Lambton Family HubMidwifery Services of Lambton-Kent
Sarnia’s midwifery practice: care through pregnancy, labour and birth, and for six weeks after, from Walpole Island to Grand Bend, Watford and Dresden.
Prenatal and postpartum support in Lambton County
Everything for expecting and new parents in Sarnia and Lambton County, in one place: finding care, classes, having your baby, the first weeks home, your mental health, money and paperwork.
Where are you right now?
See prenatal classes and baby programs coming upNeed help right now?
Bleeding, severe pain, a baby who won’t wake or feed, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby can’t wait. Call 911 or go to the Bluewater Health emergency department, 89 Norman St, Sarnia.
Coming up
Classes, circles and baby programs
Prenatal classes, parent gatherings and baby programs in the next six weeks, soonest first. Each one opens its own page with the details.
For expecting and new parents
Baby programs
See 1 more
Running a class or group for expecting or new parents? Submit your event and it will show here and on the main events list.
Pregnant
While you’re pregnant
Finding someone to look after you, learning what to expect, and talking through your choices.
Find prenatal care
A family doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife can care for you through pregnancy. You don’t need a referral for a midwife.
Health Care Connect
Ontario’s free program that matches people without a family doctor or nurse practitioner to one taking new patients. You can register the whole family.
North Lambton Community Health Centre
Primary care for registered clients at sites in Forest, Sarnia, Watford and Kettle Point. Families with small children are a priority group.
Association of Ontario Midwives: Find a Midwife
Search by address for the midwifery practices that serve where you live.
Lambton Public Health: Healthy Pregnancies
Lambton Public Health’s guide to a healthy pregnancy, with its classes, nurse line and pregnancy counselling in one place.
Prenatal classes and groups
Lambton Public Health: Prenatal Classes
Interactive online classes with public health nurses: labour and positions, breastfeeding and latching, bathing your baby, and a plan for support after the birth.
Radiant Community Centre
A Sarnia community space for pregnancy, birth and new families, started by doulas: a free Pregnancy Circle, in-person prenatal classes, a free Wednesday Postpartum Play Cafe, doula support and a lending library.
All your pregnancy options
Confidential, judgment-free information on every choice: continuing the pregnancy, adoption, or abortion.
Lambton Public Health: Sexual Health Clinic
Pregnancy testing and counselling from a nurse on every option, with help connecting to abortion services. Also free emergency contraception.
Action Canada Access Line
A confidential, pro-choice national line with information and referrals on all pregnancy options, including abortion providers and help with costs and travel.
National Abortion Federation Hotline
Referrals to accredited abortion providers in Canada, and help with costs through its patient assistance fund.
Birth
Having your baby
Babies in Lambton County are born at Bluewater Health in Sarnia, or at home or in hospital with a midwife.
Bluewater Health, Sarnia
Bluewater Health: Maternal Infant Child program
Lambton County’s hospital birthing unit, with private labour, birth, recovery and postpartum rooms, epidurals available around the clock, an Indigenous birthing room and a Special Care Nursery.
Bluewater Health: Before your baby is born
The hospital’s prenatal page: the pre-admission clinic, virtual tours, and handouts on baby movement, Tdap, Rh factor, Group B Strep, induction and early pregnancy loss.
New baby
The first weeks with your baby
Free help at home, on the phone and at drop-ins, and places to meet other new parents.
Care for you and your baby at home
Lambton Public Health: Family Health Line
Free line to a public health nurse for questions about pregnancy, feeding, your baby’s growth and development, and parenting. Ask here about the next car seat clinic too.
Healthy Babies Healthy Children
A free, voluntary Lambton Public Health program: support in pregnancy, a phone call after your baby is born, and home visits from a public health nurse.
Postpartum and Newborn Midwifery Care Program
Free midwife visits after you leave hospital, for families with no family doctor or paediatrician, or no OHIP: baby checks, weight and jaundice checks, feeding help and a check on you.
First Five Program
Free health and development care for children from birth to 5 who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, from North Lambton Community Health Centre’s team. OHIP isn’t needed.
Lambton Public Health: Immunization clinics
Free routine vaccines for babies and children whose families don’t have a health care provider, plus flu and COVID clinics. The flu shot is recommended in pregnancy.
Safe sleep for babies
Bluewater Health’s own guide to safe sleep from birth to 12 months.
Feeding your baby
Help with breastfeeding, chestfeeding, pumping and formula, from public health nurses and peer supporters.
