We are BC Registered Midwives who provide primary health care to pregnant individuals and their babies from early pregnancy, throughout labour and childbirth and through to 6-8 weeks after birth. We specialize in the care of healthy individuals and their newborns.

Midwifery care is free for anyone who has an active Care Card number (BC MSP). You do not need a referral to see a midwife. Simply fill out our intake form and one of us will be in touch within 48 hours by phone or email.

What is Midwifery Care?

Midwives believe in Informed Choice. This means we strive to help you to have enough balanced and evidence-based information to help you make decisions in your pregnancy, birth and early parenting that fit best with your own beliefs and values.

Midwives provide a Continuity of Care provider. This means that you and your four midwives will get to know each other over the course of your pregnancy so that a trusting, therapeutic relationship can be built. Continuity of Care Provider allows you to be familiar with the people who will help you to bring your baby into the world and who will support your transition into new parenthood.

Midwives offer a Choice of Birthplace. Your midwives hold privileges at Victoria General Hospital where Victoria’s maternity and newborn care is conducted. We are comfortable and well-integrated in this setting for those clients who choose labour and birth in hospital. We also offer a choice for planned home birth to clients whose pregnancy has been straightforward. Over the course of your pregnancy, your midwives will discuss your preferences and questions about planning your place to give birth.

For more information on the care of Registered Midwives in BC, please visit the Midwives Association of British Columbia.

What Can I Expect with Arbutus Midwives?

In pregnancy, we care for our pregnant and post-partum clients in our comfortable clinic in Langford. In labour and birth, we offer care at home and/or in the hospital, depending on what the client’s plan is. After birth, we do home visits until families are feeling confident to return to the clinic for their visits, often at 10 days to 2 weeks after birth.

Your appointments will typically be 30 minutes long and you are welcome to bring anyone you like to join you. You may also come alone. During your appointments, you can expect to be offered the opportunity to review questions or topics that you want to talk about more. For example, these might include nutrition, physical changes, lifestyle questions, sexuality, comfort measures for labour, emotional health, newborn care and early parenting. During your pregnancy, your midwives will also ask you questions about your health, take your blood pressure, and discuss and offer tests that are routine for pregnancy. This includes blood work and ultrasounds. After birth, we will offer frequent visits to support your recovery and feeding plan, and to assess and weigh your newborn.

Your pregnancy appointments occur every 4-5 weeks until about 30 weeks and then become more frequent. From 36 weeks, the midwives will see you weekly.

It can be helpful to make a list of non-urgent questions to bring up at a future appointment. For things that cannot wait until you see the midwife as scheduled, you are invited to leave a phone message at our clinic or send an email to info@arbutusmidwives.com. You can expect a reply to non-urgent concerns within 24-48 hours.

For urgent matters such as labour or concerns that might require hospital assessment, clients are asked to page the “on-call” midwife who carries an emergency 24/7 pager and can be reached at any time of day or night. You will be given that number during your first appointment.

Midwives are well-integrated into Victoria’s maternity care community. In cases where a discussion or consultation is required to care for a more complex concern for a pregnant person or newborn, after discussing our recommendation with you, we consult our colleagues to assist. See Indications for Discussion Consultation and Transfer of Care for more details.

Please feel free to be in touch with any additional questions about our care.

Why the Arbutus?

As midwives, we recognise that we are providing care throughout one of the most defining and memorable experiences in a family’s life. We are committed to building relationships, both with the families we care for and within our broader community. Our care combines up-to-date clinical research with a holistic approach to women’s health, as reflected in our core values: Our practice is named for the Arbutus tree. An icon unique to the Pacific coast, we chose the Arbutus tree as our namesake because it represents:

  • Regional focus and pride – this reflects the local, personalised nature of our care
  • A reference to nature’s rhythms – this speaks to the natural process of giving birth
  • Traditional tree symbols – trees symbolize the strength of a birthing body, family trees, longevity and vitality