Our Care
Community Birth Program is one of the first programs in Canada where midwives work collaboratively to provide more comprehensive services. Our knowledgeable, compassionate team maintains the highest standards of care, and we strive to make your transition between on-call midwives as seamless as possible. You’ll be cared for by a team of healthcare professionals – including midwives, obstetricians, naturopathic doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, lactation consultants, childbirth educators and doulas. We are registered as an Alternative Practice Agreement with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). We provide complete care all throughout your pregnancy, birth and up until six weeks after your baby is born. After six weeks postpartum, we’ll discharge you to your family doctor (or help you find one while you’re in our care).
Your first appointment is a 45-minute one-on-one appointment with a midwife or nurse practitioner to see if our care is right for you, review your history and order relevant blood work and ultrasounds. During your time with us, you’ll have the option of choosing Connecting Pregnancy Group Care (CP Groups) or Individual Care – whichever best meets your needs. Connecting Pregnancy (CP) group care sessions include medical assessment, education & support with 8-10 others due to have their babies around the same time as you. You can also opt out of group care to continue with one-on-one prenatal care. Your second appointment will include a physical exam and PAP test if you are due for one.
You will see the midwife or nurse practitioner once a month for the first 4-5 months, then twice a month and often weekly at the end of your pregnancy. This frequency of visits take place whether you are in the CP groups or are booked for 1:1 care. The CP group meets on the same day and time for 2 hours throughout your pregnancy. Since you know well ahead of time when your group will meet, you can plan your schedule around these times well in advance. Your support people (husbands, partners, family members, etc) are welcome to join you at the CP groups or at your prenatal visits.
Before your expected due month, you’ll have a chance to meet the team via a ZOOM-based Meet the Team Night invitation. The midwife you see primarily in clinic may not be the same midwife that attends you in labor. By attending Meet the Team Night, you get the meet the midwives who rotate being on-call at the hospital and attend CBP clients admitted in hospital. Because we provide team-based care, all the midwives will have access to your medical chart and birthing plans.
Connecting Pregnancy Group Care
After your first few 1:1 appointments consisting of testing, ultrasounds and physical exam, you will start Connecting Pregnancy (CP) group care at around 18-22 weeks. This model of care is based on the Centering Pregnancy (CP) concept, established in 1994 by a U.S. midwife, Sharon Schindler Rising. Incorporating assessment, education and support, the program alters routine prenatal care by bringing pregnant clients out of exam rooms and into groups for their care. You’ll be in a group of 8-10 with other clients due the same month as you are. In the group setting you often hear that other pregnant women are experiencing the same thing as you!
What to Expect for CP group care:
CP groups are facilitated by a midwife and a childbirth educator
9 two-hour sessions throughout your pregnancy and into postpartum
Groups are initially held once a month, then every two weeks
At each group session, you can check blood pressure and, if you choose, check your weight
At each group session, you will have 3-minute 1:1 “belly checks” with a midwife to measure your belly & listen to baby
Discussions for sessions include nutrition, exercise, the labour and birthing process, how to cope with labor, pain management, potential interventions & complications, feeding baby and infant care, postpartum mental health
Some sessions will include guest speakers such as a naturopathic physician, chiropractor, baby wearing expert, lactation consultant, etc
After birth, you will continue with group, share your birth story & have a mini check-up with the midwife
Connect with others due the same month as you is a major part of this care. Create your community in CP group
We highly encourage you to save your questions for group, not during the belly checks. This will foster discussion and you'd be surprise how many others have similar experiences and questions as you!
CP groups are a great way to meet other pregnant clients, develop a support network and get to know your healthcare providers. We have had families choose to do group for first pregnancies as well as pregnancies number 2, 3 or more. Many of our families stay connected outside of group care and continue friendships well beyond care with our program. Of course, if you have any complications, we can book a private visit outside of CP group.
What to Expect for Individual Care
If you opt out of CP groups, you’ll continue to have 30-minute one-on-one visits with a midwife or nurse practitioner. To ensure consistency of care, we encourage you to book appointments with 1-2 caregivers – but you’re welcomed to book your appointments so you can meet with each of the members from our team.
What to Expect if Complications
Our team provides team-based care, meaning we all care for you with the same level of responsibility. If a complication develops during your care in our clinic, you will be referred for a consultation with one our in-house naturopathic physicians, nurse practitioner or obstetricians, whichever is most appropriate for your concern, or referred out to other specialists such as Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Medical Genetics, hematologists, cardiologists, endocrinologist, paediatricians, etc. If a complication develops in the hospital, the midwives will consult with the on-call obstetrician or other appropriate specialist.
What to Expect for Labor & Birth
Our midwives rotate being on-call every 24-hours. During each on-call shift, midwives are available to provide early labor triage by phone, see you for labor assessment in triage at the hospital and when it's time, admit you into hospital to manage your labor and birth. If you require pain management, induction or augmentation of labor or a consultation with an obstetrician or other specialist for complications, the on-call midwife will manage this. Some of our midwives also provide surgical assist if you require a c-section birth. Once delivered, the on-call midwife will see you each day you are in the hospital until you are ready of discharge.
What to Expect for Postpartum Care
For postpartum, you will be seen in hospital until discharged, then 1-2 home visits to check on your recovery, feeding baby & weighing baby. After that you are seen in clinic at week 1, 2, 4 and a 6-week final discharge visit. Your 45-minute final visit will include a PAP test (if you're due), a contraception prescription (if you choose) and a full check up of your baby including measurements and weight. We are able to see people after their final visit for IUD or Nexplanon insertion visits (covered by Extended Medical Benefits) as well as ongoing family care with one of our naturopathic physicians.