Information for Pregnant Patients

Congratulations on the addition to your family! Our team is privileged to share in this big moment. Our goal is to provide the best care for both you and your baby along with the support and education you may need over the next few months.

Our Clinic

You can meet our team here.

Priority is given to patients with prearranged appointments unless there is a medical emergency. We do our utmost to be efficient so we can give each patient our undivided attention. For this reason, we ask you to please respect your appointment time by arriving early enough to find parking. Please be sure to cancel any appointments you cannot attend with at least 24 hours notice. Failure to cancel without 24 hours’ notice may result in a rebooking fee. This said, obstetrics is an unpredictable business and babies are the real bosses! We try hard to keep clinics running on time but on occasion we may be late. One day you might be the reason for the delay!

We do not provide medical advice on the telephone, email, or fax. All results are reviewed as they are received and you can rest assured we will contact you directly if there are any urgent concerns. Most often, we will review all results with you at your follow up appointments.

Should you have an urgent medical problem, please report as follows:
1) If you are under 20 weeks pregnant or are postpartum please present to the Emergency Department at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
2) If you are over 20 weeks pregnant, please call Labour & Delivery at 905-338-4688 to speak with one of the nurses about coming in for assessment at Obstetrical Triage.

Labour & Delivery

All deliveries happen at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. The birthing suites are located on the 3rd floor. We do not offer in person tours of the Birthing Suites, but an online tour is available here. For a PDF of detailed instructions on how to find your way in, please click here.

We are a group of 7 physicians (5 female and 2 male) who share the responsibility for covering the Labour & Delivery unit in shifts. This means there is always someone immediately available to assist you should you have any urgent pregnancy concerns or if it is time to have your baby, but it also means the doctor you are seeing throughout pregnancy may not get to be there to meet your baby.

Prenatal Classes

We strongly recommend prenatal education! We offer free Tummy Talks prenatal classes. Signup is available here. This four-part series is taught by nurses who work in our Birthing Suites and covers a wide variety of topics around labour, delivery, and postpartum.

Registration

At your first appointment we will provide you with the registration forms for the hospital. They can either be brought with you back to Labour & Delivery or returned to the office at one of your appointments and we will drop it off for you! There is a yellow copy of the form you should keep with your hospital bag.

Prenatal Visits & Investigations

We will schedule regular checkups for you and your baby where we will measure your weight, tummy, check baby’s position, and their heartbeat. These are also opportunities to address your questions and concerns. If you have a long list of questions, we may not always have time to address every one but we will be seeing each other regularly so we can tackle them over several visits!

Typically visits are every 4-5 weeks until about 28 weeks, then every 2-3 weeks until 36 weeks. Visits then become weekly until delivery.

We recommend an ultrasound at 18-20 weeks to assess for any anomalies with your baby and check the position of the placenta. The need for further ultrasounds is determined based on the health of you and your baby.

Bloodwork is typically done early in the pregnancy with your family physician. We repeat bloodwork between 24 – 28 weeks to reassess your iron and screen for gestational diabetes (a temporary state caused by hormonal changes from your placenta).

Around 36 weeks we will have you do a swab for Group B Streptococcus. This is a bacteria present in some women which does not typically cause any problems outside of pregnancy. Some babies who come in contact with Group B Strep during delivery may become sick, and so if it is present in your screening we recommend you receive antibiotics in labour.

Vaccinations

There are several vaccinations we recommend in pregnancy. Two of these are to help protect you and two of them are to help protect your baby.

For yourself, we recommend a flu shot and COVID booster shot during the seasonal vaccination programs for these infections. Both can be more severe respiratory infections which carry a higher risk of needing admission to hospital to help with your breathing.

For your baby, we recommend getting a TDAP (tetanus and whooping cough booster) injection. This will pass some antibodies through the placenta and through your breastmilk to help protect the baby from a severe respiratory infection prior to them receiving their own vaccines. During RSV season, it is recommended that your baby receive antibody prevention for RSV at the time of delivery. This will be done at the hospital and helps provide stronger and longer-lasting immunity to RSV. Should you choose not to have this done, we recommend that you get an RSV booster shot between 32 and 36 weeks to pass some antibodies through the placenta to give the baby some protection. More information is available here.

