The Women and Child Care Unit (WCCU) is located in the Owen Sound Regional Hospital and provides care for women and children (up to 18 years of age) in Grey and Bruce counties. Our multidisciplinary team includes four Paediatricians, five Obstetrician/Gynaecologists, specially trained Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Social Worker, Support Services, Clinical Nutritionist and Midwives.
The team on WCCU provides care for approximately 800 births each year. New mothers and their babies are cared for together in the same room after the birth. Outpatient services include a Birth Preparation Clinic and Lactation Consultant support.
Our Paediatric team provides care to acutely ill children admitted for medical, surgical, cancer care and occasionally psychiatric reasons. In the Special Care Nursery, the team cares for very sick newborns and premature babies. There is a mothers’ sleep room available, for a small cost, for the mothers of infants in the nursery who will be going home within a few days.
The WCCU team also cares for women having gynaecological surgery who require a hospital admission.
Brightshores Health System Owen Sound Regional Hospital is Baby-Friendly
The Owen Sound hospital is the first hospital in the area, and the fourth in Ontario to be formally designated as “Baby-Friendly.”
The Baby-Friendly Initiative was initiated in 1991. A Baby-Friendly hospital promotes breastmilk as the best food for optimal growth for infants, reduces barriers to successful breastfeeding and works to ensure supports are in place for breastfeeding families.
Resources
- La Leche League Canada: www.lllc.ca
- 24 Hour Cribside Assistance: www.newdadmanual.ca
- Canadian Paediatric Society Parent Website: www.caringforkids.ca
- Best Start Ontario for Parents: https://en.beststart.org/for_parent
- Bilingual Online Ontario Breastfeeding Services: www.ontariobreastfeeds.ca
- Grey Bruce Public Health Unit: https://www.publicehealthgreybruce.on.ca/Your-health/child-and-family-Health/Infants
- Your Guide to Postpartum Health and Caring for Your Baby: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/child-infant-health/postpartum-health-guide.html
- 10 Great Reasons to Breastfeed your Baby: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/10-great-reasons-to-breastfeed-your-baby.html
- Baby product safety: https:/www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/nursery-products.html
- Child car seat safety: https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/child-car-seat-safety