There are many types of birthing plans to follow. And if you’re leaning more on the natural birthing process, then the best midwife in Calgary should be there to guide you throughout your pregnancy.
In this article, we’ve listed the best midwives in the city, as well as the costs you’d spend on their services. We also answered some frequently asked questions about the topic, especially the big question of why and when you should choose a midwife for help.
Table of Contents
How Much Do Midwifery Services Cost in Calgary
Midwifery services cost around $2,000–$3,500. This rate is inclusive of scheduled appointments, birth planning, and prenatal and postpartum support and services.
Since the provincial health care plan already includes midwifery, you can rely on government support to cover these costs. So, as long as you have Alberta Health Insurance, you can receive midwifery services for free.
Where to Find the Best Midwives in Calgary
For you and your child’s safety, we only listed centres that have registered midwives. So, feel free to choose which clinic to approach for help.
1. Aurora Midwifery
| SERVICES | Prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care, lab work and ultrasound |
| WEBSITE | http://www.auroramidwifery.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 6622 20a St SE, Calgary, AB T2C 0R3 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 203-5105 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Aurora Midwifery provides safe, patient, and compassionate care for pregnant families. Like many midwifery practices, this centre helps soon-to-be mothers make informed decisions for their pregnancy and childbirth.
For true collaboration, Aurora Midwifery allots 10-13 visits, with 30-45 minutes each, for each customer. Additionally, Aurora’s midwives are available 24/7 for seamless communications.
Its services also include all types of lab work and ultrasound, access to birthing resources, labour and birth care, and postnatal visits.
The best thing about Aurora is that it offers free and no-obligation initial consultations.
They do not require a due date provided by an OB/GYN and an estimation from your last period is fine. They also have students following some of their teams, but all of their midwives that clients actually sign up with are full registered midwives and you can decline students at any time.
The mother and midwife isn’t the only meaningful relationship Aurora Midwifery values because this centre also collaborates with doctors, lactation consultants, and other prenatal health care professionals.
To cater to more families at a time, Aurora Midwifery has eight teams of midwives, each with 2-3 professionals.
Pros
- A large team of midwives
- 24/7 availability of midwife via pager
- Free no-obligation initial consultation
- Offers pre-conception visits
Cons
- Due date is a prerequisite to free consultation
- Some team members are students
Customer Reviews
Read these reviews to know why soon-to-be-mothers continue to seek Aurora Midwifery’s services:
“I can not say enough amazing things about this midwifery, especially Krista, Nicole and Haley. I am truly so thankful for every single one of them, they provided exponential care from pregnancy through to postpardum and I will definitely use them again should we choose to have anymore children. Thank you guys so much again!”—Lindsay Stowe
“I had Team 5 (Nicole and Krista). Nicole was an amazing support during my Hyperemesis Gravidarum, she kept tabs on me, gave me great advice and made sure that me and my baby stayed overall healthy through that horrible sickness. Krista was my main midwife in my later pregnancy and my birth and I am so grateful for her. I had a 9lb 3oz baby completely naturally in a pandemic with her support, encouragement and care. She was awesome with my hubby in helping him understand everything that was happening and she brought my baby boy into this world. I strongly recommend Aurora to any expectant moms!!! Thank you Nicole and Krista, you are both the best!!!”—Kerry Jensen
2. Red Community Midwives
| SERVICES | Prenatal, birthing, and postpartum services |
| WEBSITE | http://www.redcommunitymidwives.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 5401 Temple Dr NE #216, Calgary, AB T1Y 3R7 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (587) 352-5977 | [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Red Community Midwives focuses on providing exemplary prenatal, postnatal, and postpartum care to its customers. This centre has 7 registered midwives helping women with low-risk pregnancies.
Additionally, Red Community Midwives has the best midwife in Calgary who also has the skills for acupuncture, Reiki, and herbal medicine. Some of its midwives have even served as nurses and volunteer healthcare professionals in other countries.
With such a diverse team, it’s no wonder how Red Community Midwives also offers services in over five different languages.
Red Community Midwives has a warm and cozy location that’s open 4 days a week to cater to any Calgarian looking for pregnancy guidance and support. Luckily, it still guarantees that its midwives are on-call 24/7.
Unfortunately, we’ve found some inconvenient things with Red Community Midwives, particularly in its online appointment forms. Its forms are lengthy, and even has one question requiring you to explain why you’re choosing this centre instead of other places.
