Many people believe you have to have a home birth if you choose a midwife as your care provider. This is in face a common misperception. Midwives have the unique position of being able to offer births in both home and hospital setting, while remaining your primary care provider in either place. We do the majority of births in a hospital setting because this is the most common choice, but we are equipped and skilled to do home births and they are becoming a common choice.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement on home birth in 2019 in which they state “ In Canada, planning a home birth with a registered midwife or an appropriately trained physician in the integrated system described is a reasonable choice for persons with low degree of risk where the birth is anticipated to be uncomplicated and neither mother nor neonate will require resources beyond the local capacity.” You can read the entire SOGC Statement on Home Birth here.

HELPFUL LINKS

SOGC STATEMENT ON HOME BIRTH

CMBC PLACE OF BIRTH HANDBOOK

Some benefits of home birth include:

• just as safe as hospital births when attended by a trained and licensed midwife for low risk people (this is an evidence-based statement)

• decreased likelihood of interventions in labour

• decreased use of pain medication in labour

• more control over the environment

• more comfort being in one’s home

Many people enjoy their hospital births and we love doing them just as much because we have such incredible working relationships with hospital staff and the other care providers who might be required at the birth.

We believe families are the best decision-makers for where they would like to give birth. It’s our job to ensure you make an informed choice about where you are planning to deliver. If you’re planning a home birth it’s important to discuss the logistics with your midwife to ensure the best plans can be made to ensure you have a safe delivery no matter where the setting.