Postpartum Group Support in Calgary

Group Prenatal Care Program

For patients of Low Risk Maternity Care delivering at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Physician-led sessions combining prenatal care appointments with labour preparation classes.

If you are a patient of the Low Risk Maternity Care group, delivering at the Foothills Medical Centre, you have the option to join our Group Prenatal Care program as an alternative to individual clinic appointments at Care Medical in your third trimester.

Here are a few reasons why you might choose to take part:

You want to prepare for labour by learning from a physician who works at the hospital where you will be delivering.
You want to be able to have more time to ask questions and discuss topics with your physician.
You are keen to meet other expecting parents and build a supportive community.

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About Our Prenatal Program

We provide support, education and community as you prepare for the birth of your baby.

Our prenatal education program is unique in that it is led by a physician.

Our facilitator, Dr. Ooi, is thrilled to be able to engage in discussions that provide more information to supplement what patients receive in their one-on-one office appointments with their care providers.
Our curriculum covers all of the important topics for expecting parents - both the ones that you’re wondering about AND the ones that you didn’t realize you wanted to learn about.

Our sessions are dedicated to delivering information that is both evidence-based and specific to the care offered at the Foothills Medical Centre where you will be delivering.

While our curriculum covers a wide range of essential topics, we always encourage questions and tailor our discussions to the specific needs of our participants.
Our groups meet every two weeks for a total of four sessions in your late second and third trimester.
Each patient has 5-10 minutes of time with the physician when we check blood pressure and weight, measure baby’s growth, and listen to baby’s heartbeat. The group spends an hour together in discussion.
Half of the patients attend before the hour-long discussion for their one-on-one time, and the other half stay after the discussion. Each patient spends about an hour and a half at the clinic.
Our primary objective is to create an inclusive environment where we can foster engaging and meaningful discussion. By actively involving parents in the discussion, we aspire to not only enhance your learning but also to provide reassurance and empower you as you learn both from and with other families who are going through similar experiences and challenges.

Our goal is to help you build a community that will support you as you embark on your parenthood journey.

Group Prenatal Care Program

Physician-led sessions combining prenatal care appointments with labour preparation classes!

For patients of Low Risk Maternity Care

Classes are held at Ensemble Healthcare on Friday mornings.

Each group meets for 4 sessions that are held every second week in their late second/third trimester.

TOPICS

Stages of Labour

Coping in Labour & Pain Management Options

Labour Interventions including Assisted Delivery (Vacuum, Forceps and C-Section), Induction & Perineal Tears

Members of the Care Team at the Hospital & What to Pack for your Labour and Hospital Stay

Breastfeeding Preparation & Newborn Safety

CLASSES RUN MONTHLY

Next Session Starts September 26th for patients due in December

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Our program is available to all patients of Low Risk Maternity Care.

As this service is delivered by a family physician, it is covered by Alberta Health.

If you have Alberta Health coverage there is no cost to you for taking part in the program.

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Postpartum Group Support Programs FAQs

Group participants will not need to book individual clinic appointments during the months when they are attending group sessions, with the following exceptions:
- If you have an issue that you would like to discuss privately with one of our clinic physicians.
- All patients must book an individual appointment between 36-37 weeks for their GBS swab.
Dr. Jan Ooi is a member of the Low Risk Maternity Care group and the founder of Ensemble Healthcare.
In 2015 Dr. Ooi established the Group Prenatal Care program offered by the Low Risk Maternity Care group, and oversaw the program until it went on hiatus during the pandemic. She is excited to be able to offer the program again as she is passionate about group care.
Learn more about Dr. Ooi here.
Our classes have limited capacity, and your registration reserves a spot that could be filled by another participant.
We understand that life can be unpredictable, if you choose not to take part in the program, please contact us via email (info@ensemblehealthcare.ca) to cancel your registration AND contact the Low Risk Maternity Care clinic to schedule individual appointments in your third trimester.
At this time, we are not able to offer make-up classes. If you have miss a class due to illness or other unavoidable reasons please call the Low Risk Maternity Care clinic to book an appointment to replace the group session.
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule classes due to unforeseen circumstances, such as instructor illness or inclement weather. In such cases, we will make every effort to notify participants in advance and provide alternative arrangements.
We are excited to welcome you to the group room in our clinic. We are located on the third floor of the Market Mall Professional Building, around the corner from the Low Risk Maternity Care clinic at Care Medical. There is plenty of free parking.
We keep our groups small at 4-6 families to allow for discussion and to ensure that we have time to answer everyone’s questions.