Professional group seeks injunction against use of term ‘death midwife’

The College of Midwives of B.C. wants a court injunction to stop two B.C. women from advertising that they are “death midwives.”

The college, which regulates the profession of midwifery in the province, says that Pashta MaryMoon of Victoria and Patricia Keith of Surrey are not registered with the college and are illegally using the term “midwife.”

In a petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the college says that MaryMoon describes herself as a “death midwife” on her Twitter home page and on a biography on the website Dying with Dignity Canada.

The court document says that Keith describes herself as a death midwife or as a “midwife to the dying ” on various internet web pages.

A death midwife has been described as someone who provides care to a dying person and their family throughout the process of dying.

Midwives registered through the college have a caseload of clients and newborns from early pregnancy through to six weeks postpartum.

Since 1998, only registered midwives have been legally allowed to use the title “midwife” and to practice in B.C. There are currently 362 registered midwives in B.C.

In the petition, the college says that it wrote to MaryMoon in 2016 asking her to stop using the term midwife.

MaryMoon responded that there were disclaimers on the website of an organization called Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives, of which she is a co-founder, to ensure no confusion between the role of a birth midwife and a death midwife.

The college replied that the disclaimers did not rectify the situation, as the public had a right to know that anyone using the term “midwife” was registered with a public body. After MaryMoon replied that she was “well aware” of the relevant legislation but did not say whether she would comply with the college’s demand, the college warned that she faced possible legal action.

Keith was also warned against continued use of the term death midwife, according to the petition.

While a death midwife may warn her clients that she is not a registrant of the college, the public interest underlying the creation of reserved titles is injured by members of the public being allowed to dilute titles reserved to regulated professions, says the petition.