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Video tour of IWK Health follows birthing journey

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A nurse confers with a new mother holding her baby in hospital bed.

IWK Health has released a new video tour of its birthing unit, “Giving Birth at IWK Health.” The two-minute video follows a birthing patient on a journey through admitting, Early Labour and Assessment Unit (ELAU), Birthing Unit (BU), Operating Room (OR), Family Newborn Care Unit (FNCU) through to being discharged from the hospital. 

“We’d love to take each individual birthing person on a physical tour of our site, but we know that isn’t possible,” says clinical nurse specialist Sheila Mills “With this tour video we’re highlighting the welcoming environment, and many of the different care areas they may encounter when giving birth at IWK.”

The video was created to not only meet the needs of the general population but also be accessible to newcomers. It has been translated into 11 languages and is available on the IWK website and IWK YouTube channel.

“We identified the need for this resource in response to conversations we had with patients as they approached the latter part of their pregnancy,” says Dr. Jocelyn Stairs, an obstetrician who works with an interdisciplinary team to provide prenatal care to newcomers to Canada, many of whom have limited English language skills.

“There are a lot of unknowns that can contribute to fear and stress in and around childbirth, especially if giving birth in a new country,” says Mills. “We hope this video can alleviate some of the fear surrounding the unknown and empower patients to feel safe and supported in their upcoming birth.”

“Being able to share a resource that shows where patients will be at each stage of their birth journey is such an asset,” says Stairs. “It not only decreases worry but provides an opportunity to answer their questions. To offer this resource in so many languages ensures that we are supporting as many birthing patients and families as possible.”

Funding was provided for this project from the Dalhousie Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Global Health Equity and Advocacy Unit, non-profit advocacy group She Decides, and the IWK Childbirth Care Team.