Choice of Birthplace
Choice of birthplace guideline
This guideline is intended for midwives to use with clients when discussing birthplace options. There is a growing body of robust evidence examining midwifery-led births and the safety of home and birth centre births within and applicable to the context of the Canadian health-care system. As midwives attend a growing proportion of births in Ontario, the need to support both midwives and midwifery consumers in their decision-making process around choice of birthplace grows as well. This guideline is a response to that need.
French version
Choice of birthplace guideline: Method and evidence
This document provides a deeper dive for midwives and clients into the methods used to explore the evidence around the safety of home birth and other birthplace options.
Choice of birthplace pictograms
A visual interpretation of the information and evidence published in the Guideline for discussing choice of birthplace with clients. These pictograms require the assistance of a midwife to provide interpretation as part of an informed choice discussion. Midwives may also download them and print them locally.
Download individual sets:
English nullip set English multip set
French nullip set French multip set
Fill out this customizable tool to get an overview of birthplace options in your community. It allows clients to compare different birthplace options in their community in one table. The chart displays local pain management options, birth statistics and community standards. Print the chart as a PDF or export as HTML to post on your own website.
Learn more about the AOM’s decision to have a guideline about choice of birthplace decision-making; the process taken to review and interpret evidence; and the importance of midwifery-led research, specifically on health outcomes in Canada and Ontario.
Webinar: Connect with clients: tools and evidence for discussing choice of birthplace
In 2016, the AOM published a guideline on discussing choice of birthplace with clients. This webinar features practical tips for integrating the guideline into practice. Learn about tools developed to help midwives discuss birthplace options with clients – including a video, pictograms, and an interactive chart you can edit to describe the options available in your community.
This video provides information and a client's perspective on the option of birthing at home in Ontario with midwives. It includes information about how midwives work, their education and training, and research about the safety of home birth with midwives.
Sample protocols, submitted by midwifery practices, are available on choice of birthplace for practices to download and adapt. Be sure to tailor the template to reflect current evidence, best practices and practice group / community-specific info before use.
OMA - AOM guidelines for client/neonate transfers from home to hospital
A joint statement that can be used in clinical settings where clients could benefit from enhanced communication and coordination.