September 24, 2025

Loaning Breast Pumps 

We are fortunate to have 10 breast pumps for loan to families in need.  Please be mindful that when a pump is loaned to a family that has the means to either rent their own or wait a day or 2 until their NIHB pump comes in, we are limiting the number of pumps available to moms who do not have those options.  Additionally, we are absorbing the cost of the pump kits (which we are going through way faster with 10 pumps for loan).   It is also additional nursing resource use to send out and retrieve the loaned pumps.  Please remember that our pumps are to be loaned to families who do not have the means to rent or buy their own.  

Fit Testing 

We are scheduling a fit testing day for those that are coming due.  Nicole will be in touch to book in your time if its close to expiry. 

We are in need of a new Peer Fit Tester.  If anyone is interested in taking on that role starting in January - please contact Nicole.  There is a 8 hour training day and then likely 2-3 days of peer testing / year.  

TLR

TLR recert day will be October 15th from 12:30-4pm.  Please contact Nicole if you need to renew this year. 

Leave Requests

The leave request form on the blog is not working for everyone & I apologize.  I'm still learning the tech for the blog & haven't had time to problem solve that one yet.  

If you are unable to be at work in time to fill out a shift change form, please email them to Kerry. 

Text messages are not acceptable, as I have a hard time to keep track of them.  I can print out your email easily and it ensures that the information is accurate and the request is reviewed properly.  Thanks! 

National Breastfeeding Week

Register HERE for Oct 1 session

Register HERE for Oct 2 session

Register HERE for Oct 3 session

NEW Staff members

Please take the time to introduce yourselves to the new OAAs who have joined our team.  

Melissa Ernst has completed her orientation and is working casually for us along with her other casual job in registration.  

Erica Haas has accepted the permanent part time OAA position and will complete her orientation this week.  She comes from Sexual Health @ Idylwyld Centre.  A lot of the processes and applications are new to her, but she is catching on quickly.  

Anwar Khan will begin orientation at the end of October and will be another casual OAA. He comes from Home Care scheduling. 

Rachael Sperling will return from her maternity leave starting September 30th! Yay!! 

With the addition of these new staff members, hopefully we will have more stability in the OAA role.  They are an integral part of our team.  

Thanks to everyone who pitched in during the transition and for all your patience.   

RN License renewal 

Its that time of year again! License renewal opens Oct 1 on the CRNS website.  This year there is an added twist.  NO employer paid option.  As a result, you will have to pay upfront for your license and then submit for reimbursement through MyConnection.  Below is a screen shot of how to access the appropriate reimbursement process.  Follow the prompts and Chelsea said she will be swift to approve the requests. Hopefully this will ensure that you are not holding the balance for long. 

If you have any questions or run into hiccups, please let Kerry or Chelsea know.

In Hospital Birth Questionnaires (IHBQ)

It was great to have the staff from Kid's First present at our Team Meeting Day.  They have provided us with some program cards which I have left at the Kid's First desk.  Additional referral forms are in the grey filling cabinet in front of the TL desk.

I have posted a copy of the 'Instructions for Completion' form about what criteria that warrants scoring on the IHBQ in the Kid's First cubicle, and another inside the KF folder.  Please read it over and familiarized yourself with the guidelines so that we can be more consistent in how we are filling in the questionnaire among all staff members. 

A few key take aways from their presentation:

• Self referral is the best way for clients to be accepted into the program
• Even if they say they are already part of KF - they can still participate in the questionnaire if they wish as it is used for other purposes. 
• Ensuring that every part of the questionnaire is filled out is important
• You don't have to ask the questions in order - sometimes the loss question at the end is easier to ask when you ask about other children in the home.
• Any family who uses the food back qualifies to score on the financial difficulties question
• Prolonged maternal separation is 5 days or more 
• Vaping isn't counted in the smoking section

If you have any questions, concerns or feedback for the KF staff, please email it to me and I will pass it along.  They are very receptive to our comments and questions as it facilitates their work.  They will be sending some additional helpful tips and comments as well that I will pass onto all of you. 

September 17, 2025

Tongue Tie Webinar 

September 15, there was a webinar about Tongue Ties.  It was good. Below is a link to the recording if you're interested in watching it. Something we run into often!

Dr. Rajeev Agarwal Presentation: From Evaluation to Aftercare: A Pediatrician's Perspective on Tongue-Tie Care

Abstract: Frenectomy can help with the breastfeeding dysfunction that is associated with ankyloglossia. Successful return to breastfeeding and improvement of symptoms for the dyad is the goal of the procedure. The procedure can cause significant anxiety in parents who often resort to reaching out on social media and getting inadequate and incorrect information. Appropriate medical and lactation evaluation is important for patient selection to ensure both medical appropriateness of the procedure and family readiness. Once the decision is made with input from both the physician and lactation professionals, pre and post procedure information and support plays a vital role in the success of the procedure. Learn more about what should be taken into consideration when deciding if and when to proceed with frenectomy, pre-fenectomy preparation of the family and post-frenectomy management and support

Click here to watch  The recording is available until Oct 15

September 23 - Team Meeting

Our team meeting is NEXT WEEK!  Maddie is organizing a lunch order from White Lotus Restaurant (click for the menu). If you're interested in participating get your order in (e-transfer to maddfent@gmail.com) before Monday September 22 @ 12:00.

Cultural Responsiveness Quilt

In preparation for Truth and Reconciliation Day and to cultivate more cultural awareness in the care we give, Nicole has created a Cultural Responsiveness Quilt Activity.  

Here is a sample of the quilt you can work on.  Complete the activities listed in the squares, create a pretty pattern and submit your work to Kerry or Nicole by October 3 end of day to enter a prize draw. 

There are hard copies available at the office for you to work on, or print your own from this picture.

Cultural Responsiveness Quilt Activity

Be the first to complete all the squares on the quilt & win a prize!! Contact Nicole at nicole.kissick@saskhealthauthority.ca when you’re complete & see if you’re a WINNER!

**Please refer to the following links to complete your quilt squares**

1.      Infant Feedings Teachings from Indigenous Grandmothers

https://www.saskoer.ca/northernhealthcare/chapter/chapter-19-infant-feeding-teachings-from-indigenous-grandmothers-generating-knowledge-through-sharing-circles/

2.      The Meaning behind Ribbon Skirts and Shirts: Cultural significance explained

https://youtu.be/DynT7GhVQos

3.       All My Relations Podcast: Birthing the next 7 generations

https://podcasts.apple.com/sl/podcast/reproductive-justice-birthing-the-next-7-generations/id1454424563?i=1000680894624

4.      Indigenous Women: Significance, teachings, and sacredness to Indigenous people

https://youtu.be/UYa4AcSrfKc

5.      What does Two Spirit mean?

https://youtu.be/A4lBibGzUnE

6.      NICM: The Power of Milk Medicine

https://youtu.be/YgVwxWZC-wc

7.      Building the Rock your Roots Walk for Reconciliation

https://youtu.be/nhq-epZX0fU

8.      The Creator’s Gift to Mothers

https://youtu.be/rkaxLGI5WBw

9.      SHA Health-related Calls to Action

https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/sites/default/files/2021-09/SHA-TRC-Report-Calls-To-Action.pdf

10. Phyllis Webstad: On Orange Shirt Day https://orangeshirtday.org/reconciliation-hub/resources/

September 10, 2025

 

