Labour and Birth

Support people and visitors are welcome at the hospital. Please see the following for limits and restrictions.

One dedicated support person (no switching) is permitted in the following areas:

• Labour and Delivery Triage
• Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
• Operating Room

Two dedicated support people (no switching) are permitted in:

• The Labour and Delivery Suite

No visitors under the age 15.

No visitors in the waiting room after 10 p.m. 

There are many options to help you cope with the pain of labour and birth, with or without medication. Our care teams will support whichever option you choose.

Non-medication options for pain management include:

• Water therapy using tubs or showers
• Movement techniques like standing, walking, swaying and changing positions
• Birthing balls that allow you to sway or rock
• Breathing, visualization and relaxation techniques
• Help from a labour support person

Learn more about epidurals and other pain management options that use medication.

It is common for pregnancies to go past their due dates.

If you are past your due date, your health-care provider will ask you to come in for more frequent appointments to monitor your baby.

Your health-care provider will work with you to decide on a plan for your birth that may include a procedure called an induction of labour to get labour started.
 

Induction of labour

An induction of labour is a way to start labour if it has not started on its own.

Your health-care provider may recommend an induction for a number of reasons, including medical complications such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or if you go past your due date.  If you need an induction, your health-care provider will discuss a plan for your labour and delivery with you.

If you are booked for an outpatient induction, please go to the Labour & Delivery registration desk on the 15th floor by the University elevators where you will be directed to Labour & Delivery Triage. 

You will be assessed by a nurse and then a nurse practitioner or  a health-care provider will start the induction process. Your baby will be checked before and after the procedure. You may be sent home with instructions and then return to the hospital for the next part of your induction.

If you are  given a date and time for an induction and told that you will be staying in the hospital, you will be admitted to the Labour and Delivery Unit.

Planned Caesarean

Your health-care provider may suggest a planned Caesarean birth for a number of reasons, including your baby being in a breech (or head-up) position or previous Caesarean births.

Before your surgery, you will be given specific instructions to buy a special antiseptic wash for your belly to use the night before and to drink 500 mLs of a clear juice two hours before the surgery. 

If you are scheduled for a Caesarean birth, please go directly to the Labour and Delivery registration desk on the 15th floor to get admitted. You should arrive two hours before the scheduled surgery time.

Our standard of care includes following Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines to help you recover more quickly. 

After your surgery, we will encourage you to walk as soon as possible. This will help you get back on your feet and reduce the risk of complications like infections. You will be able to eat a regular diet after the birth. 

Please bring your health (OHIP) card and a credit card for any charges that are not covered by OHIP or by your private insurance plan.

Placenta banking

During pregnancy, your body creates a placenta and other birth tissue to nourish and protect your baby. Though typically discarded after birth, these tissues have therapeutic properties that aid in healing hard-to-heal wounds. 

Mothers Healing Others is Mount Sinai’s placenta donation program. It offers people who are having a planned Caesarean birth the opportunity to donate their placenta and birth tissue to help create wound coverings for those who are suffering from long-lasting and chronic wounds.

If you are having a planned Caesarean birth and are interested in donating, contact our donation coordinator at [email protected] or call: 416-586-4800 x 7814. 

There are many different kinds of births that may require special considerations. 

Your health-care provider will discuss which labour and delivery plan will meet your needs if you will be having a:

• Breech birth
• Multiples (twins or more) birth
• Vaginal birth after Caesarean (VBAC)

Learn more about other types of births.

The blood in your baby's umbilical cord and placenta contains valuable stem cells like those found in bone marrow. If collected and stored, these stem cells may be used for treating certain diseases.  

Parents have the following three options:

• No collection (placenta and umbilical cord are discarded as medical waste)
• Donation to a public cord blood bank
• Arranging for private family banking in which you pay to be able to access the stem cells in the future if needed

Planning for cord blood storage must be arranged before the 32nd week of pregnancy. Parents are welcome to choose any cord blood bank provider when delivering at Mount Sinai. Please discuss your plan with our team when you are admitted before the birth.

Learn more about cord blood banking.

After the birth, your health-care provider will place two clamps on your baby’s umbilical cord and then the cord is cut between the clamps. 

Our standard practice is to delay cord clamping for approximately one minute, if appropriate. This practice provides babies with additional blood volume and iron stores which may improve infant development.

If you have arranged for cord blood collection, the collection will begin after the cord is clamped. Usually, an adequate sample can still be obtained.

A vitamin K injection is recommended for all babies within the first six hours after birth. Babies are born with low levels of vitamin K which the body needs to create blood clots. Vitamin K is given as a small injection into your baby's thigh and will help prevent bleeding.

An antibiotic eye ointment called erythromycin is usually placed on the lower eyelids of newborns in the first two hours after birth. This helps prevents a serious eye infection in babies that can be caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia.