K'Tigaaning Midwives

Here at KTM, we are committed to providing our community with safe prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care. We understand that the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak may be causing a lot of uncertainty/anxiety for our clients and their families. This situation and the parameters surrounding social isolation recommendations are rapidly evolving, but we felt it important to address a few important changes to the way care will be delivered during this time. If you are a current client, you may have already received a phone call from a midwife regarding your upcoming appointment, and if you haven’t yet, you should expect one soon. Please also feel free to call our office which is still (at this time) operating during regular business hours – please be mindful, this is subject to change.

Any visits conducted in person will require you to be screened for symptoms at the door before entering the clinic. For in-clinic appointments, you will be asked to put on a mask (you may bring your own if you have one clean that day) before coming into the building, use hand sanitizer, and then we will check your temperature. You will be asked to sanitize your phone (and keys if you are unable to leave them at the front or in a bag/pocket).

* if you have a temperature greater than 37.5 degrees, we will not be able to see you and we will plan to see you outside the clinic, at a later date *

We apologize for this level of intensity, we are all feeling it too.

However, to do our part during this current health crisis we must take the necessary precautions to protect you and your fellow community members.

At this time, we are asking that all clients consider practicing social isolation as best they can to prevent spread of the virus. This means limiting visitors for yourself/your new baby. Monitor for signs and symptoms of the infection. Limit non-essential travel (including simple trips outside the house). Consider working from home if possible, and if not, employing safe precautions in your workspace.

We also ask that clients who have any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, fatigue, respiratory symptoms) consider canceling their prenatal appointment and self-isolating. You should contact the Health Unit, Telehealth, or Public Health for further direction with regards to testing. Please DO NOT take yourself to the ER unless your symptoms are severe and page your midwife for further direction if this is the case.

If you are in labour or have urgent concerns, please page your midwife as you usually would.

We will be rescheduling all “non-essential” in-clinic and home visits at this time. This may mean that if you and/or your newborn(s) are well and do not require any in-person assessments, we may either defer entirely or elect to conduct your visit over the phone or by some sort of teleconferencing (FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.). This is so that you still have the opportunity to ask questions regarding your care. We will still be organizing all essential tests, ultrasounds, and prescriptions in the community for those who need them. If you are seeking a reference as to what is considered an “essential” visit, please see the World Health Organization recommendations for prenatal care for low-risk pregnancies (we will also post the link to our page). These recommendations do not necessarily apply to those who are considered to be experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.

All clients meeting their midwives at the hospital will have to enter through the emergency room entrance. Please give yourself extra time to make your way to labor & delivery if you are going to the hospital, as you will have to be screened before entering.

Please understand we must place a limit on the number of support people during labor and deliveries. So, our policy, as of right now, will allow only ONE support person at your labour/birth, who will also be subject to screening. North Bay Regional Health Centre has also employed this policy.

We are still at this time offering out-of-hospital births, including clinic and home births, and are dedicated to ensuring this remains a healthy, sanitary option for our clients. We are also still offering postpartum home visits for new parents and babies who need them, but you may receive a phone call regarding a unique visit schedule.

Please also note that as the situation evolves, our resources as a practice may become depleted. This may mean your care may be slower than usual or you may not see your “assigned” midwife – we ask that you please be respectful of these potentially unavoidable circumstances.

Know that these measures are all in the interest of keeping you and your growing family as safe as possible. Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Burn sage, offer tobacco, but most of all, keep in touch with your daily routines (modified for safety reasons of course). Do not hesitate to reach out to our team for support. Take walks outside. The earth still has good medicine to offer.

Miigwetch and thank you, for your understanding,

Your Midwifery Team