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Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
October 28, 2011
Lesson 71: Teacher’s Edition
Level:
CLB 5 and up
Topic:
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth
Centre
Language Skills and Functions:
Listening – listening to a short interview for
inference
Speaking – expressing regret; describing strong
emotions or feelings; participating in a
group discussion
Reading – reading a text for detail and inference
Writing
– writing a birth announcement
Language Competencies:
Language Tasks:
Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking
Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Discussing the role of midwives/birthing practices in different countries
Listening for inference in a radio interview with an expectant mother who
attended the Winnipeg Birth Centre Open House
Describing strong feelings using “so” or “such a/an”
Reading a text and about the birth centre for detail and inference
Expressing regrets/cancelling a counseling appointment in a role play
Writing a birth announcement and discussing birth traditions across
cultures
Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing
Worksheets1: 1. Use Synonyms in Vocabulary Development
2. Listen for Inference and Predicting How Jill’s Story Might End
3. Pronunciation Practice
4. Can You Express How Strongly You Feel About Something?
5. Read a Fact Sheet for Detail and Inference
6. Can You Express Regrets and Cancel an Appointment?
7. Write a Birth Announcement
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Facts about the Birth Centre
1
Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 1 of 19
Manitoba Memo
In all countries and cultures, women who have experience in childbirth have
traditionally attended births. One generation of women trained the next generation of
women. Even today, it is estimated that eighty percent of babies around the world are
born into the caring and skilled hands of a midwife.
In the Canadian context, midwifery historically played an important role in Aboriginal
communities. And when the European settlers arrived, it was often Aboriginal midwives
who delivered their offspring. Later, as more waves of immigrants came to Canada,
immigrant women brought their culture’s midwifery knowledge and practices with them.
By 1865, as doctors began delivering babies, midwifery was criminalized in Canada.
Midwives continued to practice however. In fact, many worked with and trained the very
doctors who were taking over their roles.
The biggest decline in midwifery in Canada came in the early 20th century. Anaesthetics
were becoming more popular with women in childbirth and only doctors could provide
them. Hospital births were becoming more common than home births, especially in urban
areas. While many industrialized nations continued to support midwife attended births,
North America moved in a completely different direction. Doctors, acting in part in their
own self-interest, told the public that midwife attended births were unsafe. They also
resisted proposals for more formal training of midwives, who were mostly female.
In the 1980’s women in Canada began looking for less medically intrusive birth
experiences. They wanted the option of a birth process which was viewed more as a
normal, natural part of life and less of a medical procedure. Slowly, but surely, pressure
from expectant mothers for birth alternatives has led to a resurgence of midwives across
the country. Formal midwife training programs have been developed. The demand for
midwife services continues to increase.
Manitoba has the highest percentage of births attended by midwives of all the provinces.
Publicly funded and regulated midwifery was introduced here just over a decade ago.
Since that time, trained midwives have provided services for 1,000’s of families across the
province. Midwives care for women throughout their pregnancy, their labour and birth.
They also care for mother and baby for six weeks after the birth. Licensed midwives can
order and interpret lab tests, write prescriptions related to maternal and newborn care and
consult with or refer to family doctors and specialists.
Midwives in Manitoba care for women and children in the community, in their homes and in
clinics and hospitals. Soon women in Winnipeg with low-risk, normal pregnancies will be
able to give birth at a birth centre staffed by midwives. The Minister of Health hopes that
eventually there will be birth centres in other regions of the province.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
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Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss as a class
•
•
•
•
•
•
Where do most women give birth in your country? At home, in a clinic or in a
hospital?
How common is it for midwives to assist women giving birth? Are women more
likely to have a midwife or a doctor present when they deliver their baby?
Where do midwives receive their training? Do they take courses? Or do most
learn by assisting experienced midwives?
Who else is present when babies are born in your country? Is the
husband/partner present? Relatives? Friends?
In your opinion, what are the advantages of having a midwife and giving birth at a
birth centre or at home rather than giving birth in a hospital?
What are possible disadvantages?
