Full disclosure, I needed help getting pregnant. All three of my pregnancies came to be as the result of excellent care from my fertility clinic. But when I got pregnant the first time, my doctor (who knew I was a midwife) tried to convince me to have an obstetrician instead. I was shocked. None of the reasons I needed help getting pregnant made my pregnancy high risk, yet she still felt I was not a candidate for midwifery care. I politely ignored her recommendation and had a fabulous pregnancy under midwifery care.

Unfortunately my experience isn’t unusual. For some reason that I don’t completely understand, it is quite common for fertility clinics to discourage their patients from accessing midwifery care. But the truth is, just because you needed help getting pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t have a midwife. In fact, people that go through fertility treatment actually are very well served in midwifery care. Those of us who have spent almost every morning at the fertility clinic for weeks, having multiple ultrasounds and blood work, can find it very abrupt to suddenly be graduated from this level of care. So having a midwife who spends thirty or more minutes with you in your appointments, answering all your questions, and building a relationship of trust, is very important. Your midwives will be there with you during your labour and birth. Sometimes people feel emotionally overwhelmed during labour, especially when you’ve gone through long periods of time trying to get pregnant. We can help you navigate that emotional journey. There are many more reasons why you will benefit from midwifery care, and we would be happy to speak to you further about that.

If you are going through fertility treatment and you’re not sure if you’re a candidate for midwifery care, my best advice is to speak to a midwifery clinic and ask. The best experts in knowing if you are a candidate for midwifery care are midwives.