Karsten SturmayIf you’d prefer a midwife center to a hospital for your due date, this roundup is for you! In this list, we’ve compiled the best midwife centers in Edmonton.
These midwife centers made it to this list based on the following criteria: experience and expertise of midwives and quality of clinic services. We also considered the clients’ birthing experiences with the clinic through customer reviews in each facility.
We also listed below some answers to upcoming mothers’ most frequent questions on midwifery.
1. Beginnings Midwifery Care
| BEST FOR | Giving birth with a midwife but in a hospital |
| WEBSITE | https://www.beginningsmidwiferycare.com |
| ADDRESS | 2nd Floor, 8749 53 Ave NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5E9 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | 780-490-0906 |
| MIDWIVES | Five (5) in-house midwives: Gaelyn Anderson & Megan Dusterhoft (founders) Emi Koleva Kate Kennedy Heather Morrison |
| SERVICES OFFERED | Complete midwifery care from prenatal to postpartum |
Beginnings Midwifery Care started in 2008 after founders Megan Dusterhoft and Gaelyn Anderson met and had an “immediate connection”. Since then, their practice has grown to include five registered in-house midwives.
Beginnings Midwifery Care serves expectant mothers in Edmonton, Beaumont, Leduc, and other nearby communities in Alberta. They support births at home, at a birthing center or in a hospital.
Beginnings Midwifery Care is currently affiliated with Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Grey Nuns Community Hospital. Their services start from prenatal care to labor, birth support, and postpartum.
The midwife center’s protocol is to have an assigned midwife on-call at all times. They also assign a second “back-up” midwife for extra support.
Beginnings Midwifery Care’s website also provides resources such as links to relevant pregnancy information, prenatal classes, birth preparation, acupuncture, and counseling information. They also have information on several birth photographers in the area for those who want to capture their special moments.
Pros
- Their website is very informative
- Owners are also midwives and moms
- They have hospital affiliation
Cons
- Their office is on the second floor, which makes it hard for some pregnant women to access
Customer Reviews
Here is what some of the previous clients of Beginners Midwifery Care have to say:
“I’ve had Megan and Gaelyn as my midwives with 2 pregnancies. They are so calm, caring, and attentive. I couldn’t have asked for a better midwife experience.”
-Keisha
“Amazing experience! My wife and I had our last two children with Beginnings Midwifery and they were awesome! Super knowledgeable, caring, and passionate midwives here. Both pregnancies went very well with no complaints. They made us feel very calm and well taken care of. They arrived extremely fast when called upon. Both deliveries were awesome tub births and the midwives couldn’t be more supportive and helpful through the labor and delivery process. My wife loved the experience! Definitely recommend getting a midwife to anyone and would recommend any midwife from Beginnings!”
-Cam
2. Lucina Birth Centre Home
| BEST FOR | Well-equipped delivery rooms with other complementary services |
| WEBSITE | https://lucinamidwives.ca |
| ADDRESS | 9505 163 Street Edmonton AB T5P 3M6 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | 780-756-7226 |
| MIDWIVES | Five in-house midwives: Carly Beaulieu Samantha Chisholm Joanna Greenhalgh Laura Gibb Kathleen Zenith |
| SERVICES OFFERED | Complete midwifery care plus complementary services such as chiropractic care, physiotherapy care, and psychological services |
Lucina Birth Centre has a diverse team of midwives.
They have young and educated midwives like Kathleen Zenith and older, more experienced midwives like Joanna Greenhalgh. Joanna has been a midwife for 25 years!
Their private birth rooms are also equipped with a birth tub, a birthstool, a ball, a peanut, a birth swing, some variable lighting, climate control, and some Entonox gas. Each room has a stock of emergency medical supplies.
The birthing center is also located minutes away from a hospital should an emergency event take place.
They also welcome all kinds of cultural practices in their space. They even have a wide selection of pregnancy links and resources available on their website.
Aside from the standard midwife care, the center also offers other complementary services including Chiropractic Care by Leverage Health Clinic, Physiotherapy Care by NurtureHer , and Psychological Services by Opal Psychology. This makes Lucina Birth Centre a one-stop-shop for holistic pregnancy needs.
Pros
- Good diversity among midwives
- Well-equipped birthing rooms
- Complementary services are convenient
Cons
- Scarce information on the intake process
- No information on hospital affiliation
Customer Reviews
Lucina Birth Centre has long been highly regarded in the community as one of Edmonton’s best midwife centers. Here are some of the shared client experiences from the center:
“Laura was my midwife and she was fantastic throughout the whole pregnancy and labor! The group sessions were excellent support too!”
-Amanda
“I highly recommend the Lucina Centre! I went the route of a midwife because I knew that I didn’t want to be 1 of 400+ patients that my OBGYN would see, who wouldn’t remember who I was or give me the birth experience that I wanted to have. I wanted to build a relationship with someone who would know me in and out, who would be the person delivering my child, and who would look at this experience of pregnancy and birth the same way I do. I found the Lucina Centre and I currently work with a team of two midwives (who are amazing!), who will be with me from the beginning to the end of my pregnancy, and some time postpartum as well. I cried at my first appointment with the Lucina Centre, because I was so grateful to be working with a team that understood the importance of the relationship I wanted to have; the atmosphere was spa-like, warm, and caring, and I have a team that is truly here for me, 24/7, throughout this journey.”
