Date
Winter 4-8-2024
Subject
Midwifery Advocacy
Abstract
This comprehensive report was created to advocate for the midwifery profession within the broader healthcare landscape, showcasing the complexity of challenges faced by midwives in treating early pregnancy loss (EPL) clients. By delving deeply into the multifaceted factors contributing to the underrepresentation of midwives in the reproductive health domain, the report aims to bridge these gaps and champion enhanced midwife representation at the governmental level, thereby enhancing support for both midwives and their patients.
The report highlights midwives' essential role in providing extensive support, including antenatal and postnatal care, based on the three principles of continuity of care, informed choice, and choice of birthplace. It calls for a review and potential expansion of the midwifery practice scope to encompass comprehensive care for EPL due to current legislative and regulatory constraints. The document examines Ontario's inclusive midwifery services under OHIP, noting a gap in providing seamless care for people experiencing EPL and advocating for better integration with specialized EPL care.
Forest City Midwifery C.A.R.E.'s challenges, including financial and logistical constraints within the existing framework and efforts to extend services, highlight systemic barriers to holistic EPL support. Midwives' testimonies and the analysis of the Billable Course of Care (BCC) model illustrate a disconnect between their training and the support structure, leading to professional frustration and burnout. The report concludes by advocating for expanded midwifery practice scopes, including comprehensive EPL care, and suggests policy changes to improve maternal healthcare in Ontario.
Acknowledgements
We, the authors, would like to thank Kyla Wong, our community partner from Forest City Midwifery C.A.R.E, for her guidance, knowledge, and support throughout the entirety of this project. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to Taylor VanDuzer for her dedication to this project. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation to Dr. McLean and our Teaching Assistants for their expertise and commitment to our project's success.
This was the poster used for our poster presentation at the 2024 IMS Poster Showcase.