Midwifery care in Alberta: Progress and next steps

In 2025, Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) passed a resolution advocating that the Government of Alberta create a more comprehensive midwifery strategy. We have an important update on some of our work on this subject.  

On July 10, ABmunis’ Health and Social Wellbeing Committee met with the President and Executive Director of the Alberta Association of Midwives (AAM) to improve our understanding of midwifery. We wanted to learn more about the AAM, the advocacy they work on, and how they see the role of municipal governments and leaders. Our committee members were especially interested in how they can attract midwives to their communities, a major focus of the resolution. 

AAM shared the unique care and relationships between a midwife and their patients. Midwives support the health and safety of their clients from early pregnancy, through labour and birth, up until 6 weeks post-partum. There are currently 186 registered midwives in Alberta who attend about 12 per cent of births annually. Our resolution asks the Government to update their Midwife Strategy with tactics that will improve municipalities’ access to midwives and empower midwives to offer more comprehensive care. 

As part of its ongoing work on this portfolio, ABmunis plans to coordinate a webinar with members to share the process of expanding midwifery care in their municipalities. 

For more information, including important background information on the midwifery itself and the status of midwifery care in Alberta, please visit our resolution: Midwifery as an Option of Care for All Albertans | Alberta Municipalities.  

To learn about AAM, visit their website, or you can read the Government of Alberta’s existing Midwifery Strategy here.