title: Trends in Midwifery Use in Manitoba.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the trends in numbers of midwives and midwifery-attended births and the characteristics of women who used midwifery health care services in Manitoba from 2001-2002 to 2009-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a quantitative descriptive analysis using population-based, de-identified administrative data from the Population Health Research Data Repository at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy in Winnipeg, Manitoba to study the use of midwifery care. Trends in the numbers of practising and non-practising midwives were based on data from the College of Midwives of Manitoba registries and its annual reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 132,123 births in Manitoba during this time frame. Of those births, 6326 (4.8%) were midwife-attended births. There was modest growth in the overall proportion of midwife-attended births and in the number of midwives over the 10-year time period. The number of midwife-attended hospital births increased from 308 to 612 between 2001-2002 and 2009-2010, while the number of home births increased from 97 to 127. Most women who received midwifery care were in the 20- to 34-year age group and were multiparous.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The volume and distribution of midwifery services in Manitoba has slowly increased. The proportion of births attended by midwives continues to fall short of the goals set by the original human resource strategy, which projected that by 2005, 14% of births would be attended by midwives. Further research is needed to analyze the factors that have influenced the growth and sustainability of the midwifery profession in this province.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB.
authors.forename: Kellie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thiessen
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Social Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mignone
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.affiliation: Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008350:Manitoba; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Manitoba; midwifery; midwifery-attended births