Midwives of Algoma
765 Queen St E Suite 204 P6A 2A8 Sault Sainte Marie, ON, Canada

Your Midwives have been volunteering for a special cause this weekend! They have been immunizing long-term care staff and essential caregivers at the COVID-19 Community Vaccine Hub! So grateful for all of the community partners who are helping make COVID-19 vaccination possible in our community!

Your Midwives have been volunteering for a special cause this weekend! They have been immunizing long-term care staff and essential caregivers at the COVID-19 Community Vaccine Hub! So grateful for all of the community partners who are helping make COVID-19 vaccination possible in our community!

We have had more than a few people this year call for care only to discover we are full! We can not stress this enough - if you have a positive pregnancy test and would like to see a Midwife, call us as SOON as you get that test. You do not need a referral or pregnancy confirmation from your NP or Family Doc, although we are happy to accept referrals from them. Call us ASAP to be placed with a Midwife and our fantastic office manager Nikki will get back to you with a datin...g ultrasound option, first trimester screening options and routine blood and urine tests. We would LOVE to accommodate everybody but have a limited number of monthly spaces and fill up quickly so please DO NOT WAIT to call! (And if we determine that you are carrying multiples or are otherwise not appropriate for midwifery care, we will be happy to refer you to one of our excellent OB colleagues! ) 705 253 4158 Call your partner or BFF and then #callthemidwife

The Covid Vaccine rollout has started for healthcare providers in Algoma!

Collectively and as individuals, there are experiences, traumas, loss and grief that are unique to women, that can have a profound impact on our life experiences, childbearing years, parenting and relationships. As a therapist with vast experience helping people through grief and loss, Danielle Ritsema discusses some of these topics with insight and grace. https://youtu.be/AZba02MkG5w

If you need a mask- we have masks! (Adult and Child sizes). Locally made - and available Mondays or Fridays or at your appointment.

As you probably know, all people in Algoma are now required to wear masks in public spaces in order to reduce transmission of Covid-19. This means that we will require all clients to wear a mask while in our office space. Please come to the clinic wearing a mask. If you are unable to purchase one, we will have masks available immediately upon entry. We have also connected with local people who are making reusable cloth masks and will have them available for $10 each starting next week. If this is cost prohibitive for you, please let your midwife know and one will be provided free of charge. We understand that these new guidelines might feel restrictive and uncomfortable, but we all do have a responsibility to protect one another.

Today is World Airway Disorders Day! We wanted to raise awareness by featuring a post from a very special family. Meet William and his parents Teah and Dan! See their very informative post below! Learn about airway disorders and read about their journey navigating William’s laryngomalacia diagnosis. ... Thank you for allowing us to share your experience! Happy World Airway Disorder day!

Social circles in the time of pregnancy and caring for a new baby The Chief Medical Officer of Health has updated public health advice to encourage Ontarians to establish a social circle of no more than 10 people who can interact with each other and come into close contact without physical distancing. Here are few helpful tips on how to create a social circle when you are pregnant or have a new baby! ... When creating your social circle, make sure to include people that will be able to support you during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period. People to consider : - The person or people who will be providing childcare for your other children when you are in labour/giving birth - The person or people who will come to stay with you or visit you after the baby is born to help out - The person or people you will be in contact with for childcare after you new baby is born Remember to prioritize support for yourself and your family during this time!

McMaster University is offering free online treatment workshops for women who have been feeling depressed, down, or anxious after the birth of a baby. These wor...kshops are based on Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) and are being offered as part of a research study. Women will be eligible to participate if they are living in Canada, over the age of 18, and have a baby under 12 months.

Today is International Day of the Midwife! Thank you to all of our clients for allowing us to play a part in such a special time. We’d love to see photos of your pregnancies, births or postpartum visits. Let us see what your babies look like now! Share a story about your experience with a midwife!

**ATTENTION CLIENTS** If you have received a telephone call from MyHealth Centre stating your ultrasound appointment has been cancelled, please e-mail [email protected] If you have an ultrasound in the next 6 weeks, you should be receiving a call regarding a cancelled/rescheduled appointment. Please let us know when you are notified that your appointment has been cancelled. ... We will reschedule your appointment at another Diagnostic Imaging Department.

To our incredible community - so many of you have been stepping forward and asking how you can help our hospital right now. We are blown away by your generosity..., and have been working to set up a way for you to lend your support. We've created a new page with some information about our needs, and giving you a way to donate to our emergency fund. This is a difficult time for all of us. We know how important it is to feel like part of the solution in a crisis; we wanted to give you that opportunity. Go to https://www.sahfoundation.com/urgent for more.

We know this is a stressful time, and for those who suffer from anxiety, even more so. If you or someone in your home is struggling right now- CAMH has some great resources that can help. https://www.camh.ca//health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19 We want you to know that the nurses, midwives, physicians and support staff at SAH and in the labour unit are prepared and ready to welcome your babies and will do all we can to keep you (and each other) healthy. You can do your... part (to protect yourselves, your community and the front line workers who will be caring for you) by following the social distancing protocols. This pandemic is going to end, and babies are going to continue to be born. In the meantime- here is a song written and performed by a midwifery student assigned to create an artistic representation of birth. We think she did a great job! And we are so looking forward to meeting all of your babies in the coming weeks and months!

An update regarding the visitor policy at Sault Area Hospital’s Mat Child unit until further notice, no visitors will be permitted in the unit. All tours will be cancelled and labouring patients will be strictly limited to one support person. It is imperative that support people do NOT enter the unit if they are exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness (coughing, fever, shortness of breath). Thank you for your support in keeping our unit a safe place for patients and staff!

Are you concerned about COVID-19? If you think you have symptoms, use Ontario Ministry of Health's self-assessment tool to see if you need care. Take the online self-assessment: http://bit.ly/38XwTVz

COMMUNICATION TO CLIENTS re CoVID-19 The Midwives of Algoma are committed to providing responsible and safe care and would like to provide an update on clinic operations effective Monday regarding the CoVID-19 pandemic. Please read through the following recommendations: - Screen yourself and your family members, and do not come into the office if you are experiencing a cough, fever or shortness of breath or if you have been exposed to someone who is experiencing thes...e symptoms. If you are unwell, please call us and we will make alternate arrangements for your care. - Do not arrive early for your appointment. We will be re-vamping our clinic schedules to cut down on the number of midwives and clients in the space at any given time. Please come on time, and we will have you right in. - Appointments will be brief and clinical in nature in order to limit our exposure to each other and avoid interactions with other clients. We are still available to answer your questions and provide you with information about all aspects of your care, however we will be answering these questions via telephone. Please let your midwife know at your appointment if you would like a telephone appointment as well. - We ask that visits be limited to the pregnant person only. Family members who would like to participate may do so via phone or skype. Young children should not attend appointments except in situations of extreme difficulty accessing childcare. - Visitor restrictions are likely to come into place at the hospital. We will update you about what this will mean as we get more information. We also strongly recommend against family visiting while you are in the hospital. It is possible to share this virus even before you are symptomatic, and it is important we work together to protect our most vulnerable children, babies, and pregnant moms, as well as the staff who are working hard to care for them. - If in labour, page your midwife as normal at 705 541 7299. Expect more screening over the phone and in person. We know that pregnant women will be a vulnerable group during this outbreak. Please help us keep our community safe by practicing social distancing as recommended. As more information becomes available, we will be in contact.