Any mamas in Canada/Ontario area :) ?

[carebear1981]

Good questions! Wish I could help but this is my first.
Hoping to get questions like that answered from my OB. Took 20 weeks for me to get in with her! First appointment is Monday.

 

[3chords]

Joining in from Toronto. Had a bit of a different path to pregnancy than most of you, but seems to be ok this time around.

I will be having a scheduled c-section, waiting to hear the date. I specifically requested NOT Halloween.

 

[2have4kids]

Ladies we do have gas in Canada but my nurse friend said patients have to ask for it, they don't offer it if it isn't brought up.

We do have IVF's in Canada but it's not covered by our universal healthcare as Britain has it and our technologies and doctors are pretty far behind with their understanding of the field. Our doctors have no understanding of reproductive immune issues nor do they deal with donor egg/sperm ivf, I haven't heard of them using PGS to test embryos. Calgary schedules patients in 15 min slots so you really don't have enough time with your doctor and when I was diagnosed with serious clotting issues from a specialist in the states I had been told by the regional fertility clinic in Calgary that they'd already tested me and I was clear so no medications to deal with clots were given and my next 5 IVF's in Canada and Europe were failures.

I'm meeting with them tomorrow to lay into them about this.
Canada also doesn't have donor egg/sperm IVF so if you're going through IVF because of egg/sperm issues and fail to respond to the drugs or fail to create good embryos you'll have to go to Europe for treatment (or spend 4x the amount of DIVF in the USA).

 

[SweetPea3200]

Sorry I actually meant IV's like in your arm/hand at the hospital when you are in labour! Very interesting to know we are so behind though. It's really unfortunate how expensive IVF is. I feel really lucky that we didn't have to go that far to get pregnant. We have friends who just had their second through IVF. Luckily it worked well for them!

 

[klsltsp]

Hey ladies

I am in Ottawa. I agree with some of the ladies take sick leave of you can before and maximize time after with baby! I am federal government so they top me up for the whole year and pay me during the 2 week wait. I will be off at about 30 weeks on sick leave until my section at 37 ish weeks (hoping to get that far). I am a little afraid I will get put off sooner. I have 11 weeks of sick leave banked so hoping I will be good. We are going to be losing the sick leave soon so I don't mind using it.

Hope all of you are doing well.

Kim

 

[treeroot]

Hey SweetPea,

As with most things discussed here, there are differences depending on the province. And then for hospital procedures and policies it can change regionally.

At my local hospital IVs are available but would not be used unless necessary. If you get an epidural then they will also use an IV.

As for gas and air (nitrous oxide/laughing gas), is a standard option with my midwifes, but at the hospital it's something brand new. In rural places in particular, gas and air is much more common.

 

[StaceyM]

Well they didn't move the USA momma's thread. Hrmpph.

 

[3chords]

L Our doctors have no understanding of reproductive immune issues nor do they deal with donor egg/sperm ivf, I haven't heard of them using PGS to test embryos.

I am currently pregnant with a PGS normal embryo. Both clinics I went to also had donor eggs and donor sperm available...I am in Toronto, I didn't think it would be so different in Calgary?

I think PGS is offered at basically every Canadian clinic these days.

 

[2have4kids]

L Our doctors have no understanding of reproductive immune issues nor do they deal with donor egg/sperm ivf, I haven't heard of them using PGS to test embryos.

I am currently pregnant with a PGS normal embryo. Both clinics I went to also had donor eggs and donor sperm available...I am in Toronto, I didn't think it would be so different in Calgary?

I think PGS is offered at basically every Canadian clinic these days.

Ha! Well I guess the Calgary clinic has taken a bit of a slip. I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying the benefits of modern technology!

 

[SweetPea3200]

Hmm very interesting. I think I'm going to try a drug-free birth if I can anyways. Anyone else attempting that? This is my first pregnancy so I kind of want to experience it and see what all the fuss is about you know? That being said, if my labour happens to be ridiculously long and exhausting, I'm sure I'll do something to help get through it.

