Giving Birth in Vancouver: Choosing a Hospital, What to Pack and What Happens After — Part 2

In Vancouver, where you give birth is mostly decided by one thing: the hospital where your own maternity care provider has privileges. From there, your job is to register with that hospital, pack a sensible hospital bag, know when to call and when to go in, and understand the first paperwork of your baby's life — birth registration, which in BC can also start your baby's SIN, Canada Child Benefit, and MSP coverage in one combined online application. This part walks you through each of those steps in order.

📚 Pregnancy in Canada — 3-Part Series

• Part 1 (Preparation): Part 1 (Preparation)
• Part 2 (Hospital & Birth): Part 2 (Hospital & Birth)
• Part 3 (Maternity Benefits): Part 3 (Maternity Benefits)

How is your birth hospital decided?

You generally do not pick a birth hospital the way you pick a hotel. Your family doctor, registered midwife, or obstetrician delivers at the hospital (or hospitals) where they hold privileges, and that is where you will give birth. In Vancouver, the best-known option is BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, the largest maternity hospital in BC, and St. Paul's Hospital is another main downtown maternity site. When you choose your care provider in early pregnancy — the subject of Part 1 — you are, in effect, also choosing your hospital, so it is worth asking at your first appointment: "Where do you deliver, and is that where I will go?"

Midwives add one extra choice: registered midwives in BC can support birth in hospital or at home, for people whose pregnancies are suitable for it. If a home birth is something you are considering, raise it early with your midwife so the planning, equipment, and backup arrangements are part of your care from the start.

Do you need to register with the hospital, and can you tour it?

Yes — expect to register with your birth hospital during pregnancy rather than simply showing up in labour. Your care provider will tell you when and how their hospital handles registration, and completing it in advance means your information is already on file when the big day comes. Many hospitals also offer tours or orientation information for expecting parents. A tour will not change how your labour goes, but knowing where to park, which entrance to use at 3 a.m., and what the rooms look like removes a surprising amount of stress. Ask your provider or check the hospital's website for what is currently offered, and do it in the second trimester or early third, while you still have energy for errands.

What should you pack in your hospital bag?

Pack by person, and pack earlier than you think — having the bag ready in the third trimester means one less thing to think about when contractions start. Hospital stays in BC are short, so think "comfort and essentials," not "everything you own."

For the birthing parent

• Health card and ID
• Comfortable clothes for labour and going home
• Toiletries and lip balm
• Nursing bra or comfortable bra
• Phone and charger
• Snacks for after the birth

For the baby

• Infant car seat (installed or ready to install)
• A going-home outfit
• A small blanket
• Diapers for the trip home (check what the hospital provides)

For the partner or support person

• Snacks and drinks
• Phone charger
• A change of clothes
• Entertainment for a long wait
• Copies of important documents

Two items on this list deserve emphasis. First, the car seat: it is not optional gear, it is a legal requirement for driving your baby home, and it appears in its own section below. Second, your health card and ID: having them in the bag, not in a drawer at home, speeds up admission when you arrive.

When should you call, and when should you go in?

Every provider gives their own instructions, so follow the guidance you were given first. As general guidance: call your care provider — or HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, where nurses are available 24 hours a day and translation support is offered — if you are unsure whether what you are feeling is labour, if your water breaks, if you notice bleeding, if the baby's movements change noticeably, or if contractions are becoming regular and stronger. Early labour is often spent at home, and your provider can help you judge when it is time to head to the hospital. When in doubt, call: maternity teams would always rather answer a "false alarm" call than meet a parent who waited too long at home worrying. Write your provider's number and the hospital's number on the fridge and in your phone now, not later.

What do labour, delivery, and the hospital stay generally look like?

Labour and delivery vary enormously from person to person, and your team will guide you through yours moment by moment. In general terms, you will be admitted, monitored, and supported through labour by nurses and your care provider, your baby will be checked right after birth, and you will have time together in those first hours before moving to a postpartum room. The hospital stay afterwards is usually short: about 24 to 48 hours after a vaginal birth, and about two to three days after a caesarean birth. Your own stay may be shorter or longer depending on how you and your baby are doing — the clock serves your health, not the other way around.

Use the stay well. Ask the nurses to show you feeding, diapering, and soothing basics, and actually practise while help is one call-button away. Before discharge, staff will check that your baby is feeding, that you know the follow-up plan, and that you have a safe way to get home.

How do you register the birth and start your baby's documents?

This is where BC makes new parents' lives easier. BC offers a combined online birth registration service: when you register your baby's birth online, you can at the same time apply for your baby's Social Insurance Number (SIN), apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), and enrol your baby in MSP — one process instead of three separate applications. The CCB is the monthly, tax-free payment from the Canada Revenue Agency described in Part 3, so starting it at registration means you are not leaving money waiting. Have both parents' information handy, decide on your baby's full legal name before you start, and complete the registration promptly after the birth rather than letting it slide into the busy first month.

What do you need to know about going home and the first weeks?

Going home has one legal non-negotiable: if your baby travels by car, an infant car seat is required by law in BC. Install it before the due date and practise fitting it, because learning how a buckle works while a nurse watches and a newborn cries is nobody's favourite afternoon. Taxis are not a loophole in your planning — arrange your ride home around the car seat, full stop.

After you are home, care continues. You will have a postpartum checkup at about six weeks after the birth. If you are with a registered midwife, your care continues until six weeks after the birth as well, and midwives provide home visits in the early postpartum period — one of the quiet perks of midwifery care, since help comes to your couch instead of you bundling a newborn into the November rain. Whichever provider you have, keep their number handy, use HealthLink BC 8-1-1 for middle-of-the-night questions, and remember that Part 3 of this series explains the leave and benefit payments that support this time at home — make sure your EI application timing is on your checklist before the baby arrives, not after.

Continue the series: ← Previous: Part 1 (Preparation): Part 1 (Preparation)  · Next → Part 3 (Maternity Benefits): Part 3 (Maternity Benefits)

Sources

• BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre — patient and pregnancy information
• HealthLink BC — pregnancy, labour, and newborn care, and the 8-1-1 nurse advice line
• Government of British Columbia — birth registration and MSP information
• Canada.ca — Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits (details in Part 3)
• Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Child Benefit (details in Part 3)

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not medical, legal, or financial advice. Figures and program details are for 2026 and must be re-checked on Canada.ca and with Service Canada before you rely on them. Every pregnancy, birth, and personal situation is different — please confirm your own circumstances with your care provider and with Service Canada.