The Midwifery Collective of Ottawa

If you choose to have your baby in a hospital setting, the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa has hospital privileges at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital. The Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital is located at 1053 Carling Avenue, at Parkdale. For more information on the hospital, please visit their website:   The Ottawa Hospital. The Civic Campus offers regular information sessions which provide information about admissions, hospital routines and policies.The Ottawa Hospital has created an information booklet that desribes their services:Family Information Handbook.

If you have planned a hospital birth, your midwife will either meet you at the Birthing Unit or if she has assessed you at home she will accompany you the the Birthing Unit where she will admit you to a labour and delivery room. All labour rooms are private. A second midwife will be called when delivery is imminent. The second midwife is responsible for the care of your baby. She will remain for a minimum of one hour following the delivery of your placenta. If things go normally, like most births do, the baby is given to you immediately and is left with you for the first hour following birth, unless there is a concern. We encourage skin to skin contact and encourage early breastfeeding.

There are hospital routines such as the administration of vitamin k and erythromycin eye ointment. These we do when the baby has finished breastfeeding. At the same time we usually do the newborn physical examination, weigh and measure the baby. Usually following the birth, everyone is tired so we limit our teaching to what is normal and what to expect for the next 24 hours.

If you have chosen early discharge, we make our first home visit within 24 hours of the baby's birth to reassess you and the baby, including another complete physical exam of the baby. At that time we do further teaching regarding breastfeeding and what is normal for you and baby over the next 48 hours. Our next home visit is when the baby is 3 days old. A further visit is made when the baby is 5 days old. At that visit we will do the newborn screening test and weigh the baby.

If everything is within normal limits at that visit, you will be invited to bring the baby back to the office for the baby's two week checkup. At that visit we will do another complete physical, including a hearing test and weighing the baby.

If you choose to stay longer in the hospital, you will be transferred to a postpartum ward where the nursing staff will provide care. Following discharge from the hospital, the midwife will visit you at home.

For a hospital birth you will need:

• Car seat. Be sure you know how to use it!
• Ontario Health card
• Parking money
• Extra clothing and blankets for baby, depending on the season
• Phone numbers of family and friends
• Car filled with gas
• Be sure you know the route to the hospital