3. Vocabulary
Elicit or present key vocabulary that students need to understand prior to listening to the
podcast (see suggested vocabulary and explanations which follow). You can write the
words on the board and elicit possible meanings from the class or break students into
groups and give each group a few words to review. Groups can then present the
vocabulary to the rest of the class. You can also ask students to mark the syllables and
stress for each word, identify word families and practise pronouncing the words. You
may want to ask students to think of sentences that use the new vocabulary. If your
students keep a vocabulary journal, they can copy the vocabulary into their journal.
Vocabulary
a birthing centre
A birthing centre is a specially equipped facility with
trained staff where women can go to give birth.
an Open House
An Open House is an event where people are invited
to come to visit or tour a home, office, facility etc.
to be staffed by
Staff are the employees (or in some cases the
volunteers) who work at an organization.. For
example: Birthing centres are staffed by midwives.
to deliver a baby
When someone delivers a baby, they assist the
mother in the birthing process.
a midwife
A midwife is a person (usually a woman) who is
trained formally or through experience to assist
women in childbirth.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
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first impressions
A first impression is the opinion or feeling you have
the first time you see/hear or experience something.
Oh my gosh!
This slang expression means “wow”. We say “Oh my
gosh” when we are very impressed by something.
gorgeous
When someone or something is very beautiful, we
often describe them as gorgeous.
spacious
If a room or a place is spacious, it means that it is
large and there is lots of useable space. It isn’t
crowded with people or things.
a natural birth
A natural birth is a birth that happens naturally,
without medical intervention. It does not involve
anaesthetics.
a mother-focused birth
If a birth is mother-focused, it means that the needs
of the mother are seen as very important. Every
effort is made to ensure she is comfortable and has
the supports she needs.
facilities
Facilities are rooms, equipment and services that are
provided and used for a particular purpose.
obstetricians
Obstetricians are doctors who specialize in
pregnancy and delivering babies.
to trust someone
If you trust someone, you believe in them and in their
abilities. You have confidence in them.
a hero/heroine
A hero is a person of courage who is admired by
others for doing brave deeds or performing heroic
acts.
a normal birth
A normal birth is a birth where there are no
complications. Everything proceeds as expected.
weird
If something is strange or unusual, or difficult to
explain or understand, it may be described as
“weird”.
a plain vanilla delivery
This idiom is from the world of ice cream. Vanilla ice
cream is a basic flavour of ice cream with no
additional flavours added. When a mother
experiences a “plain vanilla delivery” of a baby, it
means that the birth is straight forward and without
complications.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 4 of 19
an incident-free pregnancy
An incident-free pregnancy is a pregnancy where
nothing unexpected happens and there are no
complications.
to consult with someone
When you consult with someone, you ask for
information or advice because it is their job to know
about the topic. For example, you might consult your
midwife about what to expect after you’ve given birth.
to check someone (over)
When doctors/nurses/ midwives check their patients
or perform a check-up, they examine them and look
for any possible medical problems or complications.
3. Predict what the interview is about
In this interview, Terry MacLeod interviews Jill Forbes. Jill has just been to an Open
House at the new birth centre in Winnipeg. The centre will be run by midwives. Jill is
hoping to deliver her baby there.
Ask students if they can predict the kinds of things Jill might find out about the new birth
centre. Here are a few examples:
Jill might find out… the size of the birthing rooms.
She may learn…how the centre is staffed.
She’ll likely find out ...if there’s a place her family can wait.
I expect she’ll want to find out… when the centre will begin to operate.
I hope she finds out… whether it would be a comfortable, pleasant setting to
give birth.
I have no idea what she’ll find out.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear three speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Terry MacLeod – interviewer
Jill Forbes – guest and expectant mother
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Vocabulary development
Hand out Worksheet 1. Ask students to work with a partner. Can they find a synonym for
the underlined words in each sentence in the vocabulary word box?
Take up the answers as a class.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 5 of 19
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students whether they were able to predict some of the things Jill found out when
she went to the birth centre Open House.
