Our Goal
For nearly 20 years, the Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia has been working
toward a health system where
midwives would provide complete care during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
- The midwife would offer care during pregnancy, stay with the mother throughout
labour and birth, and care for mother and baby for six weeks after birth.
Women using midwifery services would know that the same midwives would be
caring for them throughout their childbearing experience.
- Midwives would help mothers take an active role in their care.
They would recognize that the mother is the primary decision-maker. They would
respect the mother's values, provide her with the information she needs and
support the choices she makes about her care.
- Midwifery would be an independent profession.
Like other health professions, midwifery has regulations that govern who can
be a midwife, the level of education midwives must have and how they must
do their work. In order to practice midwives must be able to offer safe, effective
care in hospitals, birth centres or at home.
- Midwifery would be part of the health system and midwifery care would be
covered by MSI.
Midwives would work in communities as part of the health care team. If a mother
needed medical help or special care, the midwife would refer her to a specialist.
