Health Committee on Jan. 27th, 2015

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Madam Hébert, do you recommend or do midwives recommend a birth plan? If so, how much, if any, resistence to a birth plan do expectant mothers get from the medical profession?

[Emmanuelle Hébert]

Midwives do continuity of care with clients, so normally during pregnancy they will discuss the couple's preferences for the birth.

So it's quite different, because we don't necessarily go to a hospital. If the couple chooses to go to a hospital, we will be responsible for that birth with them unless we transfer the care. When we transfer the care, we don't necessarily ask them to have a birth plan because then we get into complications. We transfer the care because it's not about trying to protect a normal birth. When we transfer the care, it's because it's getting into interventions so it's quite different.

During the pregnancy, we do discuss with the couples we are following their preferences and what they want for the birth. Decision-making is an important part of how we work. We call it le choix éclairé or informed choice. They can decide on a lot of the different details of what is going to happen and how it is going to happen in their birth, starting with where they are going to give birth.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Many thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

I think that's it. Thank you very much.

We are pretty well up against the time, because we do have a few things to do. Does anybody in the committee have any final thoughts or comments they'd like to make?

Ms. Nash, do you have a quick question or a quick comment? We can give you that.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I would appreciate that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Please go ahead.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I want to thank Madam Doré Lefebvre for bringing the bill forward.

Thank you to the witnesses.

I actually have many questions but if I get only one short one, I guess it would be this, and it may be similar to Madam St-Denis' question. We know that access to midwives and midwifery is uneven across the country, especially for first nation communities. I have been to a NACM midwives conference, which was very moving. Given the differences in services, would recognition of a national day of the midwife help promote midwifery and encourage provinces and women across the country to perhaps seek greater access to midwifery services? How can we as parliamentarians support you in that important work?

The question is for both witnesses.

[Emmanuelle Hébert]

I think recognizing midwifery through a national day gives great visibility to the profession and also provides a certain authority that will enable women and various professional associations to work on introducing regulations in the various provinces where the profession is unregulated. I think it will be an important lever in that respect and will provide visibility we cannot ignore.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you.

[Ellen Blais]

Thank you for the question, Ms. Nash.

I think Ms. Hébert answered your question. Yes, to the extent that it would give greater visibility across Canada to the profession, giving greater visibility would then add further support to our communities across Canada. It would help with that support.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I look forward to supporting you in that work.

[Ellen Blais]

Thank you.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Thank you.

Mr. Lunney.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Very briefly, I think congratulations to you are in order for having attracted the 2017 global midwifery conference to Toronto. I understand that it will be in Toronto. There will be a great opportunity between now and then to seek to advance your work in Canada, where obviously there is a need for expanded services. Congratulations.

[Emmanuelle Hébert]

Thank you, everybody.

[Ellen Blais]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

All right. We have to get down to business now and go through the clause-by-clause consideration. We have our legislative clerk here to make sure that I don't make any mistakes. She will elbow me if I'm wrong.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), the consideration of the preamble and clause 1, the short title, is postponed.

(Clauses 2 to 4 inclusive agreed to)

Shall the short title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Shall the preamble carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Shall the title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Shall the bill carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.