Grassland Midwifery 2.25

My name is Erin Giles and I am a Registered Midwife through the College of Midwives of Alberta. I am an independent practitioner who has a Midwifery practice in Medicine Hat, AB called Grassland Midwifery through a contract with Alberta Health Services. I am accepting clients and enjoying the families currently in care as well as those I have had the privilege of serving since moving here in December 2015. Prior to moving back to Alberta, I worked as a midwife in both the Philippines and Ontario.

My mother instilled a respect in me for pregnancy and natural childbirth from a young age. She demonstrated someone who was in tune with her body and trusted her gut instinct when it came to her pregnancies. My love for birth was sparked when I witnessed one of my sisters being born at the age of 5. I remember how much anticipation I felt waiting for her and then how much joy I felt once she arrived. It was the most natural experience and one I still remembering fondly.

Midwifery has been my passion since I first began training as a midwife in 2001. Upon graduating I spent time training midwives in the Philippines and helped to start a midwifery school there where I taught classes and supervised students both academically and clinically. My work in the Philippines was life changing and highly influential in shaping my midwifery philosophy. I served in a charity birthing centre where 90-120 babies were born monthly. This experience enabled me to hone my observational skills as well as utilize my knowledge to aid women in successful pregnancy outcomes. This high volume of births also taught me to recognize and deal with emergencies competently which is a skill I still rely on to this day.

In Ontario I worked within a large midwifery practice along with ten other midwives. Approximately 70% of the births I attended were in a hospital setting and 30% at home. I worked collaboratively with midwives, nurses, obstetricians and paediatricians on a regular basis. I consulted with obstetricians both in the prenatal period as well as for labour or birth concerns and complications. I was able to accompany my clients to the OR for cesarean sections, receiving the baby after they were born. When I had a concern with a newborn I consulted with paediatricians both in the hospital and through their offices. This close working relationship with the broader medical community enhanced my experiences and expanded my holistic approach to midwifery. Discussing cases and presenting information in a collaborative manner built a strong network of resources that benefited both myself and my clients. I place a high value on collaborative relationships with all members of the medical community. Within home birth settings, I have done many water birth as well as non-water births. The atmosphere of a home birth setting is unique and dictated by each individual family which makes it a truly personalized experience.

I am so thankful to countless families for inviting me to be apart of their pregnancy journey. Each woman I have served has taught me priceless lessons on the strength and ability of women, the up's and down's of pregnancy, accepting and navigating the disappointments and changes to the perfect plan, as well as the importance of respecting individual choice and the value of family involvement every step of the way.

I am a proponent of informed choice and value personal autonomy and enjoy assisting families in making the best choices for their family. I believe that women should have the ability to choose the birth setting that is right for them individually. All of my experience complied together has led to my high standard of care and my ability to provide personalized prenatal, birth and postpartum care.

I am excited too be in Medicine Hat serving this community through midwifery, building collaborative relationships and welcoming new babies!