Ask a Public Health Nurse drop-ins
Free drop-ins at EarlyON centres and other places across Lambton, where public health nurses help with breastfeeding, infant feeding, newborn care and growth. Lambton Public Health’s main feeding support.
Health811 breastfeeding support
A registered nurse any time, day or night, by phone or online chat, including breastfeeding help that can refer you to in-person support.
Ontario Breastfeeds
Ontario’s directory of infant-feeding help, from public health units to 24/7 phone support.
La Leche League Canada
Volunteer breastfeeding peer support, with online meetings across Ontario and phone help. There’s no Lambton group right now; the nearest in-person group is in Windsor.
Meet other parents
Free places to go with your baby. See Coming up for dated classes and baby programs.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres
Free drop-in play and parenting programs for children up to 6 and their grown-ups, at centres across Lambton County. Some centres have baby-only times.
Lambton County Library: Baby Rhyme Time
Free half hours of songs, rhymes and lap bounces for babies and their grown-ups at library branches across the county. Toddler Tales follows from about 18 months.
Help and money
Looking after your family
Your mental health, money and paperwork, child care, and help with food and baby things.
Your mental health
Feeling low, anxious, angry or not like yourself during pregnancy or after the birth is common, and help works. You don’t have to wait until it’s a crisis.
Family Counselling Centre: Postpartum Program
Help for parents having a hard time after a baby: a counsellor, an eight-week support group, phone check-ins and a self-help guide. Run with Lambton Public Health and St. Clair Child and Youth Services.
Postpartum Support International HelpLine
Free help line and free online peer support groups for anxiety and depression in pregnancy and after birth, open to Canadians. Call or text.
CMHA Lambton Kent crisis line
Free crisis support by phone for Sarnia and Lambton, any time, day or night.
Pregnancy and infant loss
PAIL Network
Free, peer-led support for Ontario families after a miscarriage, stillbirth, termination or the death of a baby: online groups by type of loss and one-to-one phone support.
St. Joseph’s Hospice of Sarnia-Lambton
Grief and bereavement support groups in Sarnia, including a program for children.
Money, leave and paperwork
Register your baby’s birth (newborn bundle)
One free online form that registers the birth and applies for the birth certificate, your baby’s SIN, the Canada Child Benefit and the Ontario Child Benefit, and an education savings referral.
EI maternity and parental benefits
Employment Insurance pay while you’re off work: up to 15 weeks of maternity benefits, then standard parental benefits (up to 35 weeks) or extended ones (up to 61 weeks).
Pregnancy and parental leave
Your right to unpaid, job-protected leave under Ontario law: up to 17 weeks of pregnancy leave and up to 61 or 63 weeks of parental leave.
Canada Child Benefit
A tax-free monthly payment for families with children under 18. Apply through the newborn bundle or your CRA account, not both.
Ontario Child Benefit
A monthly payment for low- and moderate-income families. It comes automatically with the Canada Child Benefit when you file your taxes each year.
Having a child: benefits and credits
The Canada Revenue Agency’s one page on every federal benefit and tax credit that changes when you have a baby.
Canada Learning Bond
Free federal money toward a low-income family’s child’s education savings: $500 to start, up to $2,000. You don’t have to put in any money of your own.
Ontario Works pregnancy and breastfeeding allowance
Families on Ontario Works can get an extra monthly food allowance during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Ask your caseworker.
Ontario Works, County of Lambton
Monthly help with food and rent for people in financial need, delivered by the County of Lambton.
Emergency Assistance
Short-term money for food and housing in a crisis, such as facing eviction or leaving an abusive relationship, if you’re not already on Ontario Works or ODSP.
Child care after your leave
OneList child care waitlist
Lambton’s one waitlist for licensed child care. Add your name for several centres, early, and keep your details up to date.
Child care fee subsidy, County of Lambton
Help paying for licensed child care for children up to 12, based on family income and need.
$10-a-day child care in Lambton
The County’s page on the Canada-wide plan that is lowering licensed child care fees toward an average of $10 a day.
Food and baby supplies
We couldn’t find a diaper bank in Lambton County. These are the places that help with food, clothing and household things; ask what baby items they have.
Inn of the Good Shepherd Food Bank
Sarnia’s main food bank, set up like a grocery store. Ask whether baby food, formula or diapers are in stock.
Salvation Army Sarnia: Community and Family Services
Emergency food, help with some bills, and clothing and household things for families in need across Lambton County.
211 Ontario
Free help finding food banks, baby supplies and other services near you, any time.
