Client Populations
Midwives provide comprehensive, family-centred care for all birthing people.
Alberta Midwives welcome all clients and provide them with compassionate, safe care.
Indigenous Care
Indigenous midwives were once a cornerstone of every Indigenous community across Canada. After years of colonization and assimilation, the role of Indigenous midwives was undermined, leaving a devastating impact on the preservation of culture and maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The Alberta Association of Midwives is actively working against colonialism by taking steps to support our Indigenous members and communities, by supporting the resurgence of Indigenous midwifery and the cultural transformation needed to achieve this.
Indigenous midwives play a key role in building healthy and safe Indigenous communities in rural and urban areas. In Alberta, there are approximately 10 Indigenous midwives who are engaged in the important work of “bringing birth home” to Indigenous communities, providing culturally appropriate care that honours Indigenous peoples, languages, oral cultures, and traditions.
In addition, there are a number of non-indigenous midwives who provide care on First Nations reserves.
2SLGBTQ+ Care
The midwifery model of care in Alberta is committed to honouring and recognizing the multitude of ways in which family can be created and chosen, and respecting the right for all expectant families to receive evidence-based, safe and respectful care.
We are aligned with the Canadian Association of Midwives regarding their statement on upholding all people's rights regardless of gender or sexual identity, inclusive of transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, two-spirit, and intersex people.
There are many paths to parenthood and expansion of family. We value your journey whether it involves pregnancy, adoption, sperm or egg donation, surrogacy, multi-partner relationships, co-parenting, blended families, or becoming a single-parent by choice.
Refugee and Immigrant Care
All midwives in Alberta are searchable by community and language. If you are a refugee covered by the Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program, you do not have to pay for midwifery services.
Visit our midwife directory to search for a midwife by language, community, and/or the ability to provide care through the IFH Program. Or, you can view the IFHP providers list here.
Rural Care
For many rural Albertans, access to safe, quality perinatal care closer to home is much needed. Having to travel great distances in rural settings to deliver a baby increases the risk of adverse outcomes for the birthing person and their baby. Exposure is even higher during seasons when the weather is severe, not to mention the financial burden, unnecessary intervention, psycho-social stress, and even roadside delivery.
Unfortunately, many rural families experience multiple barriers to accessing perinatal care and midwives face many unique challenges in rural settings. Together with provincial and local governments, the Alberta Association of Midwives is working to address this issue and help strengthen perinatal care in these communities.