Notes & Insurance Forms

For the vast majority of women, pregnancy is a state of health. Many women are eligible for maternity leave through their employers. When you choose to start this leave is your decision and we are happy to complete any paperwork you need when you choose to do this. Sick notes are reserved for individuals with complications in pregnancy who need to be off work.

Should you need a letter confirming your pregnancy for work or insurance, please let us know and we can provide this. Please note there are charges not covered by OHIP for completion of forms and providing notes.

When to go to the Hospital

If you:
– are having painful contractions every 4-5 minutes lasting for 1 minute each and happening consistently for 1 hour
– think your membranes have ruptured (your water has broken)
– are experiencing vaginal bleeding
– are concerned that your baby has not met their kick counts (6 or more movements in a 2 hour period)
– have other urgent concerns about your pregnancy

Please contact Labour & Delivery at 905-338-4688 to speak with one of the nurses about coming in for assessment. They are available 24 hours / day.

Support Person in Labour

We recommend choosing up to 2 people who can be in the room with you when you come to have your baby. If you are coming in for assessment, only 1 person can accompany you.

During cesarean sections, you may bring one support person into the operating room and recovery area.

What to Bring to the Hospital

Your stay in the hospital will typically be for 1-2 days depending on how you deliver your baby. When coming to the hospital to have the baby, you will need to bring some items with you:

Your health card
Your insurance information
Any medications you take regularly (please bring in labeled containers)
Nursing bras, pads, maternity underwear, slippers, housecoat, nightwear
Toiletries including, soap, shampoo comb toothbrush, toothpaste
Information for the family doctor who will follow your baby once they are born

For Baby
Pack of diapers, baby wipes/washcloth
Sleeper and blanket
Going home outfit
Car seat meeting Canadian Motor Vehicle Standards

For Your Support Person
Extra Snacks
Overnight clothing/warm sweater
Camera
List of phone numbers/contacts to notify

Postpartum Care

We will plan a visit about 6 weeks after your delivery in the office to review your delivery, answer your questions, and discuss possible contraception needs. This appointment is for you and not for the baby, we welcome babies to come to the appointment so we can meet them!

Should you have any concerns that you think are related to the delivery sooner than this, please contact the office and we can determine the best course of action.

Postpartum Bleeding: This usually lasts anywhere up to 6 weeks after your delivery and should diminish as you recover. You may sometimes have a sudden gush if you stand up after you’ve been lying down or after breastfeeding. Bleeding soaking more than 1 pad every hour or passing very large clots is not normal, nor is malodorous discharge, severe pain, or fever.
Stitches: The stitches we use are always dissolvable and will fall out on their own. For relief of discomfort or swelling, place a damp maxi pad in the freezer and place it in your underwear once frozen. Over the counter pain medicine (like Tylenol and Advil) can also alleviate bothersome symptoms. Sitz baths with warm water and Epsom salts can also help after the first 48 hours.
Bowel Movements: You may not have a bowel movement for 2 to 3 days postpartum. Avoid constipation by making sure you are well-hydrated and eating plenty of fibre. Over the counter stool softeners (eg. Restoralax, Senokot) and hemorrhoid creams are available at the pharmacy.
Postpartum Depression: “baby blues” may develop within a couple days of giving birth as your absorb the big changes and stresses that come along with having a new baby. Postpartum depression is more profound and enduring. Some signs to watch out for include:
- “Blues” aren’t going away after 2 weeks
- Strong feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness, or helplessness
- Not being able to sleep even when you are tired, or sleeping all the time (even when the baby is awake)
- Not being able to eat even when you are hungry
- Worrying about the baby too much, or not worrying about the baby at all
- Having panic attacks
- Having feelings of anger or wanting to harm myself or the baby

Additional Resources

Pregnancyinfo.ca is an excellent resource to start looking for reliable information and covers from the time before you get pregnant through postpartumder