Resources for International Midwives in Canada – March 2006

Note: in addition to those provided below, additional relevant information and resources are available via the links provided on this website’s links.

Canadian midwifery specific resources

College of Midwives of BC Registrants Handbook – contains BC midwifery standards and guidelines for care.  Cost is $50 plus shipping and handling, including two years of mailed updates.  Go to www.cmbc.bc.ca for more information.  Available in English only from the College of Midwives of BC.

Alberta Midwifery Health Disciplines Committee Registrants Handbook – contains Alberta midwifery standards and guidelines for care. Cost for applicants is $50 (it is free for registrants). Available in English only from the Registrar of the Midwifery Health Disciplines Committee.

College of Midwives of Manitoba Registrants Handbook – contains Manitoba midwifery standards and guidelines for care. Cost is $50 plus postage. Available in English only from the College of Midwives of Manitoba.

College of Midwives on Ontario Registrants Handbook – contains Ontario midwifery standards and guidelines for care. Cost is $75. It is available in French and English from the College of Midwives of Ontario.

Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec Classeur – contains standards and regulations for midwifery practice in Quebec. The complete book is available in French only, but some parts are available in English as well.  Contact the Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec for more information.

Northwest Territories Registrants Handbook – contains NWT midwifery standards and guidelines for care. Contact the NWT Registrar for more information.

The Ontario Midwifery Exam Prep Guide, Editor Holliday Tyson 2005 Iorek Publishing – developed for participants in Ontario’s International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program, this guide provides sample multiple-choice exam questions with a format and content that  is very similar to the Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination. It is available only in English.  To purchase a copy sent a cheque for $55.00 made out to "Iorek Publishing" c/o Alison Gaul, Program Administrator, IMPP, 87 Gerrard Street E., Suite 300, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3.

AOM Emergency Skills Workbook; AOM 2004.  This publication outlines the Ontario standard for midwifery care in emergency situations.  It accompanies the Canadian emergency skills certification workshop for midwives and thus is recommended as an important resource by regulators in all jurisdictions.  It can be purchased for $50 from the AOM at http://www.aom.on.ca/.

AOM Informed Choice Module – The Association of Ontario Midwives has created this e-learning module as continuing education for Ontario registered midwives.  International applicants who read English may find it useful for learning more about this important aspect of Canadian midwifery. The tool is web-based so you will need access to a computer with internet.  It contains a lot of information about informed choice and some practice scenarios. It can be purchased at  http://www.aom.on.ca/Professional/E-Learning_Opportunities/. The AOM offers the student rate of $15.00 to international applicants who are currently in the progress of being assessed in a Canadian province.  When requesting your subscription, please indicate that your status as an IMPP student or PLEA assessment candidate.

The Midwifery Option: The Canadian Guide to the Birth Experience; Miranda Hawkins and Sarah Knox, First Edition; Harper Collins Publisher Ltd, 2003.  This book is designed to provide Canadian families with information about Canadian midwifery.  It describes midwifery care in Canada in simple and easy-to-understand format, with descriptive examples.

Une naissance heureuse; Isabelle Brabant, Éditions Saint-Martin, 2001.  Written by a registered midwife, this French language book is designed to accompany Canadian women and their families through the childbearing year. In doing so, it describes the Canadian model of midwifery practice.

Canadian Journal of Midwifery Research and Practice; Canadian Association of Midwives.  This is Canada’s national peer-reviewed midwifery journal. Subscriptions are available for $30.00 per year to international applicants currently in the process of being assessed in a Canadian province. When requesting your subscription, please indicate that your status as an IMPP student or PLEA assessment candidate. 

More information at http://www.canadianmidwives.org/cjmrp.htm.

Professional English for Midwives and Obstetric Nurses – this book is expected to be available from Iorek Publishing in April 2006. Contact Iorek Publishing at 416 927-7793.

Pocket Guide to Midwifery Practice in Ontario – this book is expected to be published in June 2006. More information will be posted when available.

Other Canadian maternity care resources

Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines – these guidelines are available online at www.sogc.org/guidelines/index_e.asp.

 BC Reproductive Care Program Guidelines – many guidelines are available online for free; Manual can be purchased for $100. Go to www.bcphp.ca/guidelines.htm.

Other resources for Evidence-based Practice

MIDIRS – Midwives Information and Resource Service – MIDIRS disseminates information, in English, on maternity care in order to assist midwives to stay up-to-date in practice. It does this via its website, publications, and workshops. Please note that MIDIRS is based in the United Kingdom and occasionally uses some terminology and references some practices that are slightly different in Canada. Visit www.midirs.org for more information.

Cochrane Collaboration – The Cochrane Collaboration is “dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. It produces and disseminates systematic reviews of healthcare interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions.� Visit http://www.cochrane.org/ for more information.

Childbirth Connection for Health Professionals  - This website says that it is “A directory for professionals who want to practice within the promising framework of evidence-based practiceâ€�. Among other information, it provides free on-line access to A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (Oxford University Press, 2000). Visit http://www.childbirthconnection.org/home.asp?Visitor=Professional for more information.