Midwives are available 24h a day by calling the paging service. Choosing a midwife to provide care means that once it comes time for labor and delivery, clients are cared for by a midwife that they know. Midwives are available for labor assessments during early labor. Once active labor is established, midwives remain with their client until the baby is born. Prior to the birth of the baby, a second midwife is called to attend. Sometimes, the midwife might be assisted by a Registered Nurse at the hospital.
Clinical aspects of care during labor and birth include monitoring the progress of labor, assessment of the well being of the mother and baby, delivery of the baby and ensuring a normal transition for the first few hours post-delivery. Midwives also provide emotional and physical support.