Birth at Michael Garron Hospital
Our practice has privileges at Michael Garron Hospital, a division of Toronto East Health Network. If you are planning a hospital birth and in care with us, this is the hospital we work out of.
Michael Garron Hospital is located at 825 Coxwell Avenue, which is off of Coxwell Avenue between Danforth and O’Connor Ave.
When you go into labour, your midwives will attend your labour around the same time they would if they were attending a home birth or birth centre birth. When you page in labour your midwives will talk with you about what has been happening. You will decide together if they will come to you at home or meet you at the hospital. If your midwife comes to you at home they will bring their home birth equipment in case of an emergency or a very fast birth. They will bring their birth instruments, supplies to perform IVs and draw blood, oxygen, emergency equipment to resuscitate a baby, as well as medications to control heavy bleeding after the birth.
As your labour continues, your midwife and you will decide when it is time to move into Michael Garron Hospital. If this is your first baby we tend to move into the hospital when you are between 5 to 7cm dilated. If you have had a baby before we may move in a bit earlier as these labours can often be quicker. It will also depend on how your labour is going, if contractions are close and strong, the midwife will recommend that you move into the hospital so that you don’t have the baby on the way to the hospital.
Most people go to the hospital in their own cars, occasionally a midwife may decide to take you in her car because you are moving quickly through your labour. If you don’t have a car you can also choose to take a taxi to the hospital. If you can’t pay for a taxi please discuss this with your midwives, before your labour, so that arrangements can be made. We do not recommend that you go to the hospital by TTC when you are in labour. When you come to the hospital please bring your health card, insurance card, the TMC binder that you were given at 36 weeks and your supplies for you and your baby.
When you arrive at the hospital you will go to the back of the hospital and go up the elevators to the J Wing on the 7th floor. Your midwife will meet you on the 7th floor unless there is a different plan. Depending on what is happening in your labour you may spend some time in triage or you may go directly into the room where you will have your baby. Many of the rooms have jacuzzi tubs and we often use them with our clients to help them with their labour. If you are having your first baby your midwife will call the second midwife when you are fully dilated to come and help her. If this is not your first birth, your midwife will call the second midwife to come sometime after you are 7cm. The second midwife at the birth will help support the primary midwife and will be responsible for your new baby once they are born.
If there are complications during your labour and birth the midwife will ask for help, sometime this is from another midwife, nurse and/or doctor. Your midwife will discuss her concerns with you and may have another health care practitioner assist her and/or have them come and speak with you about the concerns. If there is an emergency, your midwife will call for help and your team; midwives, nurses and doctors will be there to support and care for you during the emergency. Sometime emergencies in labour and birth require us to act quickly with little time to discuss what is happening. Your midwife and the Michael Garron Hospital nurses and doctors are dedicated to being communicative health care providers and we hope that you will always feel welcome to ask questions and be a participant in your care. You will also have lots of time, in the 6 weeks after your baby is born, for you to ask questions and discuss your birth experience.
After the baby is born, your midwives will assist you in breastfeeding, re-hydrating and using the washroom. During this time we are monitoring you and the baby, ensuring you both are stable and well. One midwife will sit and complete the hospital paper and computer charting. This may take an hour or so and she may stay in your room to do this or go to another room to complete these tasks. The other midwife and midwifery student(s) will care for you and your baby during this time.
If you and your baby are healthy we will send you home between 2 and 4 hours after your birth. If you need to stay for longer, your midwives will move you to your postpartum room. The nurses will look after you and will report to your midwives if there are any concerns. Your baby is required to leave the hospital in a car seat so please bring this to the hospital when you are in labour. You will receive your baby’s temporary health card before you leave the hospital from either your midwife or the clerk at the Family Birthing Centre reception area.