2. Infer/Predict how the story ends
Predicting and inferring both involve thinking about what is going to happen next in a
story. They are strategies we use when we read or listen. These strategies help us
better comprehend and understand what we are reading or hearing. The main
difference between a prediction and an inference is that a prediction can be proven. An
inference may or may not be proven. Inferences usually require the reader/listener to
ask a lot of questions.
Hand out and review Worksheet 2. Ask students to work with a partner. Play the
podcast again. Ask students to answer the inference questions. How might Jill’s story
end?
3. Pronunciation: Categorize words by syllables
Hand out Worksheet 3. Ask students to clap out the syllables of the words from the
podcast and complete the syllable chart. Explain that this is a good way to improve their
pronunciation. Take up the answers as a class.
You can extend this activity by asking students to write each in syllables and to mark
stressed syllables.
Extension activities
1. Using “so” or “such a/an” to describe strong feelings
Tell students that we often use “so” or “such a/an” to describe strong feelings about
something, as Jill does in lines 12 and 13 of the transcript.
Hand out and review Worksheet 4. Ask students to complete it with a partner.
Take up the answers as a class.
2. Reading a fact sheet about the birth centre and answering detail and inference
questions
Hand out Worksheet 5 and Appendix 2 and review both with the class. Students can
work with a partner to complete the worksheet. Take up the answers as a class.
3. Cancelling an appointment with the birth centre and expressing regrets
Hand out Worksheet 6 and review it with the class. Ask students to work with a partner.
Have some of the pairs present their role play to the class.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 6 of 19
4. Writing a birth announcement and discussing birth traditions across cultures
Hand out Worksheet 7 and review it with the class. Students can discuss Part A with a
partner but each student should write their own announcement.
Part B is completed in small groups. You may want to have students report back on
their discussion.
Want to know more…
For general information on how midwifery works Manitoba, go to:
www.gov.mb.ca/health/maternal/midwifery.html and
www.gov.mb.ca/health/guide/4.html
For information on the new birth centre, go to:
www.womenshealthclinic.org/birthingmothering
For information on how to get a midwife in Winnipeg, go to:
www.wrha.mb.ca/community/primarycare/midwifery.php
Historical information on midwifery in Canada can be found in the report “Midwifery
and Aboriginal Midwifery in Canada”. It’s under publications on the National Aboriginal
Health Organization website: www.naho.ca/midwifery/midwifery-publications/
The website for Manitoba’s Midwifery Association is: http://midwivesofmanitoba.ca/
Information on midwifery training programs in Manitoba can be found on the University
College of the North website under Bachelor of Midwifery: www.ucn.ca/ics/Programs/
The Learning English with CBC lesson 24 “What’s in a Name?” would be a good
lesson to accompany this one! Go to: www.cbc.ca/manitoba/eal/lessons.html
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 7 of 19
Worksheet 1: Use Synonyms in Vocabulary Development
A synonym is a word or expression that has the same meaning, or nearly the same meaning
as another word or expression. Using synonyms is a good strategy to use with new
vocabulary. Can you find the vocabulary word which means the same as the word/words
underlined in each of the sentences below? The first is completed as an example.
Sentence
Synonym
1.
The birth centre is large and roomy.
spacious
2.
The employees at the centre will be midwives.
3.
Jill, the pregnant mother, thought the birth centre was really
beautiful.
4.
The new birth centre has many rooms and services.
5.
However, they don’t have doctors who specialize in
pregnancies.
6.
The birth centre assists mothers who are having a routine
birth.
7.
If a birth situation becomes strange or unpredictable, the
midwife can send the mother to a hospital.
8.
Jill may be able to deliver her baby at the new centre
because her pregnancy has been free of complications.
9.
Jill enjoys discussing things with her midwife because her
midwife has lots of experience.
Synonyms to replace the underlined words:
consulting
spacious
obstetricians
incident-free
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
weird
gorgeous
staff
normal
facilities
Learning English with CBC
Page 8 of 19
Worksheet 2: Listen for Inference and Predict How Jill’s Story Could End
Predicting and inferring both involve thinking about what is going to happen next in a
story. They are strategies we use when we read or listen. These strategies help us
better comprehend and understand what we are reading or hearing. The main
difference between a prediction and an inference is that a prediction can be proven. An
interference may or may not be proven. Inferences usually require the reader/listener to
ask a lot of questions.
