Having Your Baby

What are my room options?

To make your stay with us as comfortable as possible, we are pleased to offer you a choice in the type of hospital room.

After your labour and delivery, you and your baby will be transferred to postpartum care. There, you have the option of three different room types: private (one bed), semi-private (two beds), or standard (three or four beds), depending on availability. Learn more about our room options.

Please check with your insurance company before your stay and ask if you have coverage for a semi-private or private room. Many third-party health insurance plans will cover all or some of the costs for these choices. Please note that we cannot contact your insurance company on your behalf to ask about your coverage.

Regardless of which type of room you choose, you will receive the same excellent care from Osler's team of health care professionals.

What should I pack in my hospital bag?

Mom

• Identification and health card
• Lip balm
• Hair elastic
• Glasses (for people that wear contacts)
• Music
• Clear beverages, hard candy or even popsicles for labour
• Snacks for after labour
• Phone charger
• Sanitary pads
• A few pairs of underwear
• A nursing bra
• House coat, slippers, socks and pajamas
• Personal toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)
• Additional items like a birthing ball, breastfeeding pillow, or women’s pull-ups

Baby

• A pack of diapers
• A pack of baby wipes
• Several swaddling blankets
• Onesies
• An outfit to wear home (onesies, shirt, hat, pants, etc.)
• Car seat

Support person

• Comfortable clothing
• Personal toiletries
• Phone charger
• Pillow (non-white pillow case)
• Snacks

We will supply you with the items you need while on the unit and during your birth. After your delivery, you can purchase a starter pack that includes supplies that you and your baby will need for your stay. This includes sanitary pads, mesh underwear and a peri-bottle for mom, along with baby diapers, dry wipes, gentle soap and a newborn hat. Starter packs can be purchased for $20 from the registration clerk (payment accepted in any form).

What if I don't have OHIP coverage?

Osler generally does not provide elective (non-emergency) services for patients without OHIP or Canadian health care plan coverage.

For an uninsured patient to receive non-emergency care, we must first approve:

• Any elective care, treatment or procedure (including diagnostic imaging and lab work)
• Your admission to an inpatient bed

If approved, advance payment is required for Osler health care treatment and services. Please note that your ability to pay does not guarantee treatment.

What does it mean to be induced?

Some women do not experience a spontaneous or natural start to labour. If this happens to you, your doctor or midwife may discuss inducing labour. This means they will intervene to help your uterus begin to contract.

Inductions are usually booked in advance. Your doctor or midwife will inform you of the date you are booked. The nurse will call you on your booked day to let you know when to come to the hospital. When you arrive, you will proceed to the Labour and Delivery or Birthing Unit for your induction. Learn more about labour inductions.

Please be assured that we are here to support you as you prepare for the birth of your baby. If you need more information or have questions, please call the Labour and Delivery triage nurse:

Brampton Civic: 905-494-2120 ext. 57975
Etobicoke General: 905-494-2120 ext. 33561

How do I prepare for my scheduled Caesarean section (C-section)?

To prepare for your scheduled C-section, do not shave or use hair removal products to remove hair from your lower abdomen (surgical area) for seven days prior to surgery. Prior to coming to the hospital, please take a shower on the day of your surgery. You must arrive at the hospital two hours before your scheduled C-section time (for example, you must arrive at 6:00 a.m. if your surgery is scheduled for 8:00 a.m.).

For C-sections scheduled at:

• 8:00 a.m.: stop eating and drinking at 12:00 a.m.
• 10:00 a.m.: stop eating solids at 12:00 a.m. and drinking clear fluids at 6:00 a.m.
• 12:00 p.m.: stop eating solids at 12:00 a.m. and drinking clear fluids at 8:00 a.m.
• 3:30 p.m. or later: stop eating solids at 7:30 a.m. and drinking clear fluids at 10:30 a.m.

During your surgery, one support person may join you in the operating room for the C-section. The support person must:

• Remain seated and in the room during the entire surgery (the nurse will let you know when and where you can go to take pictures of the baby)
• Refrain from taking phone calls during the surgery
• Remember they are not able to:
  • View the surgery
  • Videotape during the surgery
  • Touch any equipment or supplies

If you are unable to hold your baby skin-to-skin after the birth, your support person may do so. Skin-to-skin contact helps with baby's breathing, temperature and transition to the outside world. Learn more about C-sections.

