What We Do

Cambridge Midwives are health-care professionals who provide government-funded expert primary care to pregnant people and their newborns. Throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the first 6 weeks after birth you and your baby will be cared for by a small group of midwives. Having a small team of midwives to provide your prenatal care helps to ensure that you have a known and trusted midwife helping you to deliver your baby.

PRENATAL & POSTPARTUM
LABOUR & BIRTH
BREASTFEEDING

Midwifery care is founded upon respect for normal pregnancy and birth as a healthy process and profound event in one’s life. Birthing can take place at home or within a hospital.

You can choose to have a midwife or a doctor, not both. Since midwives are experts in low-risk pregnancy and birth, midwifery clients will not see a physician for their pregnancy, unless there are concerns or complications. If complications arise, midwives can consult with physicians or, if necessary, transfer a client’s care to a physician. If care is transferred, midwives continue to support their clients and resume primary care when possible.

You do not need a referral from a doctor to have a midwife. You can either fill out our intake form or you can call Cambridge Midwives office.

A midwife is not a doula. A birth doula is a trained labour support person who provides emotional and physical support to those giving birth and their families. Doula services are not covered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. If you are considering having a doula at your birth, talk about it with your midwife.

Prenatal & Postpartum Visits

During regularly scheduled visits to the midwifery clinic, midwives provide physical examinations and assessments, support and information. Your midwife can provide you with all the requisitions for routine prenatal care such as blood work, ultrasounds and prenatal testing. Appointments are on average 30-45 minutes long.

Prenatal visits are usually four to six weeks for the first 28 weeks, every two to three weeks until 36 weeks and then once a week until your baby is born. After your birth, your midwives provide care to you and your baby for six weeks, including assessments, in your home during the first week postpartum and in the clinic thereafter.

After six weeks, clients are discharged from midwifery care and will see their family doctor for care.

Labour & Birth

Choosing Cambridge Midwives to provide your care means you and your baby will be cared for by someone you have met before, who knows you and understands what is important to you and your family.

Your midwife will monitor both you and your baby closely during labour and birth and are fully trained and prepared for a variety of issues that may arise.

Where and how you choose to give birth is a decision that you will make in consultation with your midwife. For example, you can choose to:

·   give birth at home or in the hospital

·   labour in the water and/or have a water birth (only home birth setting), or not

·   have an epidural, or other non-medical forms of pain relief

Our goal at Cambridge Midwives if to help you achieve your goals. 

Text edited, with permission, from AOM website: https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/midwifery-care

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a normal way to feed your child. Successful breastfeeding can be helped by holding your baby against your chest immediately after birth, skin-to-skin; by breastfeeding often in the first hours and days of your child’s life and proper positioning of your child at your breast.

We support and guide women to successfully breastfeed their babies. We determine if your baby is latching well, positioned correctly and getting enough milk. We also help with breast pumps, sore nipples, engorgement and other issues with breastfeeding. We are here to provide answers and instruction for all your breastfeeding questions.

Health Canada recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continuing for up to two years and beyond.

In your breastfed baby’s first few weeks, you know that your baby is doing well if:

  • your baby is feeding well at least eight times in 24 hours. Feeding more than eight times in 24 hours is also normal
  • your baby is back to birth weight by about two weeks of age
  • your baby’s mouth is wet and pink, your baby’s eyes look bright and awake and your baby comes off the breast looking relaxed and sleepy
  • your breasts feel softer and less full after breastfeeding
  • you can see and hear your baby swallow at the breast
  • your child’s wet and soiled diapers are in line with the chart below

Downloadable PDFList of breastfeeding resources and support

  • Your Baby’s Age
  • Wet Diapers
  • Soiled Diapers
  • 1 day
  • At least one
  • One to two green or black
  • 2 days
  • At least two
  • One to two green or black
  • 3 days
  • At least three
  • At lest three brown, green or yellow
  • 4 days
  • At least four
  • Three brown green or yellow
  • 5 days
  • At least five
  • Three, getting more yellow
  • 6 days
  • At least six heavy
  • Three large, soft, yellow and seedy

Are you pregnant?

Request Midwife Care