Listen to the podcast again. How might Jill’s story end? Read the inference questions
with your partner. Predict what you think will happen and why. Answer in the space
provided.
Questions
Answer
1. What will happen next in Jill’s
story? Where do you think
she’ll have her baby? Why do
you think that?
We think Jill will __________________________
2. What are the clues that make
you think this will happen?
The clues are____________________________
3. How does Jill’s personality and
the way she comes across in
the interview influence what
you think will happen?
Jill’s personality did/didn’t influence my thinking
4. Why do you think Jill agreed to
tell her story?
because________________________________
_______________________________________.
_______________________________________.
because _______________________________
_______________________________________
We think Jill agreed to tell her story because
______________________________________
_______________________________________.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 9 of 19
Worksheet 3: Pronunciation Practice
Read the words below with your partner. Tap or clap the syllables. This is a good way
to improve your pronunciation, because you become more aware of the parts of the
word. Complete the syllable chart by writing each word in the correct column. The first
two are completed for you as examples.
Winnipeg
first
weird
pregnancy
process
trust
obstetricians
impressions
beautiful
facilities
staff
gorgeous
delivery
just
birthing
absolutely
natural
consulting
hospital
1 syllable
2 syllables
first
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
3 syllables
4 syllables
Winnipeg
Learning English with CBC
Page 10 of 19
Worksheet 4: Can You Express How Strongly You Feel about Something or
Someone?
When we want to describe or emphasize how strong our feelings are about something or
someone, we often use “so” with an adjective and “such a/an” with an adjective when there
is a noun.
For example:
Form
so + adjective
(when there is no noun)
such a /such an +
adjective (when there is
a noun)
Meaning
to show strong emotion or
feelings
Use
I think it’s so beautiful there. (no
noun)
I think the birth centre is such a
beautiful place. (with noun)
Complete the following sentences with so or such a/an.
1. The birth centre is so gorgeous. It is such a beautiful place.
2. The birth centre is ______ spacious facility. It is ________ spacious.
3. The staff’s approach is _______ mother-focused. The staff has _________ mother-focused
approach.
4. The birth centre has ______ many facilities. It is _______ well-equipped facility.
5. Jill’s midwife is _______ easy to consult with. She’s ________ amazing listener too.
6. Jill’s _______ happy. She’s having ________ good pregnancy.
Practice describing something that you feel strongly about. Here’s an example:
Life as a newcomer in Canada is so difficult. It is such a difficult life being a newcomer.
1. _________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 11 of 19
Worksheet 5: Read a Fact Sheet for Details and Inference
Read Appendix 2 with your partner. It contains facts about the new birth centre. Read
carefully for details and inferred meaning. Decide if the sentences below are true or false. The
first one is completed as an example.
1.
Families are welcome at the birth centre.
True False
2.
The birth centre helps women only at the time of giving birth.
True False
3.
Women experiencing complications in their pregnancy are
encouraged to use the birth centre.
True False
4.
The birth centre is equipped to handle minor complications during
labour and delivery.
True False
5.
The birth centre follows national standards.
True False
6.
The birth centre offers medical procedures in emergencies.
True False
7.
The birth centre helps mothers care for their newborn babies.
True False
8.
If you want to give birth at the birth centre, your own midwife must
be a member of the birth centre staff.
True False
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 12 of 19
Worksheet 6: Can You Express Regrets and Cancel an Appointment?
Sometimes we need language to cancel an appointment and express regrets. What should we
say? How do we express regrets? First, read the following scenario with your partner.
Second, complete the role play. One of you will play the receptionist and the other will play the
parent. If you have time, reverse roles and do it again!
Scenario
You and your partner had your baby at the birth centre four weeks ago. It’s your first child.
You have signed up for counseling offered to new parents. The appointment is for Thursday at
4:00 p.m. But your baby hasn’t slept much the past two nights and you are both exhausted.
