"The birth of my first child"

I was accepted at the FBC at KEMH and was under the care of Mimi. My experience at FBC was nothing but positive. The centre was orderly and well-run with very welcoming staff. All the midwives I interacted with were kind and supportive. Mimi especially was super helpful and always very responsive when I had questions or concerns. She made the whole process of navigating the system clear and easy. I looked forward to our appointments every time. 

When it came time for the birth, my baby was not in any hurry to come out so I went past 42 weeks. While I was disappointed to not be able to birth at the FBC, I found the staff at KEMH to all be very kind and helpful. I took an induction due to extended rupture of the membrane and ended up asking for an epidural during labour. The midwives and anesthetist were excellent and very quick at helping me get the pain relief I needed. When it came time to push, Mimi coached me through, not only guiding me to successful pushing under a very heavy block from the epidural but also cheering me on and helping me feel like I was making good progress. The baby required a vacuum and episiotomy, which were skillfully handled by the attending doctor. At a couple points, the baby’s heart rate dropped but the staff were quick to standby in case of need and acted promptly when needed, while also respecting the process of birth by being as unobtrusive as possible. 

Once I was transferred to ward 3, I was taken care of by many excellent midwives including Anna, Claudia, Claire, and Georgia. Claire saved me when my baby wouldn’t settle overnight and held my fussing child so I could sleep for at least a few hours. Georgia had me for several days in a row and was excellent at educating me and making me feel safe and cared for.

My whole stay in the hospital I felt listened to and cared for very well. 

Post-natally I appreciated the visits from the midwives at FBC. It was bittersweet to wrap up my time with Mimi. I was so excited for her to get to finally hold the baby she cared for over the past 7 months, but also sad that our time was coming to a close.

At the end of the day, nothing about my birth was as I planned it to be, but due to the caring and kind people at KEMH, I am very satisfied with my experience.