Until well into this century, most Canadians were born at home and the only professional hand guiding their arrival into the world was the midwife's The first midwife began her practice, so the saying goes, nine months after God placed two women and one man on the earth. The office of midwife, which literally means 'with wife,' is an ancient one. Throughout history, babies were delivered with the assistance of a midwife. At least until the 20th Century, women controlled the process of childbirth in all cultures.