SERVICES – Origins Midwifery

Our Services

Origins Midwifery provide compassionate client-centered care with a focus on prevention and health-promotion. Origins Midwifery respect our client’s uniqueness, providing individualized care for all we serve. We pride ourselves with informed choice, continuity of care, choice of birthplace and evidence-based practice. As primary health providers we collaborative with other health professionals if needed, to offer safe and effective care for the client and the family. Origins Midwifery believe parents are empowered through their experience of pregnancy and birth.

Our Services

Prenatal

Regular scheduled visits in our clinic allows time for physical assessment, questions, discussion & teaching on topics such as nutrition, discomforts of pregnancy, prenatal classes, and signs of labor & baby care.

Initial appointments are usually 1 hour and includes a complete history and physical assessment, including pap smear, lab work, nutrition/lifestyle counseling, as well as time for any questions. Subsequent visits are generally 30 minutes in length. During each visit, the health of you and your baby will be carefully assessed by evaluating physical changes such as:

Weight gain
Blood Pressure
Lab values
Uterine growth
Baby’s heartbeat and movement
Laboratory and diagnostic tests (such as ultrasounds)

The 36 weeks appointment is also an hour, as we prepare for the birth. This visit may be done at home for clients planning a home birth or at clinic for those planning a hospital or birth centre birth.

Labour & Birth

Midwives have access to home, birth centre and hospital birth. During labour, your midwife will assess your progress at home and when in active labour she will remain with you to provide physical care, emotional support, assessment of the well being of mother and baby.

For families choosing a hospital birth, the main hospital site for Origins Midwifery is High River Hospital and South Health Campus in Calgary, but we also have privileges at all Calgary hospitals. When in active labour, your midwife will follow you to the hospital and continue care until after the baby is born.

Origins Midwifery always strives for two midwives in attendance for the birth of your baby, regardless of where the birth takes place. However, in a hospital setting a nurse may be present instead of the second midwife to assist you and your midwife at the time of birth but generally no other hospital staff is involved unless we specifically ask for assistance. If the birth has been uncomplicated, and you feel well, you will go home within a few hours following the birth.

Postpartum

For the first week after birth, Midwives will visit the family in their home several times to make sure the transition is going well. Physical assessment of both mother and baby are performed, assistance with breastfeeding, emotional support, guidance and self care. This may take 60 mins or more depending on if there are any questions or concerns

A 30 min clinic appointment will be at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. Assessment of both mother and baby including breastfeeding and appropriate newborn growth and development is evaluated.

The final 6 weeks postpartum visit is an hour. This final visit also includes well woman care including pap smear, contraceptive/sexual counseling, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle discussion in addition to the regular assessment of both mother and baby. After completed care is transferred back to your family doctor.

Breastfeeding Support

As part of your postpartum care, we offer extensive breastfeeding support and guidance to all mothers.