Pros
- Expertise in numerous pregnancy wellness practices
- Translation services in 5 languages
- 24/7 access to midwives via phone
- Free parking space
Cons
- Lengthy online forms
- Open only for 4 days a week
- Relatively small team
Customer Reviews
If you’re still indifferent about Red Community Midwives, then these reviews can hopefully help you make a decision:
“We are so grateful to Red Community Midwives and especially our midwife, Annegret. Shireen at reception was always warm and friendly. Nancy attended my birth and her compassionate care was much appreciated. Red took me on as a client after my midwife at another clinic suddenly went on leave. We then hit some unexpected medical issues in the last few weeks, and don’t know how we would have made it through without Annegret’s continued support. She made us feel safe and calm during a really difficult period. We appreciated both her knowledge and skills as a midwife, and her ability to understand us as people. Thank you so much for a very positive experience!”—Leia Astorga-Hoffmann
“Would highly recommend the team at Red Community Midwives. As a first time mom they allieved us of all of our fears and were patient and accepting of all of our questions. Everyone on this team is extremely knowledgeable and Maryam, Erin, Louisa and Nancy were so supportive, professional and sensitive throughout our experience. Their office staff care about clients and are very warm. I was very happy with our prenatal and birth experience. If we have another baby I hope to have them be our care provider again.”—Melissa Mansfield
3. Honeycomb Midwives
| SERVICES | Prenatal, birthing, and postpartum services |
| WEBSITE | https://honeycombmidwives.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 1616 20a St NW, Calgary, AB T2N 2L5 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 286-9945 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Honeycomb Midwives is yet another excellent centre to visit if you’re looking to follow the natural physiological process of pregnancy. This health centre has five midwives on call and ready to help.
Its team may be small compared to others, but it does hold diverse skills and expertise. We say this because some of Honeycomb’s midwives also have experience as neonatal nurses or doulas.
So, while it promotes a low intervention style, Honeycomb is still open to the use of drugs and technologies should their patient need these medical treatments.
To understand their clients’ needs and wants, Honeycomb’s midwives meet with customers 9-12 weeks for 30 minutes per visit. And while its location is available only 5 days a week, its midwives are reachable via phone 24/7.
However, Honeycomb Midwives requires its customers to make an account on its website before booking an appointment online.
We also read some complaints about poor communication, which have led to some negative experiences of some families. Luckily, Honeycomb Midwives is near to a hospital, which can provide additional help and support if needed.
It is important to note that if you do not have coverage for some practices, you will have to do private pay. You will also have to register for coverage with AHS to leave a deposit in the event that you suddenly need or desire have to have a hospital birth due to emergencies.
Pros
- Additional background expertise in nursing and doula services
- Near a hospital
- An abundance of free online resources
- 24/7 availability via phone
Cons
- Some complaints about poor communication
- Relatively small team
- Request forms require login
Customer Reviews
Here are some testaments from mothers who are satisfied with Honeycomb Midwives’ services:
“I could not have had better care than with Cassie and Christy. As a first time mom, I needed guidance and they would always tell me things ahead of time so that I knew what to expect. I called the emergency line maybe a bit too often but they would always reassure me everything was ok. I even had the baby’s movements checked and they told me that I was right because they wanted me to have peace of mind. The birth experience was long and exhausting. Christy answered my overnight calls, and I could tell she was concerned about my wellbeing. She was always very direct, which I really appreciate, especially in such important time. Thanks to her, I did not have any tears and I was able to give birth naturally and without medication, after I had doubted myself so many times. Everything went according to my birth plan, and my baby also received the best care after she arrived. I could not be more thankful!”—Rafaela Santiag
“Honeycomb Midwives helped me with my pregnancy and birth in October 2016. I had a no complication pregnancy and they were never obligated to turn over my care to an OB. Every time I arrived to their clinic it was always welcoming and comfortable, every visit was calm and I was never rushed out. All my options were explained to me and all my anxieties put to rest. They also were able to approach me on a personal level so I trusted their opinions and they respected the decisions I made, only confronting me if they had any worries.”—Rebecca Bais
4. Briar Hill Midwives
| SERVICES | Prenatal, birthing, and postpartum services |
| WEBSITE | http://www.briarhillmidwives.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 3604 52 Ave NW #201, Calgary, AB T2L 1V9 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 474-8260 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Among the healthcare centres in Calgary, Briar Hill Midwives is the longest established midwifery practice. This centre is home to midwives with diverse midwifery experience not only in Canada but also in other countries like the UK.
To be exact, Briar Hill has over 12 midwives serving Calgary, Airdrie, and surrounding areas. And for every birth, two of these midwives are present to provide alternative pain management practices and support.
Some of its midwives are even trained nurses, while some have received training and education for naturopathic medicine. With such a diverse range of backgrounds, Briar Hill can cater to just about any low-risk pregnancy.
These backgrounds allow Briar Hill Midwives to also provide preconception and family planning counselling. And unlike other health centres, Briar Hill Midwives’ request forms don’t require any prerequisites like visits from the doctor.
However, we’ve read some complaints about Briar Hill’s pushy nature and sometimes poor patient care. So, before finalizing your pregnancy care with them, try getting an initial consultation to see if you agree with their beliefs and practices.
