The First Appointment

Dear Diary,

Another week has flown by. This week, I got to have my first appointment with my midwife team! In Ontario, you have 3 options when you’re pregnant. You can choose to have care provided to you by your family doctor, an obstetrician (OB), or a midwife. You cannot pick more than one, as this is covered (mostly) by your provincial health insurance.

Before pregnancy, I had never really thought much about who my primary care would be coming from. I always just assumed I would find an OB and they would be with me for the 9 month journey. Maybe it was all the Grey’s Anatomy I watched growing up, but I was under the impression that the OB would be available to take your questions, meet with you whenever you needed, provide extra support, etc.

I’ve come to realize our health care system isn’t all like a TV show. Unfortunately, it seems like doctors are burnt out and there’s just not enough time for the care a patient might need.

Fast forward a few weeks, I had begun doing some research on different options.

The local OB offices in my area had a waitlist of 6-8 months, which is pretty much the majority of the pregnancy! I knew I couldn’t go that long without care and without someone to answer all my questions and concerns. I found a midwife clinic nearby and was very intrigued. To be honest, I had no idea what a midwife was, if they were qualified to help, or if they even took patients without a requisition. One of my friends who has already had a baby happened to reach out around the same time, offering her advice on her own personal experiences.

Turns out, she ended up working with that same midwife clinic, and had a great

experience!

What I learned from my first appointment was that midwives are trained (and yes, they have to attend a schooling program) to be your primary care for the entirety of your pregnancy. Granted, it must be a low-risk pregnancy, as they are not licensed to perform surgeries or other medical care. What really stood out to me is that not only do they follow up monthly with you, they book you in for a 30

minute time slot and you have the entire appointment to ask questions, go over your concerns and seek advice! Additionally, they provide 6 weeks of post-partum care for you and your baby to help you get back on your feet! This was a win in my books, because I knew how much anxiety I already had and all the unanswered questions I was always left with after an appointment with my regular doctor.

I’m so excited to work with this clinic and I hope my experience is positive like so many I’ve heard from others! Mamas, if you have any tips, let me know!

Until next week,

B.