Hospital Visitor Policy

In light of the increased COVID-19 case numbers in our community, Trillium Health Partners (THP) is taking steps to minimize risk to staff and patients by reducing the number of people entering hospital premises.

As of December 21, 2021, THP is returning to Step 1 Essential Visitor Guidelines. In the interest of protecting our most vulnerable populations all visitors are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated and vaccination status will be confirmed by screeners on entry to the hospital. Because birth is acknowledged as a life event, the following exceptions are in place:

In Birthing Suites

  • 1 visitor/support person, can be unvaccinated with unit approval (partner OR doula OR other identified support person >12y of age)
  • Unlimited length of stay
  • No switching of visitors, regardless of vaccination status

In Mother-Baby/Postpartum Unit (after baby is born)

  • The same 1 visitor/support person who attended the birth IF that person is fully vaccinated, proof of full vaccination required
  • Can stay for duration of hospitalization
  • Unvaccinated support persons will not be allowed to enter the unit.

If you have any questions about the new visitor requirements, please reach out to discuss with your midwife team.

COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant and Breastfeeding People

The guidance from the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) regarding  recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination is that the COVID-19 vaccination is safe in any stage of pregnancy, and getting it as early as possible is the safest choice. Please review the document – your midwife team is happy to discuss any concerns or questions you may have. Click here to read the document.

For further info about getting the COVID-19 Booster in pregnancy, check out this great recorded Q+A session with Dr. Viki Male and Dr. Tali Bogler – that covers all stages of fertility (conception, pregnancy, breastfeeding). Click the image below, or here.


Clinic Visits

When you Arrive to Your Visit
Reminder that when you arrive to clinic, we ask that you log into Doxy, and wait in your car until your midwife contacts you for screening and to coordinate entry to clinic. We are hoping to avoid lobby “traffic jams” with people waiting in the hall instead of their cars. If you do not wish to use Doxy, please let your midwife team know in advance and they will contact you via phone.

Support People/Older Children at Clinic Visits
We continue to follow public health guidelines to minimize exposure risks for our clients and our midwives, and continue to request that all clients plan to attend their prenatal visits alone, regardless of vaccination status.

We are happy to include your partner or other family/support persons in a clinic visit via virtual means – either using Doxy, speakerphone, or other video-call phone apps. We definitely recognize the important role these folks play in your pregnancy and family, and appreciate your help in striking a balance between including them, and minimizing exposure risks for all.

Home Visits
To minimize risk to our clients and our team of midwives, we have a few requests regarding your postpartum home visits.

  • all people over the age of 2y must wear a mask for the duration of the midwife’s visit, regardless of vaccination status
  • we ask that only the birthing person and the baby are in the room while the midwife is present, in order to maintain social distancing requirements
  • if anyone in the home is symptomatic, we ask that they remain in another area of the house and do not participate in the visit. It is important to let your midwife know if anyone in the home is symptomatic, so we can wear the appropriate PPE.
  • your midwife will call you prior to your visit to answer questions and gather details in advance in order to keep the in-person visit as short as possible (with the goal of minimizing exposure for everyone)

Keeping Yourself and Your Family Safe

We know all the news of Omicron’s rapid spread has everyone stressed out, especially our pregnant folks who are at increased risk. We want to remind everyone that the basic public health precautions are still extremely effective, and there is even more benefit now to continue paying close attention to:

  • physical distancing indoors
  • minimizing contacts as much as possible
  • wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask
  • hand hygiene
  • vaccination and boosters

Thanks to all for your patience and understanding! As a reminder, we also post updates and other interesting tidbits along the way on our social media accounts on facebook: www.facebook.com/midwivesofmississauga and instagram: @MidwivesofMississauga