You decide to call the birth centre first thing Thursday morning to cancel the appointment. You
express regrets and ask to reschedule the appointment for the following week.
Language to Use to Express Regrets/Cancel an Appointment
Begin with…
I’m sorry...,
I’m very sorry,…
I have to apologize,…
I’m sorry for the inconvenience
Continue with…
but…
I need to/I have to
/I’m afraid I have to…
I regret to say…
I’m sorry to say…
that…
I need to/I have to
/I’m afraid I have to…
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
End with...
cancel my
appointment.
re-schedule my
appointment.
cancel my
appointment.
re-schedule my
appointment.
Page 13 of 19
Role Play: Can You Express Regrets and Cancel an Appointment?
Receptionist: (Greets the caller and asks how she can help)
Winnipeg Birth Centre, good morning. How can I help you?
Caller:
(Introduces herself/himself and says why she/he is calling)
_____________________________________________________________
Receptionist: (Asks for the time of the appointment)
_____________________________________________________________
Caller:
(Says the time. Expresses regret about cancelling and tells reason for
cancelling)
______________________________________________________________
Receptionist: (Says cancelling isn’t a problem. Offers sympathy about lack of
sleep.)
________________________________________________________
Caller:
(Thanks him/her for understanding. Asks if the same day and time is
available next week.)
______________________________________________________________
Receptionist: (Confirms appointment date and time. Wishes caller more sleep
tonight.)
_______________________________________________________________
Caller:
(Says he/she is hoping they will get more sleep. Says thanks and good
bye.)
________________________________________________________
Receptionist: (Says you’re welcome. Says he/she hopes to see them next week.)
______________________________________________________________
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 14 of 19
Worksheet 7: Write a birth announcement
One Canadian tradition is sending a birth announcement after a baby is born. The
announcement may be published in a newspaper or sent in greeting card form to friends and
relatives. Younger parents may send a birth announcement by email or post one on their
Facebook page. Usually the announcement is accompanied by a picture of the new baby.
Here’s an example of a recent birth announcement from the Winnipeg Free Press:2
PLANTE
Leon, Jocelyn, big sister Arianna and big brother Eric would like to
welcome the newest member of the family. Alyssa Rachelle Plante
was born September 14, 2011, at 9:30 a.m., 7 lbs., 5 oz., and 20
inches long. Proud grandparents are Johanne Plante, Germaine and
Maurice Van Den Bussche. She is loved by all.
This is a typical birth announcement because it includes these main components:
Components
Examples
An introduction
(Names of parents and/or siblings)… would like to welcome…
(Child’s name) welcomes her/his new baby
brother/sister…
We are thrilled to introduce…
We welcome with love…
The baby’s name
Parents may use the baby’s first and second name only, or
their entire name.
The birth details
This usually includes the baby’s birth date
and the weight and height. Sometimes, the
time and/or place of birth are added.
Names of other family
members who welcome the
baby
If the parents aren’t mentioned at the beginning, they are
mentioned at the end, as are the grandparents. Often, the
word “proud” is used to describe the parents and/or
grandparents. Some birth announcements may even include
aunts and uncles and cousins!
2
Winnipeg Free Press, October 15, 2011
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 15 of 19
Part 1: Write a Birth Announcement
Use the guidelines and the example to help you write a birth announcement. Write a birth
announcement for one of your own children, for a family member or write a fictional birth
announcement. Make sure all of the key information is included.
(Welcome/baby’s name)_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Details of birth)____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Others who welcome baby)___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Part 2: Discuss Birth Traditions across Cultures
When you are finished, discuss the following questions with a small group. Try to make sure
your group includes students from different countries. That will make your discussion even
more interesting! Practise turn-taking in your conversation.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
After a baby is born in your country, what kinds of celebrations and/or rituals are
undertaken?
Are birth announcements sent to friends and family?
Do you hold a naming ceremony?
Do you invite family/ friends/ co-workers to a shower where people give gifts for
the baby? Does the shower take place before or after the baby is born?
Do people donate money?
Is a faith-based gathering or ceremony held?
