Bringing Birth Home: A Conversation with Dr. Karen Lawford, Canada Research Chair (Tier II) - Indigenous Midwifery
Date: September 9, 2025
Dr. Karen Lawford is an Anishinaabe midwife from Lac Seul First Nation and was recently named a Canada Research Chair (CRC) - Indigenous Midwifery at McMaster University. We spoke with her about this recognition, her research on evacuation for birth and the future of Indigenous midwifery.
Building global connections in black reproductive health
Date: July 23, 2025
[By Althea Jones, RM, AOM President.] Earlier this month, I had the honour of attending the UNFPA Global Symposium for Bridging the Gap in Sexual and Reproductive Health of African Descent Women and Girls, held in San José, Costa Rica. It was a rare and powerful opportunity to connect with global leaders, practitioners and advocates committed to advancing Black reproductive health and justice. Representing Ontario midwives on an international stage was deeply meaningful, and a reminder that the work we do locally is part of a broader collective movement toward health equity.
AOM’s Employee Midwives Work Group evolves into Diverse Midwifery Models Committee
Date: July 23, 2025
Since its formation in 2022, the AOM’s Employee Midwife Work Group (EMWG) has been a voice for the growing number of midwives working in ways outside of the traditional billable course of care model. Originally created in response to a member proposal brought to the 2021 Annual General Meeting, the…
AOM-NPAO joint statement on midwife and nurse-practitioner collaboration
Date: July 9, 2025
The Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) support collaborative practice in perinatal, sexual, reproductive and infant care. Increased access to comprehensive primary care is a shared objective and responsibility of nurse practitioners and …
National Indigenous Histories Month: Supporting Indigenous midwives in reclaiming birth
Date: June 3, 2025
June marks National Indigenous Histories Month, a time to celebrate the rich cultures and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, commemorate their ongoing experiences on Turtle Island and meaningfully engage in reconciliation work. The AOM is committed to supporting the restoration an…
Pride Month 2025
Date: June 1, 2025
Pride is a time to honor the history, resilience and diversity of the two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (2SLGBTQI+) communities. It is a month dedicated to celebrating the courage of those who have fought for equality, safety and recognition, while also acknowledgi…
Roadmap to Health System Integration: A critical direction for midwifery sustainability in Ontario is here!
Date: May 28, 2025
The AOM is proud to launch the Midwifery Sustainability Project (MSP) advocacy report, Roadmap to Health System Integration: A critical direction for midwifery sustainability in Ontario. The report makes recommendations to remove systemic barriers while leveraging the expertise of midwives as prima…
AOM Board and IMAC endorse new statements on abortion care and reproductive choice
Date: April 23, 2025
The AOM is a pro-choice organization that supports reproductive justice, including recognizing equitable access to safe and legal abortion care as a human right. At the 2024 Annual Members’ Meeting, AOM membership overwhelmingly passed a member proposal (member login required) directing the AOM to …
Midwives take on political leadership: Spotlight on Clare Hacksel, federal MP candidate in Toronto-Danforth
Date: April 14, 2025
Clare Hacksel, federal member of Parliament (MP) candidate in Toronto-Danforth, began her political journey as a midwife practicing in Toronto’s East End. While supporting her clients, Clare increasingly saw gaps in social supports- food insecurity, precarious housing, and cracks in the health care system for the most vulnerable populations. Driven to help her community and fueled by the legacy of midwifery activism that established the regulation of the profession in Ontario, Clare was nominated to represent Canada’s New Democratic Party in Toronto-Danforth in 2021, and again in 2023. Throughout her political work, Clare has been building community relationships, establishing partnerships and support, and working to understand the issues facing her community. Engagement has intensified following the recent call for a federal election that will send Canadians to the polls on April 28, 2025.
ESW 2024: Year in review
Date: April 8, 2025
The ESW program had a busy year in 2024! In November, the AOM released the 8th edition of the Emergency Skills Workshop manual. Updates include new content on equity and racial justice in emergency perinatal care, delayed cord clamping, bedside resuscitation, postpartum hemorrhage, anaphylaxis and unplanned breech in the upright position. The management of unplanned breech in the upright position is a new skill that was introduced in the 8th ed. of the ESW manual. After the release of the 8th ed. manual, all ESW instructors participated in upright breech trainings to prepare to teach this new skill set to all midwives at their ESW recertifications.