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Learning Resources for Pregnancy and Parenting

Learning Resources for Breast- and Chest-Feeding

The Toronto Birth Centre is a unique healthcare facility led by Indigenous community members and Registered Midwives. It is licensed and funded by the Ministry of Health and functions as a space where pregnant people in the care of Registered Midwives can access routine prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care.

To learn more, please visit our website at: https://torontobirthcentre.ca/about-the-tbc/

Pregnant? Consider a Midwife!

A registered midwife is a regulated primary healthcare professional who provides expert prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care to pregnant people and their babies. If you are under the care of a registered midwife for your pregnancy, you can plan to deliver your baby at TBC.

To learn more, please visit:

https://torontobirthcentre.ca/find-a-midwife/#aom

https://cmo.on.ca/clients-and-the-public/what-to-expect-from-a-midwife/

https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/what-midwife

Infant Feeding

The Toronto Birth Centre and your midwives can connect you to appropriate support for infant feeding no matter if you are planning to chestfeed, breastfeed, or bottle feed.

To learn more about chestfeeding and breastfeeding, please visit:

https://torontobirthcentre.ca/news-and-resources/#chestbreastfeeding

Tips for bottle feeding please visit:

https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/children-parenting/pregnancy-and-parenting/breastfeeding/expressing-breast-milk/feeding-baby-with-a-bottle/

Information about breast-pump rentals:

For those who are interested, hospital-grade breast pumps can be rented in Toronto and the GTA through community providers, some pharmacies, or hospitals like Mount Sinai. Rentals usually include the pump, delivery, pickup, setup support, and in some cases guidance from a lactation consultant; personal-use parts that touch your body such as flanges, tubing, and bottles must be purchased separately for hygiene reasons.

To learn more, please visit, https://torontobreastpumprental.ca/

Doulas and Birth Helpers

Doulas and birth helpers offer emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They are not clinical care providers but can play an important role in making you feel informed and supported throughout your pregnancy. There is typically a fee associated with having a doula or birth helper involved in your care.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of Doulas services:

Ocama Collective — ocamacollective.com

Mindful Mommy Doula Services — mindfulmommydoula.com

Greater Toronto Doulas — greatertorontodoulas.ca

Mama Doula Canada — mamadoulacanada.com

Minocare —minocare.ca/care-services

Mental Health

Many different emotions can be experienced by pregnant and postpartum people, new parents, and families. Being informed and supported through pregnancy, labour, and birth is key to achieving optimal mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

To learn more about emotional and mental health support in your community, please visit:

https://torontobirthcentre.ca/news-and-resources/#mhandwellbeing

Nutrition

It’s important to eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet during pregnancy to support your health and your baby’s health. Consider working with a dietician to ensure you’re getting the nutrition you need.

To review guidance on healthy choices and eating well during pregnancy, please visit: https://odph.ca/resources/eating-well-during-pregnancy/

For more support, you can also connect with a dietician at the Regent Park Community Health Centre by visiting this link:

https://regentparkchc.org/resources.

Resources and Services in the Community

The Toronto Birth Centre and other local organizations can link you to community supports, services and programs to help you during pregnancy, post-partum and parenthood.

Regent Park Community Health Centre (RPCHC)

Nutrition Guidance & Dietitian Support (RPCHC Nutrition Program)
Early ON / Community Programs (RPCHC Early ON Programs)
Family Resource & Infant/Child Drop-In Programs (RPCHC Drop-In Programs)
Postpartum & Prenatal Support through Social Work RPCHC Social Work Programs)

In other neighborhoods, please visit:

Community Health Centers - Toronto Central - torontocentralhealthline.ca

TBC Pamphlets

These pamphlets give you more information about TBC

We have parking space for a maximum of one vehicle per person in labour at TBC. After dropping off the person in labour, the driver can ask the Birth Centre Aide for a fob for entry, and follow these instructions to park: CLICK HERE

Additional TBC Resources

TBC’s Recommendations for Learning and Action on Orange Shirt Day

TBC's Recommendations for Learning and Action on Orange Shirt Day

TBC Resource list (Updated June 2024)

TBC hosts a Resource List to support midwives, clients and families to find supports that make having a baby and living in Toronto easier.

Link to access the TBC resource list

The Tkaronto Indigenous Peoples Portal (TIPP)

TIPP is a comprehensive website providing easy access to local Indigenous services, events, opportunities, research and community profiles.

