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It is important to confirm your pregnancy early. Start taking a multivitamin containing folic acid, if you aren't taking one already. Two other important things to do are:
- Make an appointment with your health care provider
- Register for prenatal classes
| Service |
What They Offer |
| Family Health Team |
A Family Health Team is a broad range of health care providers working together. They work together to provide ongoing care to a roster of patients. Within the group there are family doctors and nurse practitioners.
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| Family Doctor |
A family doctor provides diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses. Twenty percent of babies in Huron County are delivered by the family doctor. These babies are delivered in the community hospitals in Huron and Perth.
Your family doctor can also refer you to an obstetrician. These obstetricians are in Stratford or London.
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| Nurse Practitioner |
A nurse practitioner provides diagnosis, treatment, education advice and referral to community based health services. In some family health clinics nurse practitioners provide most of the prenatal care.
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| Obstetrician |
Other pregnant women are referred by their family doctor to the services of an obstetrician for the delivery of their baby. An obstetrician is a physician with specialized education and training in the management and of pregnancy, labour and time immediately after birth.
For women in Huron County, the services of an obstetrician are provided in Stratford and London.
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| Midwife |
Some families choose a midwife for their prenatal care. Midwives provide care to childbearing women during their pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also care for the newborn through to six weeks of age, including assisting the mother with breastfeeding.
Midwives are health care providers who are specialists in low risk pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.
They strive to help women to have a healthy pregnancy and natural birth experience. Births with the support of a midwife can occur in the home or hospital. For Huron County residents, midwives have hospital privileges in Listowel and Stratford.
Find a midwife in your area. Midwives refer women to general practitioners or obstetricians when a pregnant woman requires care beyond the midwives' area of expertise.
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Doula
Sharon Jerome at 519.482.9077
Melanie Siebert at 519.482.8566
www.doulamel.ca
Huron County
Health Unit
519.482.3416
1.877.837.6143
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A doula is a woman who provides non-medical support and care to a woman and her partner during childbirth. A doula works with a woman, her family and the medical practitioners to provide consistent, continuous reassurance, comfort, encouragement and respect through the birthing process. Ideally, the doula and the partner make the perfect support team.
Doulas work independently and charge fees for their services. In some cases, women can access free doula services through Owen's Light by contacting a public health nurse at the health unit.
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Dietitian Services
EatRight Ontario
1.877.510.5102
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Most family Health Teams and hospitals provide dietitian services.
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Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness Specialist
Huron County
Health Unit
519.482.3416
1.877.837.6143
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The Prenatal and Postnatal Exercise Specialist can provide exercise programs that are safe and effective for prenatal or postnatal clients. Programs can be designed according to your current exercise level (beginners to advanced), as well as according to your trimester or postpartum time period.
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For More Information on Your Pregnancy
Contact the Health Unit to speak with a public health nurse. In Clinton and area call 519.482.3416 or toll free 1.877.837.6143. Residents in northern communities in the County can contact a public health nurse in Wingham at 519.357.4993.
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