How To Become A Midwife In Ontario? (2023)

A Midwife is a healthcare professional that provides care for the mother and the baby throughout the period of pregnancy till childbirth. Midwives provide basic care, support, and advice to women and their babies during the antenatal period (during pregnancy), labor, and the postnatal period (after birth).

To become a Midwife in Ontario, you will need to have a high school diploma, successfully complete a 4-year Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) Honors’ in Midwifery, complete the Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination and get certification in some skills.

Studying to be a midwife can be challenging and sometimes difficult because you have to meet up with classroom requirements while also meeting up with clinical requirements, however, choosing midwifery as a career choice is very rewarding, from the good pay to the high satisfaction you get from working in such a delicate field.

Midwifery is an impactful profession and it provides various services relating to women’s health, pregnancy, motherhood, and even services unrelated to pregnancy. A midwife is a very important member of your health management team, they work with your Obstetrician and Gynecologist to provide you with adequate health care. Some of the services of a midwife include;

• Preconception care
• Pregnancy care
• Newborn care
• Management of delivery and labor
• Postpartum care
• Family planning and birth spacing
• Prevention and management of diseases
• Sex health education including treatment and management of sexually transmitted diseases

How to Become a Midwife in Ontario?

The Ontario Midwifery Education program is the oldest midwifery program in Canada and the first step to becoming a midwife is that you must first get basic formal education and then meet the requirements of the College of Midwives Ontario (CMO).

The College of Midwives Ontario is under the Regulatory Health Professions Act (RHPA) and it is responsible for regulating the midwifery profession in Ontario since its implementation in 1994. Midwives who are registered under CMO are permitted to use the protected title of Registered Midwife or RM.

If you want to become a Midwife in Ontario, these are the steps you need to follow;

1. Get an Ontario Secondary School Diploma

To begin your journey as a midwife in Ontario, you have to start by getting a high school diploma or its equivalent having at least an average grade/higher in English, Biology, Chemistry and one grade 12 U/M course in Canadian world studies or the social sciences and humanities

The midwifery program is however a very competitive program, if you have therefore made your decision to be a midwife, then you should ensure that you have good high school grades.

2. Enroll in a Midwifery Education Program

After completing an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or its equivalent, you will need to register under any of the four available educational paths to becoming a midwife in Ontario the available paths are;

• The midwifery Education Program (MEO) at McMaster and Ryerson Universities. This 4-year program awards a BHSc degree.
• The Aboriginal Midwifery Training Program at Tsi Non:we Ionnakeratstha Ona:grahsta’ the maternal and Child Centre on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. This is also a 4-year program available for indigenous students.
• The International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program (IMPP), is offered through Ryerson University. This is a program available for midwives who got their education and experience outside of Ontario and completion of this program allows them to practice in Ontario
• The Midwifery Post-Baccalaureate Program for Health Professionals (PBHP). This is for applicants who already have a health professional baccalaureate.

3. Register for the Canadian Midwifery Examination

The examination is carried out to test for the competence of aspiring midwives. The examination tests competence in these core aspects;

• Antepartum care
• Intrapartum care
• Postpartum care of newborn
• Postpartum care pf mother
• Education and counseling
• Sexuality
• Professional, legal, and other aspects of the profession
• Professional development
• Well-woman care

After completion of the examination, an examination score report (pass or fail) will be released in about 5-6 weeks. After having a pass result, you will be issued a General Certificate.

4. Get certifications in some skills

Having completed steps 1-3 above, it is important to know that all aspiring midwives are required to submit certificates to prove that they have completed training and gained full mastery of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Obstetrical Emergency Skills (ES), and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP).

5. Acquire personality traits

Apart from the educational requirements of a midwife, there are many personal qualities that are particularly important if you want to be a midwife because as a midwife your day to day work involves interacting with people, educating, offering advice, caring, and supporting and this requires great personality and interpersonal skills. The skills and qualities needed include;

• Good observational skills
• Patience
• Not being judgmental
• Willingness to take responsibility and make decisions
• Ability to work fast, especially in emergency situations
• Ability to stay calm and control stressful situations
• A caring attitude
• Ability to get on well with people irrespective of their background or social status

Requirements of a Midwife in Ontario

• Must have basic formal education
• Must enroll under the midwifery education program and get a BHSc honors’
• Must pass the Canadian midwifery examination
• Must gain proficiency in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Obstetrical Emergency Skills (ES), and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP).

How Much Does a Midwife Earn in Ontario?

The salary of a midwife varies based on level of education, additional skills, and certifications and also by the number of years they have worked. Entry-level positions usually make less than experienced workers. The average salary of a midwife in Ontario is $58 per hour which is approximately $120,462 per year.

Typically, the average salary of a midwife per year ranges between $112,996 and $139,302.

Related:

• How To Become Mortgage Broker In Ontario
• How To Become A Mechanic In Ontario
• How To Become A Lactation Consultant In Ontario?
• How To Become A Kindergarten Teacher In Ontario?
• How To Become A Medical Laboratory Technologist In Ontario?

Are Midwives in High Demand in Ontario?

Yes, midwives are in high demand in Ontario.  Despite having the largest midwifery workforce in the country, the demand for midwives in Ontario is high.

According to midwifery experts, midwifery services in Ontario are only available to about half of the people who seek them. If you are looking into becoming a midwife in Ontario and you are concerned about work opportunities, you can start the journey of your career path because midwifery has been high in demand for many years now and it will still be highly demanded for a long time.