Preparing For Your Baby
Prenatal Classes
Prenatal classes are a great way to help you and your partner feel more comfortable and empowered during your labor and delivery and the arrival of your newborn. They also provide an opportunity to meet other new parents.
Most CLSC offer free prenatal classes.
Resources:
- Resources prenatale and postnatales
- Tiny Tots To Toddler
- Going Home with Baby
- Maternity Teaching Video (McGill University Health Centre)
- Caring for your Late Preterm
- How to find a pediatrician
Preparing for your delivery
Preparing for you Induction of Labour
Your physician will send the Birthing Centre a request date for your induction of labor. This means you will be placed on a waiting list for that day. Every night, the on-call obstetrician prioritizes the induction list for the next morning.
The level of activity within the Birthing Centre affects how quickly you may be called in to begin your induction of labor. If the birthing center is unable to have you come in for an induction, you may be called in for fetal monitoring such as a non-stress test or an ultrasound.
The Birthing Center Triage is available 24/7 for any concerns you may have while awaiting the call to be admitted for you induction of labor.
Resources:
What to expect if my baby needs admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Having a child in the hospital is a stressful and emotionally demanding for a family. Our team members are experts in taking care of babies, but as a parent, your presence plays an essential role in your baby's well-being. We encourage you to:
- Attend rounds each morning at your baby's bedside to hear the plan of the day from the full health care team.
- Prepare yourself to express breastmilk regularly as soon as possible after your baby is born. Pumps are available to use when you are in hospital, but you will need a pump at home. You can prepare for this by meeting one of our lactation consultants prenatally, click here for more information.
- Be available to hold your baby skin to skin each day to support their growth and development.
- Participate in your baby's care - comforting, diapering, washing, feeding, reading/talking/singing to. Your baby is reassured by your voice, touch, and smell.
If you are not available to be on the unit in person, ask to use the NeoConnect service to be able to participate and communicate virtually.
Don't hesitate to ask for social work and/or spiritual support services in hospital. Additionally, consider asking friends and family members for help to meet your needs at home.
Resources:
- Virtual tour of unit
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit’s Family Portal
- An Antenatal Counselling Service is available for pregnant mothers and their partners if expecting a premature newborn or any newborn with fetal anomalies, genetic diagnosis or conditions that would warrant admission to the NICU at birth. Your medical provider can request this service by providing a referral.
Social Work (Montreal Children’s Hospital)
A social worker will strive to understand your situation and the difficulties you face. Together, you will identify the problems you want to solve and you will work closely to develop a plan to achieve a solution. Some ways our social workers will help include:
- Supporting you during periods of crisis
- Offering individual counseling for children and teens
- Helping you access
- Hospital and community resources to meet your specific needs
- Providing support groups
- Advocating for you in the hospital and in the community
- Arranging for accommodations for out-of-town patients and families
- Helping to plan your child’s discharge and care at home
- Providing service following your child’s discharge
Resources:
