Discussion points for parents-to-be

Choosing your health-care team
The arrival of a new baby usually means that parents develop a much closer relationship with their family physician and perhaps add a pediatrician to their health-care team. In large cities in central Canada, there are more pediatricians to choose among, and parents don't usually require a referral from their family physician. But smaller towns and rural areas often don't sustain a pediatric practice, although specialists may make weekly or monthly visits to the local hospital or clinic.

As your child's primary health caregiver, your family physician usually brings her knowledge of the whole family and its medical history to bear in her treatment. She can handle day-to-day medical problems and make the appropriate referrals to specialists like a pediatrician, if necessary. For most Canadian parents, a pediatrician requires a referral from a family physician before examining a child.

If you wish to add the services of a pediatrician, it's important to choose one before your baby is born. Begin your search by discussing the question with your family physician or with other parents who share your childcare views. Set up an appointment with one or two to find one with whom you're comfortable and whose attitudes toward treatment match your own.

Although your child probably won't need to visit a dentist before the age of three, make inquiries about dentists who treat lots of children. Their experience with kids, their knowledge of children's growth and development and how to keep them comfortable may make dental check-ups fun instead of an ordeal.

Choose your complementary health-care professionals with the same thoroughness with which you choose your doctors and dentists. Chiropractors and naturopaths are licensed practitioners with their own colleges and professional associations. Your pharmacist is also an important source of information, someone who can answer your questions about prescription drugs and help you choose appropriate over-the-counter medications.

Maternity leave and parental leave
You will want to learn as much as you can about the options both parents have in taking leave from work to care for your newborn. To find out which standards apply to you, you might check first with your employer's human resources department, then with the Ministry of Labour or its equivalent in your province or territory. Minimum provincial employment standards regarding leaves of absence and job protection vary from province to territory.

At the federal level, the government pays mothers on maternity leave through Employment Insurance. If a pregnant woman has been employed for at least 600 hours in the last 52 weeks before she gives birth, then she is entitled to 17 weeks of maternity leave (which includes a 2-week unpaid waiting period). The benefits equal 55 per cent of the individual's earnings over a certain number of weeks up to a maximum of $413 per week.

Employment Insurance also entities either parent (adoptive parents are included) to 10 weeks of paid parental leave. Eligible employees may be entitled to 35 weeks of Employment Insurance parental benefits. The parental leave benefits can be claimed by one parent or divided between them. Whether you are a birth or an adoptive parent, the parental leave must be taken within one year of the child's birth. Information about these benefits is available at any Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) office or Canada Employment Centre (CEC). Check the Blue Pages of your phone book.

Some family-friendly corporations or employers may offer benefits beyond the money and job protection offered by federal and provincial governments. You might be able to negotiate an extended leave with your employer, whether paid or unpaid, to stretch your time at home with baby. One partner might be able to secure a leave of absence or a sabbatical to start when the other's parental leave ends. Some couples save up vacation time and tack it on to their leave.

Childcare options
You might think it's a little early to be discussing childcare when your baby isn't even born. But good childcare, particularly if you want a daycare setting, can be difficult to come by in many Canadian communities. Some daycare centres have waiting lists for infant care that are 18 months long.

Ask your friends what worked best for their children, visit a few neighbourhood daycare centres and childcare providers to get a feel for what's available, and find out if a relative in the family could step in to take care of baby should you need her. Put your name on the waiting lists now. If it turns out you don't need or want the space, you've lost nothing or perhaps only a deposit.

If you decide to return to work after your maternity leave (and 80 per cent of mothers do return), your major concern will be securing good care for your baby while you're out of your home. The key questions you should ask a potential caregiver can be found here: Take good care of my baby. Once you've secured a caregiver for your child you might want to give them a printout of the Babysitter's checklist. You'll be glad you got a head start on the search.