Over the past few months, the Movement has toured various regions of Quebec to connect with families, citizen groups advocating for midwifery services, and perinatal organizations. From the North Shore to Montreal, including Quebec City, Lévis, and Chicoutimi, our goal was to gain a better understanding of the realities faced by families and midwifery services in each region.

The tour reaffirmed something we already knew but felt deeply this time – when it comes to birth autonomy, geography matters. Access to midwifery care, quality of services, and even awareness of rights and options vary significantly across the province. But what connects these places is the unwavering commitment of families, midwives, and local advocates to protect and expand birth options in their communities. The insights we gathered will inform The Movement’s ongoing work, including future advocacy efforts and the development of a new strategic orientation guide.

Côte-Nord

In Sept-Îles, where there are no midwifery services, Le Mouvement met with community organizers from the perinatal organization À la Source Sept-Îles et Port-Cartier, who support the citizen group Entre mer et naissance. Their work fills glaring gaps in the region by providing perinatal support, parenting services, and temporary housing for families forced to travel long distances to receive care. This visit revealed powerfully that the region faces systemic service failures, a glaring lack of options for accessing care during the perinatal period, and a lack of recognition for birth companions. Families on the North Shore experience considerable stress during the perinatal period, amplified by fragmented services and the significant distances that must be covered in an emergency.

What surprised us most was not just the severity of the service gaps, but how normalized they’ve become. One participant’s question still echoes with us: How is it possible that so many are outraged by this… and yet there is no collective outrage? Moving forward, we plan to document service breakdowns more systematically, amplify voices on social media, and explore collective complaint strategies to address these injustices.

Quebec City

In Quebec City, we met with the parent committee from the region’s only birthing centre, Maison de naissance de la Capitale Nationale. While our visit didn’t take place in the centre itself, the conversations were powerful. A major concern emerged around the loss of midwifery follow-up when complications arise or transfers are required. 

Families also expressed frustration about the lack of accessible information throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Too often, they’re referred to the government’s Mieux vivre guide, which doesn’t always cover key topics like skin-to-skin contact or mental health. This lack of diverse and nuanced resources puts pregnant individuals in challenging situations: fearing that a diagnosis (gestational diabetes, for example) will lead to exclusion from midwifery care, some opt to refuse testing. This is not an informed decision, but a self-preservation strategy in response to a system that quickly medicalizes and fragments care. The central issues are access to care, fear, and insufficient information. The Movement, therefore, plans to organize workshops on rights during childbirth while continuing its campaign for the establishment of a second midwifery service in the region.

Lévis

In Lévis, The Movement met with members of the parent committee from Maison de naissance Mimosa, the only birthing centre in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. The conversation highlighted both the power of midwifery follow-up and the fragility of the systems that support it. While many praised the relationship of trust they had with their midwives, they also spoke of increasing hospital transfers and a lack of communication between providers. These failures create stress, along with the judgment from those around them for choosing midwifery care, especially for individuals who select a birth center.

A particularly illuminating moment emerged when a perinatal professional shared her observation: some people sometimes refuse to assert, or even acknowledge, their rights. According to her, this could be explained by a sense of loyalty to their doctor. This internal conflict between respect for medical authority and personal needs illustrates the urgent need to normalize the defense of one’s rights. Participants suggested several courses of action: using birth plans as empowerment tools, strengthening the involvement of co-parents, and clarifying the complaints process.

Laval

Like Côte-Nord, Laval doesn’t currently have a midwifery service, a reality that shaped much of our discussion with local families and advocates. Our meeting took place at Centre de ressources périnatales Mieux-Naître de Laval, where families and advocates gathered to discuss the urgent need for access. Several participants already receive care at birthing centers outside Laval, particularly in Blainville or Montreal, and spoke of the burden of travel, especially for postnatal appointments that could ideally occur at home.

Beyond logistics, the stories revealed deeper issues: limited hospital options, overly medicalized environments, and birth plans that are often disregarded. One shocking anecdote involved the continued use – that is, until recently – of outdated vertical cesarian incisions. Despite these challenges, the meeting was full of energy and commitment. Local activists are organizing around Projet Ensemble pour accueillir la vie (ENVIE),  a collective effort to establish a birthing centre in Laval that would centralize perinatal services. The Movement left with renewed urgency to elevate Laval’s situation in the provincial conversation on equitable birth care.

Chicoutimi

In Chicoutimi, we visited Maison de naissance du Fjord-au-Lac, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Located just across from the hospital, the centre is accessible and well-integrated into the local landscape. But it also reveals the contradictions that exist in Quebec’s birthing system. Home births remain rare in the region, with the proximity to the hospital possibly creating an illusion of security that would deter some families from this option.

While some participants praised their midwifery or nurse practitioner experiences, others shared difficult stories of cold, rushed hospital care, where informed consent was hard to obtain and breastfeeding support was inadequate. One striking observation came from a participant who said she wished someone had offered her information earlier, even at the pharmacy, when she stopped birth control. This visit reminded us that informed choice doesn’t start during pregnancy. It starts with early, accessible information for everyone, long before they enter the healthcare system.

Montreal

Our final stop brought us to Maison de naissance Marie-Paule Lanthier in the Ahuntsic neighborhood of Montreal. Over a dozen people joined the conversation, many of whom were new to The Movement but eager to share their stories. Several participants did not know about midwifery services during their first pregnancies and ended up with highly medicalized births. It wasn’t until their second pregnancies that they discovered other options. 

A common theme emerged: a lack of knowledge about birthing centres and the role of midwives. Many spoke of needing to explain these services to their friends and family, often facing judgment or concern over safety. One participant highlighted how natural it was in her home country for midwives to participate in regular perinatal care, illustrating the influence of cultural references on our expectations. Although no structural challenges were reported at the centre itself, the stories revealed that a lack of information, especially in the early stages, continues to be a barrier to autonomy.

What We Heard – and Where We Go from Here

Across all regions, the most consistent theme we heard was this: people are not getting the information they need. Whether it be midwifery services, health rights, or postpartum realities, this knowledge remains either inaccessible or nonexistent. This gap fuels anxiety, limits informed consent, and reinforces systemic inequalities. The Movement will use the insights from this tour to shape our next phase of advocacy. We’re currently working on a new strategic planning document, one that reflects the diversity of experiences shared with us and outlines clear priorities for structural change. What we hope readers take away from these stories is simple: access to respectful, informed care should not depend on where you live. However, as long as it does, we will continue to listen, organize, and fight for reproductive justice across Quebec.