CARE AFTER BIRTH

Once you have given birth, and both you and baby are stable, you will be transferred from the Labour & Delivery Unit to the Women’s & Children’s Inpatient Unit (A6).

This unit offers three room options:

  • Private (one person/room)

  • Semi-private (two people/room)

  • Ward (three people/room)

All rooms come with the following: an adjustable bed, a bassinet for the baby, a bathroom/shower, storage space for personal belongings, privacy curtains, and a television. If you would prefer a semi-private (two people/room) or private room, you can request this when you arrive at the hospital in labour. We will do our best to accommodate your request, however there are limited private and semi-private rooms.

ARRIVING WITH YOUR NEWBORN

After being transferred from Labour and Delivery, the nurses on the Women & Children Inpatient Unit will provide you with post-partum support. Your baby will remain in the room with you during your stay unless the baby needs special medical attention or is receiving standard newborn screening.

All infant patients will be fitted with a Hugs® ankle monitor throughout their hospital stay. This means that if an infant patient is brought within a certain distance of an exit (including elevators) while wearing a monitor, the exit will be automatically locked down and if an infant patient wearing a monitor passes through an open exit, an overhead alarm will be activated. Please ask your nurse if you have any questions.

NEWBORN SCREENING

Shortly after birth, standard newborn screening is done to look for treatable diseases that usually show no symptoms in the newborn period. Early detection through newborn screening (NBS) can prevent serious health problems and save lives. NBS is completed 24 hours after birth and the results are sent to your family practitioner and the Health Centre. Learn more about the process of newborn screening in Ontario. Other tests include:

Jaundice is a symptom of a medical condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. Jaundice develops when there is too much bilirubin in the blood. Minor jaundice is common in newborns. Your nurse will complete a bilirubin scan every 12 hours. Prior to discharge, a blood sample will be completed to access bilirubin levels.

Pulse oximetry screening is a tool to test for heart conditions where the heart or major vessels around the heart may not have formed properly. These heart conditions can lead to serious medical problems during the first year of life if not treated. This screen is completed 24 hours after birth and is safe and painless. You will receive the CCHD results immediately.

It is expected that newborns will lose some weight in the first few days of life (5-8% of birth weight). Our nurses will monitor your baby to watch for weight loss greater than 10% of their birth weight.

A specially trained member from our team will perform a non-invasive hearing test prior to discharge from hospital. Early detection and intervention of hearing loss is critical for developing language. Visit Child Development Programs  for more information on infant hearing services or call 1-888-703-5437 x. 4. Additional information on the infant hearing program at can be found here.

POSTPARTUM CARE & NEWBORN TEACHINGS

The interprofessional healthcare team on the Women & Children Inpatient Unit are very knowledgeable and skilled in evidence-based postpartum care. Your primary nurse will support you during your stay with postpartum and newborn teachings.

Learn more about breastfeeding and the support offered through PRHC.

Beginning this fall, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) will provide a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) preventive antibody immunization to all newborns born at PRHC between October 2024 and April 2025 to protect against serious illness caused by RSV. Learn more about the new infant RSV program at PRHC.

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Following delivery, your baby may be sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is a nursery that provides care for newborns that require specialized nursing care, including those who are born as much as eight (8) weeks early.

Learn more about our level 2B NICU here: Welcome to the NICU

PREPARING TO GO HOME

It is our general practice for patients to be discharged approximately 24 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal birth. Patients who had a caesarean birth (also known as a c-section) are typically discharged 48 hours after birth. The length of stay varies based on individual needs. Your healthcare team will coordinate your discharge.

You will be asked to complete the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form. Hospital staff or the registered midwife will give you the form. On the form you must:

  • Provide your baby’s name, birth date and mailing address

  • Confirm your baby’s main residence is in Ontario

  • Confirm your baby will be in Ontario for at least 153 days in any 12 month period

The hospital or midwife will submit the top part of the form on your behalf. Keep the bottom section of the form until you get your baby’s Ontario Health Card. It shows the health number assigned to your baby.

Your baby’s new Health Card will be mailed within eight (8) weeks of the date it’s submitted.

When a child is born in Ontario, their birth needs to be registered with the Government of Ontario, within 30 days. Register your newborn online with the 5-in-1 newborn bundle. In one transaction, you can:

  • Register the birth

  • Get a birth certificate

  • Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

  • Sign up for Canada (Ontario) child benefits

  • Start the process of opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)

Registration is free and can be done online or by mail. To register, you will need:

  • Baby’s full name, date of birth and weight

  • Name of hospital and person at birth (physician, midwife or other)

  • Length of pregnancy (in weeks)

  • Parental information (full name, date of birth, place of birth)

RESOURCES

  • Safe sleep for your baby

  • Peterborough Public Health

  • OMama –  a website and a mobile application (app) that connects women and families to trusted, evidence-informed healthy pregnancy, birth and early parenting information for Ontario, Canada.

  • Looksee Checklist – a simple, easy-to-use developmental tool designed to help monitor a child’s development from one (1) month to six (6) years of age, featuring a short list of “yes” or “no” questions about the child’s abilities. The Looksee Checklist is free to everyone in Ontario.

  • The Rourke Baby Record – an evidence-based health supervision guide that offers guidelines and information on growth and nutrition monitoring, developmental surveillance, physical examination parameters, immunizations, and anticipatory guidance on safety, family, behaviour and health promotion issues.

  • Healthy Babies, Healthy Child – a program designed to help children get a healthy start in life.

  • Ottawa Public Health – watch the Here Comes Baby series to learn about jaundice, postpartum and more.