The topic of childbirth is, of course, a huge one. This page will not cover everything that needs to be known, but take a look and let me know what you think.
Ontario Midwives has fantastic information where they have reviewed the research on home, birth centre and hospital birth.
When we look at the principals of Evidence Based Care (EBC), there are three key elements:
1. the research
2. the HealthCare Provider's expertise and utilization of the research
3. your goals, preference and values.
These three key elements of EBC are important to keep in mind when deciding on place of birth.
In Ontario with midwifery care, you have a choice of home or hospital.
Ontario Midwives on Choice of Birth Place here
Birth Centres
There are three free-standing birth centres in Ontario:
the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre
Tsi Non:we Ionnakeratstha Ona:grahsta' (in Hagersville).
OMama on choice of birthplace here
Ontario Midwives: Why Give Birth At Home? (4:27 min)
Generations Midwifery Care have a video on the equipment that midwives bring to a birth (26:13 min) here.
Midwife Eileen Hutton, PhD talks about homebirth research (3:10 min) here
Home or Hospital? Holding the Space for Human Birth: Saraswathi Vedam at TEDx Amherst College (19:16 min)
Home Births Understood: Absolute Risks of Homebirth? (10:54 min)
Ontario Midwives: Home Birth Equipment (5:10 min)
The Toronto Birth Centre celebrates its 1,000th birth (0:53 min) here
MIDWIFERY
Midwives in Ontario are Primary Care providers for healthy low-risk pregnancies. Midwives have hospital privileges and can order ultrasounds and prescribe some medications. There is no charge for midwifery care for Ontario residents. More on midwifery here.
What is a midwife (10:53 min) here
Ontario Midwives: Pregnancy care (3:10 min) here
Ontario midwives: Giving birth with a midwife (3:21 min) here
Ontario Midwives: Postpartum care (3:08 min) here
Tracy Moore on midwifery care (1:02 min) here
To find a midwife here
FAMILY PRACTICE
Ontario College of Family Physicians here
OBSTETRICIAN
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website for patients here
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website for practitioners here
To find an MD (either FP or OB), go to the College of Physicians and Surgeons. You can search by specialty and location by clicking on Advanced here
Omega 3 oils have been shown in research to be helpful in pregnancy. Research also shows that most pregnant women do not consume enough of these oils.
My experience when I was a Registered Midwife (granted, only anecdotal) was that the oils encourage a faster labour. This is especially helpful for first births because these labours tend to be the longest (38 hours is not unusual).
For more information, go to:
Contact me if you have any questions or comments:
Shawn 416 255 8333
shawn (at) childbirthjoy (dot) com