Women and Children's Program

Doctor performing ultrasound

The Women and Children’s Program at Brockville General Hospital provides comprehensive, safe and quality patient and family-centred care to families and their children.

You can find the Women and Children’s Program on the first floor at the Charles Street main site.

Important notice regarding epidural catheter shortage:

Currently, BGH is not limiting access to epidural procedures.

Our team is carefully monitoring the status of a national shortage of epidural catheters, which are used to provide epidural anaesthesia for childbirth. We are working closely with our regional partners to carefully manage the current stock appropriately and developing a contingency plan should the shortage persist.

Every patient has the right to safe access to pain relief. It is important to note that while an epidural is the most common technique used for many patient populations, there are alternative techniques that have also proven to be safe and effective. Canadian anesthesiologists are expert in these techniques, and, like many other hospitals, we are now stocking up on equipment required for these alternative procedures.

We continue to work closely with the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society, Ontario Hospital Association, Ontario Health and other industry partners to monitor the situation, and we coordinating with our partner hospitals across Southeastern Ontario to ensure we continue to meet patient needs in the region.

Respiratory Illness

To protect yourself and your baby, BGH encourages all expecting persons - and your partners -to get vaccinated. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends pregnant people gets fully vaccinated if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. There is no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems.

By being vaccinated, you also help to keep other vulnerable patients and our healthcare workers safe.

Please note that unvaccinated partners will be restricted in your hospital experience, including,

Unvaccinated support persons are not permitted to attend a C-section birth in the Operating Room.
Unvaccinated support persons will be asked to leave after the vaginal birth of your child.
Unvaccinated support persons can only stay for one-hour post-birth or post-return to your patient room after a C-section. A vaccinated support person can come in their place once they leave.

Support persons must wear a medical mask at all times (medical masks will be provided upon arrival) when inside the building and pass hospital active screening.

Program services

The Women and Children’s Program provides many different services of care for women and children in Brockville and the area.

Obstetricial and Gynaecological

The program includes three obstetrician/gynaecologists, Dr. Kristin Finkenzeller, Dr. Kerry Howatt, and Dr. Tammy LeRiche.

The program is a clinical teaching unit and is involved in the training of medical students and residents (doctors who are specializing in obstetrics/gynaecology), who you may meet at some visits in our clinic. Together, the team provide a full range of general gynaecologic services including colposcopy, minimally invasive surgery, and pediatric and adolescent gynaecology.

The program promotes a healthy quality of life for women in four areas of care: colposcopy, gynaecology, urogynecology and mature women’s health services. Our doctors are a part of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

The obstetricians provide support to a team of midwives, who consult, as needed, for their patients in pregnancy and during delivery.

The offices of Dr. Kristin Finkenzeller, Dr. Kerry Howatt, and Dr. Tammy LeRiche may be contacted at 613-498-0740. Referrals may be faxed to 613-345-3036.

Pediatrics

Care providers in pediatrics, include Dr. Harvinder Chawla, and Dr. Karolina Burghardt.

Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy

You can receive full prenatal services through our obstetrics and gynaecology team if you know you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant.

BGH has adopted the recommendation from Sonography Canada to no longer disclose fetal sex during prenatal ultrasounds. This information, if available based on baby’s positioning and ultrasound timing, will be provided to the referring physician or midwife to share with the pregnant person, if desired.

Labour and delivery

The Women and Children’s Program ensures your privacy and comfort in all our pregnancy and delivery services. We provide safe, one-to-one nursing care with many delivery options to suit your needs and choices. The program offers vaginal and operative deliveries, including pain management options such as epidurals, available 24 hours per day. Whirlpool tubs and private rooms are available.

Women with low-risk pregnancies have the option for a natural, un-medicated birthing experience at the hospital with little medical intervention or technology.

Postnatal

After your baby is born, your healthcare team will provide 24-hour support, including instruction on skin-to-skin holding (also called kangaroo care), which helps newborns adjust to being outside the womb.

Your team may also use delayed cord clamping – a birth practice where the umbilical cord is not clamped or cut until after the pulsations have stopped or the placenta is delivered.

Your nurses and caregivers will also provide support with breastfeeding at all times.

Paediatric

The program offers 24-hour paediatric and neonatal coverage for your child’s safety and comfort. Through outpatient and inpatient consulting 24 hours per day, we can answer any questions you might have about your child’s health.

Midwifery

The Women and Children’s Program offers Generations Midwifery Care services in the hospital.

Surgery

Our health care teams are leaders in minimally invasive surgeries, including laparoscopic, vaginal hysterectomy and endometrial ablation.

Education

Learning is important to us. That’s why we participate in the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently Program, which builds and sustains a culture of safety through the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and practices.

Further education

Learn more about sexual health, preconception and babies, children’s health and nutrition at Healthunit.org.

For expecting mothers and their families, read more about The Mothers Program for the latest medical information on pregnancies.

OMama is a maternity care communication project that uses a website and phone app to securely store health records and provides access to trusted information on pregnancy, birth, postpartum and early parenting.

You can order the book, Healthy Beginnings, which offers valuable information on the needs of couples planning a pregnancy, pregnant women and new parents. You can also learn about healthy pregnancy with a guide developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

For more helpful resources, please follow these links,

Photo Gallery: Maternity will appear here on the public site.