-Kelly
3. Aspen Community Midwives
| BEST FOR | Personal, unhurried midwife approach |
| WEBSITE | https://www.aspenmidwives.ca |
| ADDRESS | #106 8712 48 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T6E 5L1 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | (780) 395-0040 |
| MIDWIVES | Two in-house midwives Samantha (Sam) Stupak, RM Isabella Sanchez, RM |
| SERVICES OFFERED | Complete midwifery care from pregnancy to six weeks postpartum |
Aspen Community Midwives was previously known as Midwifery Care Partners. They are committed to a holistic birthing experience at a pleasant and unhurried pace.
Aspen Community Midwives also honors all types of cultural backgrounds, identities, and birth wishes.
The midwife center works with a team of two. Midwives Samantha Stupak and Isabella Sanchez split their time on call, which means there will always be a midwife on-call for urgent concerns.
Their clinic also has an open and welcoming vibe, which usually helps for the mother’s well-being and perspective. According to their social media page, they have “more plants than furniture” in their clinic because their goal is to make the clinic an oasis for pregnant and newly parenting clients.
The symbol of their group is that of the Aspen Tree, which symbolizes protection, strength, growth, and transition. They also attribute these characteristics to life events during a woman’s pregnancy, birth, and even early parenting.
Pros
- Good ambiance
- Their website is easy to navigate
Cons
- Lacks information on the intake process
- Very small midwife team
- No information on hospital affiliation
Customer Reviews
Here are some of the clients’ reviews of Aspen Community Midwives’ Services:
“I had a truly exceptional and empowering birthing experience with my midwife Isabella. Having a full hour to talk over any concerns at appointments and dedicated care once I was in active labor. I gave birth at the Royal Alex and she did a wonderful job balancing the baby’s heart rate with the oxytocin to keep labor progressing after the epidural. The plan was a home birth but my vaginal delivery at the hospital was amazing. I highly recommend Aspen midwives to anyone looking for care.”
-Robyn
“Barb is an amazing midwife. With great attention to detail, patience, and professionalism she bridged the gap in our healthcare system to ensure our baby was safely born naturally and at home. From the very first office visit through childbirth to the final follow-up visits, she has astounded us with her friendly demeanor and expert caring. 10 out of 5 stars all the way!”
-Drew
4. Hope Midwives
| BEST FOR | Hotel births |
| WEBSITE | https://www.hopemidwives.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | Heidi’s Clinic 10948 68 Ave NW, Edmonton, T6H 2B8 Brianne’s Clinic 3607 130 Ave, Edmonton, T5A 5G1 Heather’s Clinic 9518 72 Ave NW, Edmonton, T6E 0Y4 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | Heidi’s Clinic 587-827-2004 Brianne’s Clinic 780-449-1055 Heather’s Clinic 780-756-4544 |
| MIDWIVES | Four in-house midwives Heidi Coughlin Tara Tilroe Brianne Luscombe Heather Beaudoin |
| SERVICES OFFERED | Complete midwifery care from pregnancy to six weeks postpartum plus “Group Care” visits to get to know midwives and other expectant moms |
Hope Midwives operates with multiple branches because each midwife has her own clinic location. All midwives are also mothers with varying stories of how they ended up being midwives.
Heidi Coughlin, for example, witnessed a surgical delivery as a kid. Heather Beaudoin, on the other hand, was inspired by the stories of a friend who attended a home birth session.
Aside from having four clinic branch locations, Hope Midwives is also affiliated with three hospitals: Royal Alexandra Hospital, Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital, and Sturgeon Community Hospital. They also state which hospitals allow a water birth.
One of their unique features is their program for hotel births. They have a list of recommended hotels that allow child delivery if you wish to give birth in a hotel.
Hope Midwives’ vision is not only to provide physical care to expectant mothers, but they also commit to ensuring that each woman feels respected, supported, and empowered during the transformational time of childbirth.
Aside from your main midwife, Hope Midwives’ protocol is also to have a backup midwife from the community present at your birth as a second attendant.
Pros
- Individualized birth care
- They have many branches
- They have a program for hotel births
Cons
- Small team of midwives
- No main clinic
Customer Reviews
“My experience with HOPE midwives was phenomenal. I was treated very respectfully and with extreme kindness by every midwife I met! I was never judged, was very well-informed, and cared for! As this was my first baby and I plan to have midwives for every baby, I can’t compare this to having an OB/GYN. However, I’ve heard you just can’t get the same personal, all-encompassing support from an OB/GYN. Another plus to having a midwife is how non-invasive it is. I will most certainly be trying to get in with my same midwife next time! I can’t express enough my gratitude for such amazing women!”
-Madelaine
“Hope Midwives made my pregnancy one hundred times better than it would have been with a regular doctor. I highly recommend any one of these lovely ladies as they were all amazing. Special shout out to Tara for being one of my solid rocks to help me get through such a unique journey!”
-Taylor
FAQs on Midwives
That’s it! We’ve rounded out the list of Edmonton’s best midwife centers.
Pregnancy and childbirth are big milestone events in a woman’s life. That is why you must have a choice on where and how you want to give birth.
Midwife centers are more individualistic and homey settings for child delivery. They also have lower rates of interventions than hospital births.
If you have had an experience with one of the birth centers listed here, we’d like to hear your story!
Having a baby is a cause for celebration, by the way! If you’re going to throw a party for your new baby, we also have a list of shops with the best balloons in Edmonton here. They should add that element of whimsy you need for a baby party!