Indigenous families
Aamjiwnaang Health Centre: Healthy Babies Healthy Children
Home visits by nurses and home visitors, and help with pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, nutrition and parenting, plus a parents’ drop-in. For Aamjiwnaang members who are pregnant or have children 6 and under.
Kettle and Stony Point Health Services: Maternal and Child Health
Family planning, prenatal classes, new-baby checks, mom-and-baby programs, immunizations and breastfeeding support for the community.
Walpole Island Health Centre
Healthy Babies Healthy Children and the prenatal nutrition program, with prenatal, postnatal and parenting workshops for Bkejwanong families.
Ska:na EarlyON Child and Family Centre
A free EarlyON centre with programs rooted in Indigenous culture and language, for children 6 and under and their grown-ups. Every family is welcome.
Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children (Ontario)
The province’s page on free prenatal, postnatal and early years support for Indigenous families with children up to 6.
Newcomer families
YMCA Newcomer Settlement Program
One-on-one help for newcomers in Sarnia-Lambton, with information and referrals for health care, housing, legal help, money, work and school.
Live in Lambton
The County of Lambton’s newcomer site, with local settlement services, language classes and community supports.
If you’re not safe at home
Women’s Interval Home of Sarnia-Lambton
24-hour crisis line and emergency shelter for women, with or without children, leaving abuse, plus counselling for children and help finding housing.
Your checklist
From a positive test to six weeks
The things that are easy to forget, roughly in the order they come up. Each one links to where you do it.
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As soon as you know
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In the middle months
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Months 6 and 7
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The first days home
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Within 30 days
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The first six weeks and after
Questions
Questions parents ask
Where can I take prenatal classes in Sarnia and Lambton County?
Lambton Public Health runs online prenatal classes on Wednesdays, daytime or evening, with a new session each month; register through the Family Health Line, 519-383-3817. Radiant Community Centre at 109 Mitton Street South in Sarnia runs in-person classes and a free Pregnancy Circle. Dates are under Coming up on this page.
How do I get a midwife in Sarnia?
Midwifery Services of Lambton-Kent, 350 Christina Street North, Sarnia, cares for families from Walpole Island to Grand Bend, Watford and Dresden. You don’t need a doctor’s referral and there’s no cost to you. Fill in the form on their website as early in pregnancy as you can, or call 519-337-2229.
How do I find a doula in Sarnia?
Radiant Community Centre, 109 Mitton Street South in Sarnia, was started by birth and postpartum doulas and offers doula support for pregnancy, birth and the weeks after. Its website, radiantcentre.ca, has its doula services and how to book.
Where do you have a baby in Lambton County?
Bluewater Health’s Maternal Infant Child program, on Level 3 of the Norman Building at 89 Norman Street in Sarnia, has private labour, birth, recovery and postpartum rooms, epidurals around the clock and a Special Care Nursery. Its labour and delivery unit is for 32 weeks or more, and its website has virtual tours.
I don’t have a family doctor. Who will check my baby?
Midwifery Services of Lambton-Kent’s Postpartum and Newborn program visits families with no family doctor, paediatrician or OHIP, at no cost. North Lambton Community Health Centre’s First Five Program cares for children from birth to 5 without a doctor or nurse practitioner. Health Care Connect, through 811, matches families to a provider taking new patients.
Where can I get breastfeeding help in Lambton?
Lambton Public Health’s Ask a Public Health Nurse drop-ins run at EarlyON centres and other sites across the county, and its Family Health Line is 519-383-3817. Health811 has a nurse, including breastfeeding support, any time of day or night.
Is there postpartum depression support in Sarnia?
Yes. The Family Counselling Centre’s Postpartum Program, run with Lambton Public Health and St. Clair Child and Youth Services, has a counsellor, an eight-week support group and phone check-ins: 519-336-0120. In a crisis, call or text 988, or call the CMHA Lambton Kent crisis line, 1-800-307-4319, any time.
How do I register my baby’s birth in Ontario?
Use ServiceOntario’s online newborn bundle within 30 days of the birth. One form registers the birth and applies for the birth certificate, your baby’s SIN and the Canada and Ontario child benefits. Registering is free online for the first 12 months.
Where can I talk about all my pregnancy options?
Lambton Public Health’s Sexual Health Clinic in Point Edward offers pregnancy testing and nurse counselling on every option, with help connecting to abortion services: 519-383-8331, ext. 3547. The Action Canada Access Line, 1-888-642-2725, gives confidential information and referrals.
Shared to help families find care. Being listed here isn’t an endorsement, and nothing here replaces advice from your own doctor, midwife or nurse. Services change: call ahead before you go.
Know a service for new and expecting parents that should be here?
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