Midwifery care is founded on respect for pregnancy and birth as normal, healthy, family-centered life events. Midwives recognize the childbearing woman as the primary decision-maker in her care, and we commit to empowering families to take on this role by providing time, information, and guidance about choices in maternity and newborn care. We anticipate that you will also actively seek out other sources of information in order to make informed choices. We promote decision-making as a shared responsibility; we view our role as providing information to assist you in making these important decisions.
A midwife’s care is individualized according to your needs. In order to be effective as caregivers, it is important that you keep us well informed of problems or situations that may affect your care.
Appointments are 30-45 minutes in order to provide sufficient time for you to discuss areas of concern.
We provide safe, personalized care based on professional standards, sound research and long experience.
Our model is a collaborative model, and we consult with our colleagues such as physicians, lactation consultants, and alternative care providers should maternal or newborn complications develop. Informed choice is a fundamental principle of midwifery care in Alberta.
We have developed and extensive resource section on the clients area of the website and would like to encourage the review of the relevant sections on the website that covers the main informed consent choices available, and discuss any questions with your midwife on subsequent prenatal visit. No question is a “silly question” other than the one that is not asked. We welcome your inquiries and participation. We would also like to remind you that medical opinion and standards of care are constantly evolving, due to continued research. What is involved today and considered to be essential treatment may be outdated tomorrow or visa versa. Gain as much information as you feel you need to be comfortable you are making informed decisions.
For many types of interactions (for example, fundal height measurement), implied consent may be assumed, based on you agreeing to care.
For more invasive tests or for those tests or treatments with significant risks or alternatives, you will be asked to give explicit written or verbal consent.
Under certain circumstances, there are exceptions to the informed consent rule. An example of such a rare exception is: An emergency in which medical care is needed immediately to prevent serious or irreversible harm.
Should you need any additional information about informed consent please speak with your midwife at your next visit.