 

[carebear1981]

Hmm very interesting. I think I'm going to try a drug-free birth if I can anyways. Anyone else attempting that? This is my first pregnancy so I kind of want to experience it and see what all the fuss is about you know? That being said, if my labour happens to be ridiculously long and exhausting, I'm sure I'll do something to help get through it.

I'm gonna see how it goes. Gonna try drug free as long as I can but if it gets too much or too long, I might go for something. We'll see.

 

[Tristansmom]

I made it last time without pain meds, although they did put me on pitocin because my water had been broken but I wasn't moving past 4cm. My son was born 2.5 hours later!

Gonna try to do without pitocin this time, and labour at home longer.

 

[SweetV]

I agree 3chords, the clinic I was going to has donor sperm and eggs as well.

I did have an IV with both of my labours however with one I had been in the hospital with an IV for a week. My first labour I was drug free but did have an IV although to be honest I can't remember why.

I have a question regarding sick leave. My company offers sick leave at 65% which is slightly higher than the 55%. If I end up on bedrest as I did last time I was wondering if that affected my maternity pay? So if I take 15 weeks of sick leave at 65% of my regular pay and then go on mat leave will my mat leave be based on 55% of my regular pay or 55% of the 65%? I hope that makes sense.

 

[3chords]

SweetV, the short term disability and mat leave benefits are totally separate. So if you need to go on bed rest, you will get short term disability for however many weeks you are on bed rest (or however many your company pays). When you officially go on mat leave (typically you'd declare that after giving birth), you'll get 55% of your full-time income, well actually up to 55% of what they have deemed to be the maximum.

 

[treeroot]

I'm planning a home birth, so I'll have a few less medicated options regardless. Essentially, epidurals are a no-go, and I may not have access to any narcotics (if the consulting doctor/ob says no).

 

[2have4kids]

Hmm very interesting. I think I'm going to try a drug-free birth if I can anyways. Anyone else attempting that? This is my first pregnancy so I kind of want to experience it and see what all the fuss is about you know? That being said, if my labour happens to be ridiculously long and exhausting, I'm sure I'll do something to help get through it.

I've let my midwife know I'd like a water birth as I know water helps me immensely with pain. Hopefully it'll help wirh not needing drugs, would also like to try gas before an epidural. There are women who have no issues with epidurals and then others on b&b that have long term pain from it. But I'm going to keep flexible incase things go sideways.

 

[SweetV]

I have never been offered gas before. With my angel I was given an epidural but it wasn't quite by choice. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be but it was very, very strange after to not be able to move my legs. I didn't like that part one bit. My DS was natural but he was born an hour after we got to the hospital.

 

[YikesBaby]

Sweetpea - I had an all natural home birth with our first and it was amazing!!! If you have the option for labouring in water, that is amazing for pain relief.

This time we are having twins and Ontario is weird about home births for twins because they are considered high risk... so I am forced to go to the hospital but I found an OB with a super low CS rate and with a birthing tub... and I am planning to go all natural again.

The endorphin rush that you get when you deliver naturally is amazing and is said to help with bonding and prevention of PPD. Also, placenta encapsulation is a great thing to help with PPD.

If you want to try to be natural, turn down all of the things that tie you to the bed and allow gravity to do the work for you. It certainly can help. Labouring on your back is super awkward.

 

[SweetPea3200]

Thanks for the info ladies! I learned in my prenatal class on Sunday that they don't offer walking epidurals in my town or anywhere near by. The thought of being stuck in the bed for hours is terrifying so hopefully I'm able to skip the epidural!!

YikesBaby, good luck with the twins!! I was always scared to get pregnant with twins because I thought that meant an automatic CSection so I'm glad to hear that vaginal is totally possible

 

[2have4kids]

My gf who's a nurse said in our neck of the woods you'll never be 'offered' gas. You have to ask for it. It may be pretty standard in Britain but not in Canada, and knowing that it's available is definitely good. But don't count on any doctors or nurses 'offering' it to you out of their good graces lol.