What is a trial of labour after C-section?

A trial of labour after C-section is when a person chooses to give birth vaginally after having had a C-section in the past. For most women this is a safe option.

Benefits for mom:

• Experiencing a natural childbirth
• Recovering more quickly
• Returning home from hospital faster
• Avoiding abdominal surgery and the associated risks
• Lower risk of infection

Benefits for baby:

• Smoother transition to life outside of the womb
• Earlier skin-to-skin contact with mom
• Quicker start to breastfeeding

Your chance of having a vaginal delivery after a C-section may be higher if you:

• Have a healthy pregnancy
• Have a low horizontal scar on your uterus
• Go into labour on your own
• Had a vaginal birth before
• Had a previous C-section birth due to a breach presentation, twins or problems with the placenta

Your chance of having a vaginal delivery after a C-section may be lower if:

• You are overdue
• Your labour does not start on its own and you need to be induced
• You are significantly overweight
• You have had more than one C-section birth

Vaginal birth after C-section and repeat C-section births both have different risks. Speak with your doctor or midwife about which option is best for you and your baby. Learn more about vaginal deliveries after a C-section.

How do I register for public cord blood banking?

Confirm your eligibility

To be eligible to donate cord blood, you must:

• Be in good general health
• Be 18 years or older
• Deliver after 34 weeks gestation
• Be pregnant with one baby (not twins or triplets)
• Be free of infectious diseases (such as HIV or hepatitis)
• Have no history of cancer or blood disorder requiring chemotherapy in either biological parent
• Have not used a donor egg, sperm or surrogate for this pregnancy
• Plan to deliver at Brampton Civic Hospital

Speak with your health care provider to discuss public cord blood donation. If you have more questions regarding eligibility, contact 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or email cordblood@blood.ca.

Register online

Before your expected due date, complete your online registration for cord blood donation.

After submitting your registration, you’ll receive an email from Canadian Blood Services confirming that your registration has been received along with a copy of your signed consent form (check your spam folder). No further action is needed until your delivery day.

Donate cord blood

When you arrive at the hospital:

• Let your birthing team (nurse/midwife/physician) know about your intent to donate to the Canadian Blood Services' Cord Blood Bank
• Cord Blood Bank staff at the hospital will have your consent form on file

After the safe delivery of your baby:

• Your placenta will be provided to a Cord Blood Bank team member to collect the cord blood in a designated room
• Cord Blood Bank staff are not present in your room at the time of delivery
• No blood is taken from your baby
• The placenta is returned to the hospital after cord blood collection is complete

Preliminary test results

After collecting the cord blood, a small amount will be tested in hospital to determine if it has enough stem cells to qualify for storage in the Cord Blood Bank. A Cord Blood Bank team member will follow-up to inform you of these preliminary test results.

If your cord blood unit qualifies for storage, additional information and testing will be required.

After your donation

Canadian Blood Services offers free, board-certified interpreters and translators in Arabic, Punjabi and Chinese. If you prefer to communicate in a language other than English or French, email cordblood@blood.ca to request an interpreter or translation services. CBS requires six to eight weeks’ notice to ensure all required forms are completed and received before your due date. Learn more about what cord blood is, donating your cord blood or private options for cord blood banking.

What tests will be conducted on my baby?

When they are about 24 hours old, all babies will have the following tests completed:

• Newborn screening: a test where a small amount of blood is collected from your baby’s heal and sent to Newborn Screening Ontario where it is tested for serious diseases. With these diseases, early diagnosis is the key to effective treatment.
• Screening for critical congenital heart disease: this is a quick and painless test called pulse oximetry that measures the level of oxygen in your baby’s blood. This test is done at the bedside and results are available right away.
• Jaundice test: this is performed for all babies, collecting a small amount of blood is from the baby's heel and used to measure your baby's jaundice level. You will have the results before you go home.
• Hearing test: this short and painless test is done in your hospital room. If it cannot be done before discharge, you may return to the hospital or book a test at another clinic.

What information do I need to know after I give birth?

After the arrival of your baby, you will receive a discharge summary highlighting important information for both you and your new addition. Learn more about postpartum care.