If you have chosen to give birth at Hôpital du Haut-Richelieu, you will be supported by a team known for its professionalism and family-centred approach. The staff in the mother‑child unit will make every effort to ensure your baby is born into a climate of harmony and respect. As you welcome your baby, we’ll make sure your wishes are respected and that you feel encouraged and supported in your decisions. Your partner and loved ones will also have a special place in your birthing experience.
Give your baby the best start in life!
The unit has 12 LDRP (labour, delivery, recovery, and postpartum) rooms—private rooms where the mother, newborn and partner remain for the entire stay. Barring any complications, mother and child generally remain in hospital for 30 to 36 hours following the birth.
Birth-related services
- Various pain-relief solutions
- Rooming-in with the newborn from birth and throughout the hospital stay
- Approach and care tailored to the needs of mothers, newborns and partners
- Breastfeeding support
- Specialized care for newborns
Preadmission
One month before your expected due date, we suggest you fill out the preadmission form and submit it the hospital’s Admission department (on the ground floor) or to your doctor, as the case may be.
What to pack for the hospital
- Health insurance, hospital and group insurance cards
- Your vaccination booklet
- Toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, etc.)
- Sanitary pads
- Nursing pads, as needed
- Tissues
- Comfortable clothing for labour and delivery (if you don’t want to wear a hospital gown)
- Personal items (slippers, robe, underwear, etc.)
- Snacks (e.g., muffins, granola bars, dried fruit) and drinks
- Items that may be helpful during labour, e.g., massage oil, extra pillows, hot water bottle, music
- Your list of medications, if any
- Nail file
- Phone numbers of people waiting to hear the good news
- From Tiny Tot to Toddler guide
- Birth plan
- Newborn diapers (at least 24) and wipes
- Mild fragrance-free, dye-free baby soap
- Seasonally appropriate clothing for baby’s stay and trip home
- Receiving blanket and baby sling (as needed)
- Approved car seat
Stages of labour
Arrival
When you arrive at the hospital, you must report to the obstetric triage desk in the mother-child unit on the 3rd floor (directly to the left as you exit the main entrance elevators).
You will be admitted by a nurse who will follow you during your labour.
In addition to your partner or a significant person, a doula may be present during your labour and delivery. A maximum of two people are allowed in the room with the mother.
Pain relief
In terms of pain relief, we will offer you non-pharmacological methods, such as hydrotherapy (bath) and an exercise ball.
We encourage you to move around, listen to music, or have a massage from your partner or doula—or anything else you think might help you through your labour.
We also offer pharmacological pain relief methods, such as epidural, nitrous oxide (Entonox), and injections.
During your stay
After your delivery, you will usually stay in the hospital for 30 to 36 hours following a vaginal birth with no complications, and for 36 to 48 hours after a C-section.
Once you have been discharged, we ask that you leave the room as soon as possible to make room for another family to enjoy a rewarding experience in the mother-child unit. Your doctor will sign your discharge form, after which we ask that you leave within the hour.
Visitors
The new family needs a calm, private space to get to know each other better.
To make sure this is the case, we recommend only two visitors at a time, according to the following schedule:
- Your partner, significant person, or other children: at all times
- Other visitors: from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Family care
It’s best that the partner or significant person stay with the mother and newborn 24/7. This will allow you to:
- bond with the newborn;
- learn their habits;
- learn to recognize periods of alertness and sleep, and signs of hunger and satiety;
- gradually learn to identify and meet the newborn’s needs, while having the opportunity to ask the nurses questions.
Usually, the newborn spends the entire time with the mother, and all care and medical visits are done in the room by a team of professionals.
Some newborns who require monitoring or advanced care will be admitted to the intermediate care nursery. However, it’s best that the parents accompany their baby to care for them and comfort them and do skin-to-skin contact.
Your return home
Usually, within 24 to 48 hours after your discharge, you will receive a phone call from a postpartum follow-up nurse at the CLSC. The purpose of the call is to determine the need for a home visit or a CLSC visit.
The Québec Newborn Hearing Screening Program
After the birth of your child, you'll be invited to participate in the The Québec Newborn Hearing Screening Program.
This program, set up by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, is designed to detect the presence of deafness in newborns, free of charge, and to quickly take the necessary action.
Screening tests are quick, painless and risk-free for the child. They are usually performed within the first few hours of life, when your newborn is calm or asleep. Results are immediate and you will be informed if further tests are required.
For more information on the program, please consult the frame of reference: https://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/msss/document-000483/
Screening starts: December 2023