PROGRAMS
Norfolk Midwifery Program
Contact Information:
Phone: 519-582-2323 ext 282
Fax: 519-582-1513
To book online click here.
To complete a self-referral click here.
Our program provides a wide range of services relating to pregnancy, child health, and reproductive care. We know it can be difficult to find a primary care provider and it is our goal to provide comprehensive care while you are waiting to connect with a family doctor. It is important to know that midwives are not doctors. We are bound by our legal scope of practice-meaning that the law states what we can and can’t do. We work under medical directives to provide care beyond this legal scope. This means that there are tests and procedures we are unable to order, and medications we are unable to provide. Our program is supervised by two of our family doctors. Referrals are made to specialist physicians as needed.
We care for people who reside in Norfolk and the surrounding areas.
You can access our program if you do not have health insurance. You do not need to pay to see our team members, but are responsible for the cost of all tests, medications, hospital fees, and doctor fees (if you need to see a doctor outside of our team). There will be paperwork to complete prior to accessing our services.
The following is an outline of our services so you know how we can care for you and your family and when you need to see another care provider (ex. through a walk-in-clinic, or emergency department if urgent).
Infant feeding support:
What we do:
- Help with infant feeding from birth to weaning including breastfeeding assessments, use of lactation aids, use of herbal supplements and medications to increase milk supply, combination feeding support, treatment of common breast concerns related to infant feeding (ex. yeast, mastitis, nipple damage)
- Counsel on introducing solid foods including a virtual class and referral to a registered dietician when needed
- Refer to other providers when needed
What we don’t do:
- Tongue-tie releases
Pregnancy Care:
What we do:
- Provide prenatal care from conception until you transition to your birth care provider (usually around 28 weeks gestation)
- Order routine testing in pregnancy including bloodwork, urine tests, swabs or the reproductive tract, and ultrasounds
- Prescribe commonly used medications in pregnancy including vitamins, nausea treatments, and treatments for common infections (yeast, bladder infections etc.)
- Provide and administer TDaP, RSV, and Flu vaccines
- Set you up with your late pregnancy and birth care provider/team (ie. a midwife working in a midwifery practice group, a family doctor who practices obstetrics, or an obstetrician)
- Provide free prenatal classes in collaboration with Grand Erie Public Health and Norfolk General Hospital
- Manage and support you through early pregnancy loss with medications and referral for surgical care and mental health support when needed
- Counsel re: pregnancy options
- Provide pregnancy termination (abortion) up to 10 weeks of pregnancy using medications or referral for procedural abortion
What we don’t do:
- Provide care during labour and birth
- Conduct the initial newborn testing (i.e. the newborn blood screening, initial jaundice testing, initial CCHD screening, hearing testing)
- Surgical/procedural abortion
Postpartum Care:
What we do:
- Care for birthing parents and babies up to 6 weeks postpartum. This may include home visits during the early postpartum, if requested, and you reside within 30 minutes of our location. Typically, you see a midwife around 6 times including 2-4 visits in the first 7-10 days, and one visit at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postpartum. We see you more often if needed.
- Treat common conditions in the postpartum
- Postpartum mental health support groups
What we don’t do:
- Prescribe medications for mood concerns
- Prescribe narcotics
Reproductive Care:
What we do:
- Provide preconception counselling: Information on lifestyle changes to support a healthy pregnancy; basic blood work
- Screen for cervical cancer (formerly called the Pap test, now testing for HPV)
- Test for sexually transmitted infections and other infections of the reproductive tract (including urine testing, swabs of cervix/vagina/rectum/throat/genital lesions, testing for bloodborne infections)
- Treat infections of the reproductive tract and bladder
- Conduct bimanual examination (feeling the pelvic organs for abnormalities)
- Order bloodwork and pelvic ultrasounds for specific indications
- Refer to our Sexual Health program or gynecology when needed
What we don’t do:
- Care for people with male genitalia (please book in with our Sexual Health program for this service)
- Treat reproductive concerns in perimenopause or post-menopause (please book in with our Sexual Health program for this service)
Contraceptive care:
What we do:
- Counsel on contraceptive options (i.e., birth control) including emergency contraception
- Prescribe contraceptives
- Insert/remove/replace IUDs
- Refer for contraceptive implants and permanent contraception
What we don’t do:
- Insert or remove contraceptive implants (i.e. Nexplanon) (please book-in with our Sexual Health program for this service)
Well-Child Care:
What we do:
- Provide routine care for children ages 2 months to 6 years, who do not have a primary care provider or cannot access their primary care provider (due to distance, vacations etc.) including:
- Childhood vaccinations
- Developmental assessments
- Conduct a basic physical examination- eyes, heart, lungs, weight, height, head circumference
- Counsel on at home treatment of common childhood conditions and concerns
- Referrals to other providers when needed
What we don’t do:
- Treat kids who are sick (ex. Ear infections, respiratory infections, bladder infections)
- Prescribe medications that are not available over the counter (ex. Antibiotics, skin creams, allergy medications)
Click Here For Prenatal Education Series (password required)