Birthing & Mothering Support

Birth Centre

Please see our News & Events section for more information on the development of Winnipeg's first birth centre.  The centre is scheduled to open in May 2011.

Midwifery Services

Midwifery

Women’s Health Clinic is just one of the community health clinics in Winnipeg that offers midwifery services to pregnant women. 

For more information about midwifery services at Women’s Health Clinic, please call 947-2422, ext. 515

For more information about midwifery services in Winnipeg, please call:

  • Health Action Centre - 940-3843
  • Mount Carmel Clinic - 589-9412
  • River East Midwifery - 938-5054

What are midwives?

Midwives are health care professionals trained to provide prenatal, labour and birth, and postpartum care. All practicing midwives must be registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba. Midwives respect and support each woman’s right to make choices about her care, caregiver and place of birth.

Midwives offer the following care:

During pregnancy:

  • Comprehensive prenatal care at home or in clinic
  • All necessary prenatal testing (examples: blood work, ultrasound)

During birth:

  • Choice of hospital or home birth
  • Care and support during labour and delivery

After the baby is born:

  • Breastfeeding support
  • Care for mother and baby through home or clinic visits for 6 weeks after the birth
  • Early parenting education

Other services midwives can provide:

  • Prescribe and administer certain drugs
  • Order certain tests
  • Admit to hospital
  • Consults with doctors and other health care professionals when needed
  • Discuss and may provide complementary therapies related to pregnancy, birth and postpartum care

Mothering Support

Having a baby, whether by birth or adoption, changes your life. Our Mothers Program offers a range of community-based services to support mothers through these changes.

For more information on any of the following services, please call Leigha at 947-2422, ext. 113.

Families Connecting Support Groups

Please note:  The following Families Connecting support groups are currently closed until August 6th.  Groups will resume meeting again the week of August 9th, 2010.

Families Connecting is a Healthy Baby Community Support Program designed to assist soon-to-be and new parents to connect with health service providers and other parents with children in their communities.

The drop-in setting is informal and relaxing and allows parents to share experiences and learn together.  All speakers, topics and activities are planned from suggestions by the parents who attend the group. 

Each site offers:

  • Outreach support
  • Public health nurse
  • Dietitian
  • Healthy snacks
  • Bus tickets
  • Milk coupons (for women who are pregnant & up to 6 months postpartum)
  • Free child-care while you attend the group

Activities include:

  • Speakers
  • Cooking
  • Child development
  • Parenting programs and more

Families Connecting meets:

  • Mondays                    10:00 am  - 12:00 noon           395 Jefferson Ave. (Seven Oaks)
  • Tuesdays                    1:00 pm  -    3:00 pm                209 Yale Avenue W. (Transcona)
  • Tuesdays                    9:45 am  -  11:45 am              725 Kylemore Ave. (South Osborne)   
  • Wednesdays              9:30 am  -  11:30 am              109 Pulford St. (Osborne Village)
  • Wednesdays              5:00 pm  -    7:00 pm                 975 Henderson  (River East)            
  • Fridays                        9:30 am  -  11:30 am               257 Riverton Ave. (Elmwood)

Please note: Groups do not meet on public holidays.

Sherpa Mothers Program

A peer support program that offers women who are pregnant and/or have children under the age of one an opportunity to be matched with a trained volunteer for guidance and support through the changes mothering brings.

You can expect the practical assistance and resource information of an experienced parent. Volunteers are trained in peer support work and have passed a Criminal Record and Child Abuse Registry check.

Coping with Change Postnatal Education Workshops

Women’s Health Clinic developed Coping with Change Postnatal Education Workshops for parents in the community and the service providers who work with them to build knowledge and support about the emotional changes parenting brings to our lives.

Coping with Change for community groups

You’ve attended prenatal classes or pre-adoption workshops and now baby is home. What’s next?

Coping with Change workshops are designed to help you understand the everyday changes you might experience when introducing a baby into your life.

Coping with Change is a 5-part workshop that is also offered as individual education sessions to community groups of parents. Some topic themes are:

  • Meeting baby
  • Emotional adjustments
  • Relationship changes
  • Networking

Coping with Change for service providers

Professional development seminars designed to provide health and social service providers with knowledge and skills to help normalize a woman’s experience after giving birth or adopting a baby.