About Us
About Kitchener-Waterloo Midwifery Associates
KWMA is a group of eight highly skilled and diverse registered midwives with over 140 years of combined experience. Midwives are regulated primary care practitioners specializing in low-risk pregnancy, birth and postpartum care.
As a regulated profession, midwives practice according to the standards and guidelines set forth by the College of Midwives of Ontario. Clients under midwifery care receive the same number of clinic visits, ultrasounds and lab tests in comparison to other pregnancy care providers (ex. Family Physician or Obstetrician). What makes midwives unique is the three primary principles on which the midwifery model of care is based.
Ontario Midwifery Model of Care
Continuity of Care
Midwives provide primary care throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the first six weeks postpartum. At KWMA this means you will be matched with a primary midwife who will do the majority of your visits and be the midwife most responsible for your care. You will also be allocated a second (backup) midwife who will be most responsible for your care when your primary midwife is off-call. This continuity of carers allows for optimal safety and satisfaction throughout your maternity care experience. Our midwifery team is accessible to clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for urgent concerns.
Informed Choice
Midwives recognize clients as active decision makers in their own care. Midwives support clients to make informed decisions by providing explanations, possible advantages and disadvantages and client specific risk factors. Midwives also encourage clients to ask questions, ensuring they feel fully informed with regards to their care.
Choice of Birth Place
One of the most personal choices a client will make is where to give birth. At KWMA we are proud to offer three birth settings for our clients to choose from: Home, Hospital and our clinic Birth Suite. Midwives are the only health-care professionals who are specially trained to attend out-of-hospital births (Home, Birth Suite). KWMA midwives also have privileges to attend births at Grand River Hospital (GRH). Our midwives are able to admit and discharge clients at GRH, while utilizing hospital resources as needed. One of these resources is physician consultation if there is a concern or complication at any time in a client’s care.
Disclaimer: This video was taken in our previous clinic. However, the information remains valid.