Niagara Midwives
13 Lyman Street L2R5M8 Saint Catharines, ON, Canada

Thank you to everyone for your warm wishes as Sandy closes the chapter of practice ownership at Niagara Midwives, and a new one begins for Justine. For those of you who don't know Justine, here is an introduction: "Hello Niagara Midwives Community! I attended my first birth with the Niagara Midwives as an observer 10 years ago. This experience confirmed my passion for midwifery, and I attended McMaster University to study midwifery. I was privileged to have my senior placemen...t at Niagara Midwives under the capable watch of Colleen and Sandy, and began work at the practice in 2014. Over the years, I grew in my leadership role under Sandy's mentorship and I'm proud to be the new owner of Niagara Midwives. I am married to my husband Clinton of 7 years and we have 3 children, Elijah (6), Joelle (3) and Micah (2). I am eager to serve the midwives, administration staff, clients, and region with excellence, dedication, and joy for many years to come!" Photo credit: @Reflections of Life Photography

Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful mothers who make our life's work as wonderful and incredible as it is. In midwifery every day is mother's day and what a joy it is!

COVID-19 vaccine update: When booking a vaccine, highest-risk populations (including Pregnant individuals) and their essential care partners should use the Provincial Booking System at 1-833-943-3900 to book a vaccine, not the Niagara Region website. Pregnant people AND their partners are eligible now.

Hello Niagara Midwives’ Community! It is with a heart full of gratitude and joy that I am passing the torch to Justine Schilstra and the rest of the amazing Niagara Midwives Team as I leave Midwifery. As of tomorrow, I will no longer be a part of the Practice I helped create so long ago (1997) as the first Midwifery Practice in the Niagara Region. Oh, how far we’ve come since those early days! I am so grateful for the wonderful relationships we have forged with our nurse, ...physician and midwifery colleagues in the Niagara Region and for how much we’ve grown individually and as an Obstetrical Community in Niagara. We have worked so well together for so long and that strength will only grow as the years move forward, I'm certain. To our administrators Rachel, Marci and Chris (retired Oct 2019) Niagara Midwives would not be what it is today without you. You have most often been the first contact clients have with us and without your professionalism, dedication, skill and love, we would not be able to stand. You are as important as the rest of the team in the Practice and it has been an absolute blessing and privilege to work with such incredible women. To my spectacularly committed, exceptionally skilled and wise Midwife Team you are amazing! I am so proud to have worked with you and I leave the Practice knowing our clients are in the best of hands. Your love for your clients, for each other and the community is inspiring and beautiful. May the fire in your bellies to provide remarkable care continue to glow for years to come. To Justine my protégé’ you are a remarkable person and brilliant midwife. It has been an absolute pleasure to work so closely with you since we met when you were my student. I knew from the first day I met you that you were special truly! My heart is at such peace knowing you are at the helm and I know you will continue to go above and beyond for your clients and your midwifery team. I trust you will soar to heights beyond your imagination! Thank you for always being there for me and for leading the Practice. You are wonderful. And lastly, to my own clients that I have cared for over the last 23 years thank you so much for entrusting me to guide you through such an extraordinary, vulnerable and beautiful time in your lives. You have given me so much. It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to have been a part of your lives in such a unique and amazing way. As I say goodbye and move forward on my new journey, know I will carry each of you in my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you and God Bless. Sincerely, Sandy Knight

This statement was shared with us today regarding the prioritization of pregnant people for COVID-19 vaccination. https://www.ontariomidwives.ca//2021%2004%2020%20SOGC%20St

PREGNANT WOMEN CAN NOW BOOK IN NIAGARA REGION! Call 1-833-943-3900 8 am - 8 pm The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada is calling for immediate prioritization of pregnant women for the COVID-19 vaccine due to alarming rates of Intensive Care Unit admissions following infection. https://www.sogc.org//EN_Statement-COVID-19_PregnantWomen.

Our current website is undergoing some construction. At this time it functions well on a laptop or desktop computer but not on a mobile device. If you or someone you know does not have access to a desktop or laptop and would like to fill in an intake form, they may call the office to fill in an intake form directly. Our new website will be functional by December 8, 2020.

Looking for something to do this Saturday? Breastfeeding Niagara is holding their annual Breastfeeding Challenge virtually on Saturday morning. There will be breakout rooms with different topics at 10 am and 'latch on' is at 11 am. Follow these links for more information and to register! https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3954287 https://www.facebook.com/events/706956936570759 Then on Saturday afternoon there is a virtual "Birth Sharing Circle" run by the Doula Support Foundation. Come share and hear other birth stories in a heartwarming and celebratory way! https://www.doulasupport.org/

Today would have been our annual reunion at Montebello Park. If comfortable, drop us a picture below of how your child has grown with a shout-out to your midwives!

We have made the decision to cancel this year’s annual reunion in Montebello Park. We would so love to see our current and past clients, but for our safety as well as yours, it is not wise to gather with all of our little ones. We hope we will be able to have our reunion next year!

Beautiful story about one family's change of plan to a planned home birth during the pandemic.

This study may interest some of you as well. They are looking for participants who are currently less than 35 weeks pregnant. https://www.pregnancyduringthepandemic.com/