Learning about pregnancy, labour, delivery and childbirth begins before your hospital stay. You can help prepare yourself for childbirth and parenting by attending prenatal classes. Many groups in Kingston offer prenatal classes, including:
- Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health
- Kingston Childbirth Education Association
- Kingston Community Health Centres
Prenatal appointments
It is important that you are seen regularly by your doctor or midwife as your pregnancy progresses, so that they can track the development of your baby. KGH operates a obstetrical clinic that offers prenatal check-ups for both high-risk and low-risk pregnancies. For more information on the clinic, click here.
It is also important to have an ultrasound done, fairly early in your pregnancy. This ultrasound will be done in the Fetal Assessment Unit. For more information, click here.
Create a birth plan
To prepare for your upcoming childbirth, sometimes it is helpful to write down what your expectations are for your care. We encourage you to discuss these issues with your care giver during your prenatal visits. It is also a good idea to write your preferences down so that you can clearly communicate them with the health-care team when you arrive at the hospital. Some issues may be:
- General hopes, concerns, or anxieties about the experience of birth
- Labour and delivery concerns including who will be on your care team and your preferences for pain control
- Newborn care and feeding