* Midwifery in Canada

This paper is based upon a previous work that was published by the Canadian Journal of Midwifery Research and Practice, entitled, ‘The National Midwifery Assessment Strategy: building bridges’ (Rapaport Beck et al 2007). This article has been written with an international audience in mind and includes the most recent project of the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Consortium, the Multi-jurisdictional Midwifery Bridging project.

The practice of midwifery in Canada has undergone radical changes in the last 15 years — moving from outside the health care system, to inside, as key players and partners in maternal health. Now that midwives are integrated into the majority of provincial and territorial health care programmes in Canada, health planners are keen to see midwives meet the growing need for maternity care services for low-risk women and their babies. An exciting initiative is underway from the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Consortium to facilitate this growth through a series of projects that have culminated in the Multi-jurisdictional Midwifery Bridging Project — a programme designed to integrate internationally educated midwives into midwifery practice in Canada.