Warm, safe, trusted, empowering.

The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre is a midwife-led, community-based healthcare facility, located just south of downtown Ottawa. We offer each client a safe, comfortable, family-centered environment to welcome their baby into the world.

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and led by a Board of Directors, the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre is guided by the midwifery model of care. We believe pregnancy and birth are normal life experiences, unique to each birthing person and their family. Birth is respected as a life-changing event and an opportunity for personal and family growth – something to be cherished and celebrated. Join the growing number of Ottawa families who have chosen the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre as the right place for the birth for their baby.

Please note, we are temporarily closed due to flooding. See our Public Letter here.

A Safe Space

At the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre, we aim to create a place that is safe and welcoming for people of all backgrounds, family types, and identities. We welcome and encourage you to incorporate your own cultural practices into your birth experience, and to speak with your midwife before your birth about any special requirements you may have. We recognize that families come in many different shapes and sizes, and that birthing parents can be any gender. With this in mind, we strive to ensure that all people have a positive, affirming experience during their labour and birth at the Centre.

I felt in control, supported, comfortable and safe.

– Birth Centre Client

Click here to see what other clients have said about us >
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Happy, healthy families

The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre is not just for birth! We are your community base for information and support about pregnancy, labour and birth, infant feeding, and parenting.

From yoga classes to childbirth education to first aid, our Wellness Centre offers a wide range of classes and services, to meet your needs before, and after, your baby is born.

What you need to know about birth centres

Who can use the Birth Centre?

Anyone with a home address in Ontario, in the care of a midwife who has appointment at the Centre, and experiencing a normal, low-risk pregnancy, and meeting the Centre’s eligibility criteria, which your midwife will review with you in the prenatal period, can choose to give birth at the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre at no cost.

Wellness Centre services are available to all members of the public, regardless of care provider or where they are planning to give birth.

How much does it cost?

The Birth Centre is free for anyone with a home address in Ontario. Birthing services at the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre are fully funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and Ontario residents who do not currently have OHIP can also use the Birth Centre free of charge.

Most Wellness Centre services are offered for a fee.

Accessibility

The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre is committed to serving all clients and their families, including people with disabilities. Designated parking is available, service animals are welcome, and all areas of the Centre are wheelchair-accessible. Please contact us if you have specific questions.

What if complications arise?

Your midwife will ensure that you remain a good candidate for a Birth Centre birth during your pregnancy and labour. If complications arise while you are at the Birth Centre, your midwife will recommend that you transfer to a hospital. The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre has well-established transfer protocols with paramedic services and local hospitals. We are conveniently located within seven minutes of CHEO and The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus.

Who regulates the Birth Centre?

The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre is regulated by the Independent Health Facilities branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Centre is held to the highest health standards, and undergoes periodic assessments by the College of Midwives of Ontario.

When is the Birth Centre open?

The Birth Centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We are staffed around the clock by a team of non-clinical Birth Centre Aides, who provide support to midwives and clients. Clients should always contact their midwife before coming to the Centre.

Who we are

Our small staff team ensures that the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre runs smoothly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Jolanta Scott-Parker

Executive Director

Sylvie Beaudry

Lead Midwife

Créa Ferguson

Birth Centre Aide

Valerie Miles

Birth Centre Aide

Zoe Long

Administrative Coordinator

Lauren Hewitt

Birth Centre Aide

Kendra Stanley

Birth Centre Aide

Erica Green

Birth Centre Aide

Jaden Norton

Birth Centre Aide

Alex McLaurin

Manager of Operations