Website Link

Health Network for Uninsured Clients (HNUC)

HNUC is a network of over 80 health and community service organizations and individuals who have been working together for 16 years to improve access to health care for people living in the Greater Toronto Area without public health insurance (OHIP).

Website Link

Learning Resources for Breast- and Chest-Feeding

Toronto Public Health supports - https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/children-parenting/pregnancy-and-parenting/breastfeeding/

Breastfeeding Resources Ontario - https://breastfeedingresourcesontario.ca/contact-us

Milk Junkies Trevor MacDonald blogs about his experience as a pregnant and chestfeeding transgender man. He is an author and stay-at-home dad living in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Emotional Health and Well Being

Postpartum Depression is a US-based organization that provides “the latest up-to-date information and free resources for families in danger and at risk.” Please note the language throughout the website assumes that people who give birth are women who are co-parenting with a husband – we recognize this doesn’t represent all the TBC community. We offer it for anything you can take from it that is valuable to you.

Pregnant people, parents-to-be, people in the postpartum period, and new parents may experience many different emotions and feelings. These feelings can range from excitement and happiness to sadness and guilt. There are also times when these emotions can become so profound that a person can feel helpless, overwhelmed, or depressed. It is important to remember that bringing a baby into the world and becoming a parent are both big life changes! These feelings might be experienced at any time during pregnancy or within the first year after the birth of a baby or becoming a parent. Support during pregnancy, postpartum and new parenthood is key to helping with this transition.

Student Offerings

As well as the prenatal class options in our Resource List, we are happy to share this recording by TBC Midwifery placement student, Shazeal:

Meditation is a way for us to connect to ourselves and ground us in our surroundings. Birth naturally draws us inwards and we connect more deeply. Meditating can help us feel grounded, safe, and able to navigate the changes. This meditation is a mix of guided relaxation and positive affirmations. I speak in a mix of English and Nehiyawin (cree).

Listen before or during birth to help you move through the cycles of labour. Repeat the affirmations out loud or in your head. Breathing in for a count of 4, holding for 7, and exhaling for 7 will help calm your mind and body. Please enjoy!

Shazeal is of mixed black and indigenous ancestry. Originally from Bigstone cree nation in Northern Alberta. She is currently studying midwifery in Ontario and is passionate about birth work.

From Midwifery student Maggie:

“I created this zine with the intention of sharing some useful somatic practices for folks to calm their nervous systems in times of stress. This was made with midwifery students, midwives, and birth attendants(partners, doulas, family members and BCAs) in mind. Knowing how to regulate one’s own nervous system in times of stress is an extremely important skill, especially in the birth space. I am so happy to share some of the brilliant teachers I am learning from. Please check them out!

I hope you enjoy dipping your toes into these practices, teachings and teachers!”

SomaticsZine2020 M Thomson-Kurz

Water Immersion and Water Birth

Info from the AOM: https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/water-birth

Summary of evidence about the risks and benefits of water birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/waterbirth/

The MANA and CfM Joint Position Statement on Water Immersion During Labor and Birth is a position paper written for a broad audience including midwives and other birthcare professionals, consumers, doulas, childbirth educators, and policy makers. It is co-authored by the Midwives Alliance of North America and Citizens for Midwifery. A year of collaborative work has produced a great educational tool that gives concise access to the research and the wisdom of experience that documents the safety, benefits and recommendations for success. Read more about this paper here:
http://mana.org/blog/MANA-CfM-Joint-Position-Statement-Waterbirth

The TBC would like to share resources that are valuable to you! If you are looking for content that is missing from our website OR if you have a resource that you would like to share, please contact our Clinical Administrative Assistant through our contact page

Resources

Topics Related to Pregnancy

Looking for a place to have your baby? Consider the Toronto Birth Centre!

Pregnant? Consider a Midwife!

Infant Feeding

Doulas and Birth Helpers

Mental Health

Nutrition

Resources and Services in the Community

TBC Pamphlets

These pamphlets give you more information about TBC

Additional TBC Resources

TBC’s Recommendations for Learning and Action on Orange Shirt Day

TBC Resource list (Updated June 2024)

The Tkaronto Indigenous Peoples Portal (TIPP)

Health Network for Uninsured Clients (HNUC)

Learning Resources for Pregnancy and Parenting

Learning Resources for Breast- and Chest-Feeding

Emotional Health and Well Being

Student Offerings

Water Immersion and Water Birth