Pros
- A large team of midwives
- Additional background and expertise in nursing and naturopathy
- 24/7 midwife availability via pager
- Ability to choose the previous midwife for repeat clients
- Request form requires little-to-no prerequisites
Cons
- Some complaints about pushy midwives
- Some complaints about poor patient care
Customer Reviews
Here are some reviews to help you decide whether or not you can find the best midwife in Calgary from Briar Hill Midwives:
“I was apprehensive about midwife care at first as this was our first child, but the experience I had with Natalie and Reanne far exceeded all possible expectations. Both women are extremely knowledgable, helpful and pleasant. They were able to put all my anxieties at ease both during and after my pregnancy. I couldn’t imagine receiving better support or personalized care anywhere else. I will definitely be going back to Briar Hill Midwives for my next pregnancy as well. “—Melissa Earl
“Tamara at Briar Hill has been our midwife now for two pregnancies and births, and both my husband and I were incredible happy with our care both in clinic and at home. Tamara is kind and warm, and always goes above and beyond to help whenever needed……even on false alarms 🙂 Tamara and her partner Tietje are the perfect duo of midwives. My family could not have asked for a better team!!!!!”—Samantha Roth
5. Birth Partnership
| SERVICES | Prenatal, birthing, and postpartum services |
| WEBSITE | https://www.birthpartnershipmidwives.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 6628 Crowchild Trail SW, Calgary, AB T3E 5R8 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 246-8968 |
| OPERATING HOURS |
Since 1996, Birth Partnership has provided Calgarians with family-centred and compassionate care. This practice has locations in Calgary, Airdrie, Medicine Hat, and Taber to cater to more Albertans seeking a smooth natural birthing process.
Despite this wide service area, Birth Partnership can cater to numerous clients at a time because it has over 13 teams. Each team has 2-3 registered midwives for fully personalized and collaborative patient care.
Each of these midwives is reachable via phone or email any time during your pregnancy. Birth Partnership is also flexible as it allows 20-60 minutes for each appointment.
Like many other midwifery practices, Birth Partnership promotes low intervention birthing practices. But what makes this centre different is that it also offers water births.
But before you can get all these services, you’ll have to fill out Birth Partnership’s lengthy online forms. Make sure to use a desktop or laptop for this task because it may not work on tablet and phone interfaces.
Pros
- 24/7 midwife availability via pager or email
- Offers water births
- Flexible duration of appointments
- A large team of midwives
Cons
- Some team members are students
- Lengthy online request forms
- Online request forms suitable only on desktop
Customer Reviews
Read these reviews to know just how new parents feel after receiving Birth Partnership’s patient care:
“We were lucky enough to be placed with Birth Partnership with our first baby and recently just welcomed our second with them mid January. Both births were at home under the very watchful eyes of the Morning Star ladies (but you are able to opt for a hospital or birth centre as well if you’d like). I really liked their knowledgable and open approach to birthing and the impacts on your body, family, and sanity. For example, I really struggled with my breastfeeding and these ladies rallied behind me to give me the support but with freedom to grow and figure out myself and my baby. If you’re expecting and debating using midwifery care I would recommend them! We had Deb, Helen, and Julie (Morning Star)”—Miranda Henley
“I had birth partnership before the pandemic and now during the pandemic and it’s definitely different, but I understand. I still absolutely reccomend them. My initial appointments were virtual, due to social distancing requirements and the clinic needing to prioritize in person visits for mama’s who were further along or had to visit with their newborns. If I wanted more in person visits at any point due to my feeling anxious or my pregnancy being in danger, I’m sure I could have requested it and they would have obliged. My pregnancy is very low risk, so it wasn’t necessary. They’re doing their best with current restrictions, and as much as I would love to visit with my midwife every day because I love her, it’s just not practical. I feel I’ve truly been able to form a deep connection with my midwives and I am so glad to have found them.”—Maddie Kruger
Why You Should Choose A Midwife
Midwifery empowers pregnant women to gain control over their pregnancy, including their birthing plan and their overall wellness. With midwives, soon-to-be-mothers can choose:
- Whether or not to give birth naturally
- Where to give birth
- Alternative pain management treatments to avoid drugs and other modifications during childbirth
Midwives also work from conception until 6 weeks after childbirth, so they usually build strong personal bonds that help support pregnant women.
Studies have also shown how families integrating midwifery practices reported greater satisfaction. Other studies also associate midwifery with a decreased chance of C-sections and perineal laceration, as well as fewer neonatal problems.
However, hiring a midwife is a good option if and only if you are undergoing an otherwise low-risk pregnancy. This means that the pregnancy should not involve:
- An underweight or overweight woman
- A woman younger than 17
- Twins, triplets, quadruplets, and other multiple pregnancies
- Pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression
- Previous premature birthing
- Genetic problems
- Other pregnancy problems
FAQs about Midwives and Midwifery
These midwives will surely take care of both you and your baby. We hope our article has given you some insights so that you can finally choose the best midwife in Calgary.
If you know any other midwives who you think can belong on this list, please let us know! After all, our goal is to provide the best of the best to our fellow Calgarians.
Your midwife will help you stay healthy during your pregnancy, but you still won’t be able to avoid some muscle gained from your hormonal and bodily changes. Luckily, you can still try out the best massages in Calgary to help ease the inevitable bodily pains of pregnancy.
