Pregnancy and Birthing Care

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About

How to select your pregnancy and birthing care provider

In general, pregnant people choose one type of care provider for their pregnancy and postnatal (post-delivery) care. Provider options include family doctors, midwives and obstetricians. Between providers, there are differences in the services offered to patients and their infants. 

Some factors to consider when selecting your provider include:
  • Labour and delivery location options: at home or in hospital, including waterbirth options.
  • Clinic location: most routine pregnancy care is offered outside of BC Women's Hospital. You may prefer to select a provider who has a clinic located in your community.
  • Postpartum (post-delivery) care: the level of provider care following delivery may vary. If you have questions, raise this with your provider of choice to ensure you are clear on available services.
  • Pregnancy risk: if you have a higher risk pregnancy including type 1 diabetes, complex medical needs, a multiple infant pregnancy, concerns with the placenta placement or function, or infant medical concerns, you may be referred to an obstetrician for care. Midwives and family doctors can refer you when needed.  

​Care provider options 

Midwives
​Midwives are primary maternity care providers. They provide evidence-based, client-centred maternity and newborn care and are well integrated into BC Women’s Hospital. Midwifery emphasizes the natural ability to experience birth with minimum intervention, and the principle that we should respect and support all clients in all stages of care.  

Midwives provide comprehensive care for pregnant people and support the new parent and their newborn for the first six weeks postpartum (post-delivery). Midwives provide care at home and in hospital and many midwives offer the choice of home or hospital birth, including water birth. 

Midwives usually work in small groups. Prenatal visits tend to be longer than doctor appointments. All midwifery services are covered by the BC Medical Services Plan. More information about midwifery practice in BC, including model, philosophy and standards of practice, can be found on the websites for the Midwives Association of BC and the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. 

If pregnancy or labour and delivery become higher risk, midwives may consult with specialists, such as obstetricians. For example, if you need an assisted vaginal delivery or C-section, an obstetrician will perform the procedure.

Family doctors
​Some family doctors provide maternity services both for patients of their practice and for patients referred to their office for pregnancy care. Care options may include pregnancy/prenatal care only, or both pregnancy/prenatal care and delivery. 

Most family doctors provide maternity care in groups that care for patients and their newborns for the duration of the pregnancy and the first six weeks post-delivery. After this time, patients and their newborns return to their regular family doctor or nurse practitioner. Family doctors deliver infants in the hospital setting. They do not offer home birth options to patients. 

Family doctors manage routine medical concerns that arise during pregnancy, including issues unrelated to pregnancy. They attend routine/normal deliveries, and may perform vacuum deliveries in some cases, if required. 

Some community health facilities offer a hybrid model, where a range of providers including nurses and doctors, provide care to a pregnant person and their infant from pregnancy through to six weeks postpartum.

Obstetricians
​Obstetricians are doctors who have completed five years of additional training in obstetrics and gynecology. They have the clinical expertise to manage pregnancies from low risk through to high risk and multiple infant pregnancies. They also offer all types of delivery. 

Obstetricians deliver infants in the hospital setting only. Home births and water births are not available to their patients. The obstetricians at BC Women's Hospital work together to provide 24/7 on-site coverage. Deliveries and all other types of emergency care are delivered by the on-call obstetrician, except for planned C-sections, which are typically done by a patient's chosen obstetrician. 

Newborn care in hospital is provided by the pediatrician on-call and then returns to the patient's primary care provider - such as their family doctor or nurse practitioner - in the community. Alternatively, postpartum midwifery care is available, by referral, for the first six weeks following delivery.
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Find a provider

Midwives offering care at BC Women's work in community-based practices throughout the city of Vancouver. If you are looking for a midwife, please contact the clinic of your choice directly. You do not need a referral. 

You will find midwives with admitting privileges at BC Women's Hospital in the following practices:
You will find a range of additional websites listed below with details of providers who offer maternity care. While BC Women's Hospital does not manage these websites, these providers have clinical connections to our hospital, including providing labour and delivery care.
  • Obstetricians: Visit www.obgroup.ca for details of obstetricians who work at BC Women's Hospital. To receive care from these providers, you must receive a referral from a primary care provider, such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
  • Midwives: Visit the Midwives Association of BC or Midwives in Vancouver to find a provider. Once you select your provider, please contact their clinic directly for further information.
  • Family doctors: Visit the Pathways Medical Care website or Birthdocs​ for details of maternity providers in your community. Contact a provider's clinic directly to request care and to determine their availability.

Additional support services

​Doulas


Doulas are labour support people. Their main duty is to provide a continuous source of comfort, encouragement and support to patients during labour. Postpartum doulas can assist with newborn care and breastfeeding. They are generally hired on a private fee-for-service basis. For further information, please visit the Doula Services Association of BC​. 
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