Stratford Midwives

Serving families in Stratford and area since 1994.

Did you know.....?

Midwifery Care is fully funded through the Ministry of Health. There is no direct cost to clients who access midwifery care. Midwives are also funded to care for those who do not have OHIP.

Midwives attend birth both in hospital and at clients' homes. We offer you the choice! The midwives at Stratford Midwives all have hospital privileges at Stratford General Hospital and use this hospital for all clients choosing a hospital birth.

Midwives provide care for low-risk women and their babies from conception through to 6 weeks postpartum.

You do not need a referral for midwifery care.

Midwifery care in Ontario is founded on three core principles

Informed Choice - we provide you with information and advice but respect your role as the primary decision maker for your care and the care of your baby.
Continuity of care - you get to know your primary midwife/midwives throughout your prenatal care and you will therefore know the midwife who attends your birth.
Choice of birth place. We offer home and hospital birth

If you have a midwife, you can still choose to have an epidural without your midwife having to transfer care.

If complications or concerns arise, midwives can consult with the appropriate specialist (i.e. obstetrician, pediatrician, anaesthetist).

Stratford Midwives is a teaching practice. We are happy to participate in the education of midwifery students and often have students at different levels of training at our practice. Please speak to your midwife if you have questions or concerns about student involvement in your care.

News and Events

COVID -19

We're watching the updates regarding the COVID-19 virus closely. We are providing care as usual with some extra precautions in place in an effort to keep you, your midwife and other clients safe and minimize exposure. The midwives will follow all employee health guidelines regarding self-isolation if they are at risk of COVID-19 or screen positive. This may mean that your visit or birth will be attended by a different midwife.

If you have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing; have traveled out of the country or have been in contact with someone who has, please call your doctor, Public Health or Telehealth for directions and do not come to the clinic.

Your midwife or our administrator will ask you the screening questions over the phone before you enter the clinic and invite you in to the clinic once the space has been cleared and cleaned. Please wait outside the building until you hear from us. If you suspect we may not have your cell phone number, or prefer email, call our administrator to advise us (519-271-3490)

We will reschedule any non-essential visits. Your midwife will be in touch to arrange rescheduling if needed. We are mindful the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on the number of prenatal appointments for a positive outcome. This includes: One visit in the first trimester, two visits in the second trimester at 20 and 26 weeks, and then more frequent visits in the third trimester at 30, 34, 36, 38, 39 and 40 weeks. We recognize that this is different from our customary schedule and are offering telephone appointments to inform you about relevant topics related to pregnancy and birth, arranging ultrasounds, sending prescriptions to the pharmacy, and ordering bloodwork.

Additionally, we are asking people to avoid bringing partners or support people to your visits, including children who are not currently in our care. We have cleared the waiting room, removed all the toys and suspended our lending library to reduce the number of objects that are touched, and to make cleaning easier.

We will continue to wipe off surfaces in the clinic room in between clients, and, as always, wash our hands or use hand sanitizer in between clients. We ask that you also use hand sanitizer when you arrive for your appointment.

Stratford General Hospital is restricting visitors at this time. One support person can attend with you in the Mat/Child Unit, and two support people (usually the baby’s parents) are permitted to visit the Special Care Nursery.

We will continue to offer choice of birthplace. Home birth can be considered for people experiencing a healthy pregnancy. However, if any household members are sick or have screened positive for COVID-19, midwives will not be able to attend you at home and will request that the birth occurs in the hospital where there is a supply of masks and gowns.

Click here for instructions from Health Canada on how to Self-Isolate.

Postpartum Depression Workshop!

Home Birth Information Night

Would you like to learn more about home birth? Join us for our next home birth information night!

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday May 13, 2020

7-9 pm
At our clinic

We will talk about the research that supports the safety of home birth, hear from a client about their home birth experience, answer questions, show the equipment that we bring to home births and have a birth tub set up. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Please sign up with our administrator.
For more information on home birth, click here to be directed to information provided by the Association of Ontario midwives.

Annual Client Picnic

Join us for our 9th annual Client Picnic! All current and former clients of the Stratford Midwives, and their families, are invited to come and enjoy community, good food and, of course, to show us how much your babies have grown!

When: June 13, 2020 11am - 2 pm
Where: Upper Queen's Park Pavillion in Stratford

Potluck lunch to be shared by all. Bring your favourite dish. Beverages, cake and dishes will be provided. In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, we encourage you to bring your own, reusable dishes for the potluck.

We will be taking a group photo at approximately 12:30.

Health Canada Investigating Ranitidine (Zantac)

Health Canada issued a safety alert on September 17, 2019 requesting that drug manufacturers stop distributing the drug Ranitidine. This drug is sold over-the-counter under the brand name "Zantac" and under the generic name "ranitidine". Health Canada is investigating a possible impurity, called NDMA, in ranitidine. This chemical has been associated with an increased risk of cancer. We recommend that anyone taking these products stop immediately until Health Canada provides further updates.

Health Canada Advisory Regarding Gentian Violet

Gentian violet has been widely recommended and used for the treatment of yeast in breastfeeding moms and their babies. However, Health Canada issued a safety alert on June 12, 2019 warning that exposure to products containing gentian violet may increase the risk of cancer. Health Canada recommends that Canadians stop using any and all human and veterinary drug products containing gentian violet.

Thinking about a water birth?

The Association of Ontario Midwives has a great new resource on water birth, including answers to questions about safety and the benefits of birth in water.

Cannabis is now legal in Canada, but what does this mean for pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Cannabis is a commonly used drug, but with the recent legalisation of Cannabis, there are a growing number of questions about the safety of its use in pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

We encourage you to speak to your midwife and to let her know about any drugs (prescription or otherwise) that you use during your pregnancy.

Click here for information from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on what we know (and don't know) about Cannabis in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Human Rights Tribunal Finds in Favour of Midwives' Claim of Gender Discrimination

Pay equity for midwives is #overdue!

"There is a common misconception that midwives are asking to be paid the same as physicians, which we are not. We want to be paid fairly relative to the intensity, responsibility, and the nature of the work we do and what it does for society. Midwives are providing a very valuable service and we should be paid fairly to do that service." Katrina Kilroy, President of the Canadian Association of Midwives.

Pay equity is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Human Rights Code and the Pay Equity Act. As an almost exclusively female profession providing women-centered health care, midwives have experienced a gender penalty in their pay for more than two decades.

In 2013, the Association of Ontario Midwives filed an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, claiming the province has continually and systematically set a discriminatory compensation structure for midwives. The tribunal has concluded its hearing and has found in favour of midwives!

You can visit the pay equity campaign page at www.midwivesoverdue.com for more information.

View a 2 minute video which explains our pay equity claim.

Stratford Midwives
386 Cambria Street, Unit 101
Stratford, ON N5A 1J4
519-271-3490
stratfordmidwives@gmail.com