Community Birth Program

Our Care

At the Community Birth Program, you’ll be cared for by a team of healthcare professionals – including midwives, naturopathic doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, lactation consultants and doulas and we are registered as an Alternative Practice Agreement with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). Care is provided all throughout your pregnancy, birth and up until six weeks after your baby is born. At that time, we’ll discharge you to your family doctor (or help you find one while you’re in our care).

CBP 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. We rotate our call to ensure that a midwife is available whenever you go into labour, and can attend to your needs at any time.

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 Group Care

Your first few appointments will consist of testing and ultrasounds, and will be conducted one-on-one with a midwife or nurse practitioner. At around 18-22 weeks, you’ll have the option of joining a group of 8-12 other clients due the same month as you are. These Connecting Pregnancy (CP) groups are facilitated by a midwife and a registered nurse or a doula.

What to Expect: 

  • 9 two-hour sessions throughout your pregnancy 

  • Monitoring of your weight and blood pressure in every session 

  • Three-minute 1:1 “belly checks” with a midwife every session 

  • Discussions on nutrition, exercise, the labour and birthing process, pain management, breastfeeding/chestfeeding and infant care 

  • Connecting with others due the same month as you

CP groups are a great way to meet other pregnant clients, develop a support network and get to know your healthcare providers. Of course, if you have any complications, we can book a private visit outside of CP group.

Individual Care

If you opt out of CP groups, you’ll continue to have 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 welcome to meet with a variety of members from our team.

Before your expected due date, you’ll have a chance to meet the team who rotate being on-call for your labour. They will all be briefed on your medical history and birthing plans, and we all share the same philosophy of care.