone-based assessments and advice as needed. Once active labour is established, your midwife will stay with you in the location you have chosen for birth, whether in a hospital or at home.

During active labour, care includes monitoring your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, assessing the dilation of your cervix, monitoring labour contractions and the baby’s hear rate, providing emotional and physical support, and of course delivering your baby.

We offer a range of natural and pharmaceutical pain relief options, including access to epidurals. Toward the end of your labour, a second midwife will be present until after the baby is born.

In rare circumstances, due to illness or the occurrence of simultaneous births, there may not be two midwives available to attend the birth. In the case of a hospital birth, a labour and delivery nurse will act as second birth attendant. If you are planning a home birth and a second midwife is not available, you may be asked to move to the hospital for the birth, or in certain circumstances, an ambulance may be called for backup help.