Do you wait for a period of time (e.g. a month) before celebrations take place?
Why?
What other things do you do in your country when a baby is born?
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
Learning English with CBC
Page 16 of 19
Appendix 1: Transcript
October 17, 2011(broadcast date)
Speaker
Podcast
Line
Marcy
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English
with CBC. Winnipeg’s new birthing centre held an Open
House recently. The birthing centre will be staffed by midwives
and is expected to deliver 500 babies a year. Jill Forbes is
hoping to have her baby there. In this interview, Jill talks to
5
Terry MacLeod about her first impressions of the birthing
centre and about why she has decided to have a midwife for
her pregnancy.
Terry
Hello there.
Jill
Good morning.
Terry
So what did you think when you saw it first?
Jill
Oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful there, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
10
It’s so spacious and the lighting that they’ve got in there is just
beautiful. It’s just gorgeous there.
Terry
Wow. Ah why did you want to have your baby at the new
15
centre? You ah you had an earlier baby, Annie, ah at at the
hospital, right?
Jill
Yes I had Anne at the hospital three years ago and I had a
pretty good experience at the hospital, but I’m looking for
something a little bit different ah a little bit more, well hopefully
20
natural, and a little bit more mother focused.
Terry
They have a lot of facilities and services at at the birth centre
but they don’t have obstetricians or doctors on staff there,
right?
Jill
No, no…
Terry
Does that concern you?
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
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Page 17 of 19
Jill
Ah no I’ve got a midwife and I completely trust her and her
training. And one of the things that I’ve learned about her,
through working with her since I found out I was pregnant, is
that she’s not a hero and she’s not there to solve the world’s
30
problems. She does normal birth. And if things get weird or
things don’t get normal, then she is very happy to send me off
to a doctor that will take care of me if things aren’t normal.
Terry
To a hospital then?
Jill
Correct.
Terry
What kind of process have you gone through though to
35
determine that you’re going to have a plain vanilla delivery?
Jill
(laughs) Well, I ah I so far I’m having a relative an incident-free
pregnancy, it’s a normal pregnancy. I had a normal birth with
Anne and um I just I do a lot of consulting with my midwife.
40
What I love is that when I meet with her I get an hour with her
and we talk about any questions and she checks me and and I
didn’t think that I could talk for an hour about this thing growing
inside me…
Terry
Yes.
Jill
…but there we are.
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
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Appendix 2: Facts about the Birth Centre3
What services will be available at the Birth Centre?
The Birth Centre will offer women and their families a range of services. These include:
•
•
•
prenatal, pregnancy and post-partum care
counseling services
health education programs on parenting and newborn care
What are the features of the Birth Centre?
The Birth Centre offers women a comfortable, home-like setting to give birth. Each of
the four spacious birth rooms has a large shower and tub, a double bed and comfortable
chairs for those supporting the woman through the birth.
The Birth Centre also has a lounge with a kitchen where a woman’s family and support
people can wait and rest. Clinical facilities and meeting spaces are also
available.
Who will provide services at the Birth Centre?
There will be no doctors at the birth centre. The primary care providers will be midwives
registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba and employed by the Winnipeg
Regional Health Authority (WRHA). Four midwives will be permanently located at the
Birth Centre when it opens. However, any midwife employed by the WRHA can provide
clinical and birthing services to her clients at the Birth Centre.
How can I give birth at the Birth Centre?
Women who want to birth at the Birth Centre must be in the primary care of a WRHA
midwife. They also must be healthy and having a normal and uncomplicated pregnancy.
They will be assessed to be sure that they meet the standards set by the College of
Midwives of Manitoba for a safe out-of-hospital birth.
How will the Birth Centre manage an emergency if one happens?
Each birth room will have the supplies and equipment needed to manage a normal birth,
including non-urgent complications. In an emergency, the mother and baby will be
transferred to the most appropriate hospital. The Birth Centre has a special entrance
that allows easy access for emergency vehicles if they are needed.
3
From www.womenshealthclinic.org/birthingmothering
Special Delivery by Midwife: Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre
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