You are warmly invited to join the Moose Hide Campaign for a special webinar in honour of the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. September 22, 2025 1pm ET / 10am PT Online - Free to Attend It has been ten years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its Final Report and 94 Calls to Action. This webinar offers space to reflect on the progress made, the challenges that remain, and the journey that lies ahead. We are honoured to be joined by Elder Barb Ward-Burkitt, Executive Director of the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, and Raven Lacerte, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Moose Hide Campaign. Together, they will share reflections about the ongoing journey of reconciliation in Canada, offering wisdom, truth, and hope for the collective path forward. All are welcome. Whether this is your first time joining us or you have been walking alongside the campaign for years, your presence matters. Register Here FREE Webinar Sometimes deciding on a tongue-tie release isn’t clear-cut — and neither is knowing what aftercare should look like. That's exactly why you won't want to miss Dr. Rajeev Agarwal's free keynote on Monday, Sept. 15. Dr. Agarwal is presenting "From Evaluation to Aftercare: A Pediatrician's Perspective on Tongue-Tie Care" – a brand new session shaped by his clinical expertise and work through his specialized tongue-tie program at Tongue Tie Kids. His approach blends compassion with evidence, and he’s breaking down the full arc of care: when to consider a release, how to prepare families, and what truly supports healing after the procedure. What makes this essential: How to decide if a dyad is really a candidate for frenectomy What families need before the procedure Using the FLIP tool effectively Supporting the dyad post-frenectomy for the best outcomes What the first 24 hours usually look like Pain control, wound development, exercises, and more Two live sessions to fit your schedule: • Session 1: 16:00 UTC (9am PDT / 12pm EDT) • Session 2: 22:00 UTC (3pm PDT / 6pm EDT) Can't make it live? No problem – you'll get on-demand access too. Register Here Best Start Resources Perinatal Services BC has taken over the formula preparation education material that was previously available through Best Start (Ontario).  I have updated the pdf link in all the phones.  The multiple languages it used to be offered in are no longer available however 😢so the links have been removed.  Here is a link to the newest version of the document. Infant Formula -What you need to know RSV Information The Provincial Pediatric RSV Program of Saskatchewan, with support from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health and the Maternal and Child Executive Leadership Team, is pleased to announce upcoming changes to RSV prophylaxis for babies and high-risk young children with the introduction of nirsevimab (Beyfortus™). Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody that provides protection against severe RSV for at least five months after a single injection. Beginning October 1 through March 31, nirsevimab will be available to all babies born during the RSV season, after birth and prior to hospital discharge. High-risk infants and children born before the RSV season will continue to be eligible for RSV antibodies and will receive their injections as outpatients in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Regina, provided by the RSV program coordinators. Families of these children will be contacted directly by the RSV Program to set up an appointment for injection. Below is some additional information that was circulated - won't apply to us directly as it will be administered prior to discharge. Parents may have some questions for us and its important to remain informed.                        New Podcast Check out the Evidence-based Birth Podcast to learn more about the research evidence on many hot topics surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. The goal of this podcast is to help healthcare workers build evidence-based knowledge, skills, and power that is essential to protect families’ ability to give birth with empowerment. Some favorite episodes included: EBB334-Crash Course in Perinatal Mood disorders EBB336-Team EBB’s Top tips for Bringing your Baby home from the hospital EBB360-Overcoming Challenges with low milk supply

September 3, 2025

 Stats

Filling out the stats at the bottom of the flow sheets is VERY important.  These stats help us see trends and give us objective data that is hard to collect otherwise.  Our work is generally very subjective and based on our expert analysis.  When presenting our work to some decision makers, who are more removed from our work, these numbers are VERY valuable to justify our position as they are indisputable.  

Especially when we have a lot of casual OAAs filling in for us, making sure the stats are completed is even more important.  Please ensure the data is completed before discharging your charts. 

SLP Referrals

We had a follow up meeting with the SLPs to see how referrals were going since they made us aware of  their triage process.   They stated that the number has significantly reduced and that they are happy with the referrals we are sending.  We know that the demand for their service far exceeds their capacity.  They have asked us to do the following:

1. Continue to send referrals that we think are appropriate.
2. Keep track of the number of clients who we would benefit from an SLP referral, but we know will never get seen because of capacity.  This includes those that we refer to private SLP. I have added this stat to the TL list to be collected at end of day- both home visits and BFC clients. 

As a refresher and for future reference I have posted the SLP triage criteria again below:

There is now ONE intake for publicly funded SLP referrals.  Upon receipt of the referral, it is triaged using the following criteria:

The following referrals will be prioritized as URGENT:

• ·          weight loss/falling off growth curve/failure to thrive
• ·         coughing/choking/congestion with or post feeds
• ·         no established feeding method (breast OR bottle)
• ·         significant feeding aversion or significant stress cues ( bottle/ breast refusal resulting in no feeding method, irregular breathing, significant arching, finger splay)

**Above concerns would be booked same week or within 1 week (as staffing allows).

If there are concerns with the infants motor skills, muscle tone, signs of plagiocephaly/torticollis a referral can be made to Outpatient Physical Therapy and JPCH. 

 

        Feeding Referrals can be sent to pediatricfeedingintake@saskhealthauthority.ca  

     PT referrals can be sent to jpchphysicaltherapy@saskhealthauthority.ca

Dr Brown's Specialty Feeding System (SFS)

We may be seeing more babies discharged from the hospital using the Dr. Brown’s Specialty Feeding System.  SLP stated that initially these specialty feeding systems were solely reserved for a small, higher risk population of infants (ie. babies born with cleft lip and palate or other rare craniofacial anomalies).  However, now they are finding that they are helpful for a broader group of infants. We may see them used for premature babies or babies with ankyloglossia, high-arched palate, or oro-neuromotor dysfunction.

Check out the video to learn more about how the Dr. Brown’s Specialty Feeding System works. https://vimeo.com/1063251960?fl=pl&fe=sh