Ontario midwife register lookup.

Why the College wants you to check

Ontario midwives are primary care providers who work with clients through pregnancy, labour and the first six to eight weeks after the baby is born, according to the College’s FAQ. Because of that, the College encourages all clients to look at the Midwife Directory, which it says is meant to assist you in deciding whom to choose for your care. The directory is a regulatory record, not a rating site.

The College’s FAQ is direct about a name that does not appear. It describes the public register as a complete listing of all the midwives who have ever been registered with the College, so a missing name is worth acting on. It asks you to contact it immediately at 416.640.2252 or conduct@cmo.on.ca if you cannot find your midwife’s name or suspect that someone is practising without registration.

Protected title

Only registered midwives can use the title “midwife” or any variation of it, and people who are not registered cannot hold themselves out as midwives. The College names one exception: an Indigenous person who provides traditional midwifery services may use the title “Aboriginal midwife” or a variation, abbreviation, or an equivalent in another language. That exception means an Indigenous traditional midwife not appearing in the directory is not automatically a sign of unauthorized practice. If in doubt, ask the College.

Reading conduct information with care

The directory can list oral cautions from a committee panel dated on or after 1 March 2016, along with other conduct information the College is required to publish. Not every matter appears forever or in the same way, and the College explains on its own site that the Registrar may withhold certain information, such as information that is obsolete and no longer relevant to suitability to practise. A short record is therefore not necessarily a sign of anything, and a longer one needs reading in full on the College’s page rather than judging from a heading.

A worked example (hypothetical)

A friend recommends “Sam Example”, a made-up name, who offers home birth support and says she is a midwife. You want to be sure before booking. This describes no real person.

Open the Midwife Directory from the College’s Midwife Status Check page and search the name. If an entry appears, look at the registration status and class, not just the name, and read the terms, conditions and limitations. Check that the practice location and hospital privileges fit what you have been told. If an entry exists but the status shows a suspension, revocation or resignation, ask the College before engaging her. If no entry appears, try alternate spellings, then ask whether she has used another name; the directory records a change of name since initial registration. If you still find nothing, contact the College at the number above rather than relying on a website or a recommendation, and remember the one exception for traditional Indigenous midwifery.

What this page does not cover

• It does not run the directory search or store a name; there is no form on this page.
• It does not recommend a midwife. The College says it cannot recommend a midwife or help you find one, and points people to the Association of Ontario Midwives and the National Council of Indigenous Midwives.
• It does not cover doulas, lactation consultants or other birth workers, who are not covered by the College’s register.
• It does not give medical advice or tell you what care you need.
• It does not cover midwives registered in other provinces, which have their own regulators.