International Bumpies

Another ? for those familiar with Toronto area

What hospitals have you delivered at in the Toronto area. We just moved to Oakville from the US.  My plan all along has been to go back to Buffalo NY for a planned C-section but I am starting to get nervous that I should have a back up plan incase there isn't enough time to get back to NY.

Any good or bad experiences at the surrounding hospitals, any c-sections?

Thanks 

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Re: Another ? for those familiar with Toronto area

  • Hi - glad to hear that you arrived safe and sound!

    First - I totally understand your trepidations about giving birth in another country - we moved from Canada to New Zealand in July.   While I did consider flying back to Canada to give birth to my son.  I ended up not, and while he's not a Kiwi by birth (long story there), we are now applying for Canadian citizenship for him.  And once that happens, then getting his Cdn passport.  The hospital that I was at was equivalent to any major Canadian hospital.

    But back to your question - have you been seeing an OB in Oakville for your prenatal care?  What hospital does he/she have privileges at?  Depending on what hospital - you can totally take a hospital tour and check it out....

    Also, having lived in the Toronto area for 35 years, I want to rest assure you that I personally, would go to any of the hospitals in the Greater Toronto area with no hesitation if my water broke.  Regardless if it was a hospital in Oakville or Toronto or Hamilton or Brampton or anywhere.

    Something else which does concern me - while the hospitals in Toronto are world-class, along with McMaster hospital in Hamilton too - depending on where you are in Oakville, and depending on what happens (if your water breaks, or contractions start and are speeding up) - be prepared that you may not even have a chance to drive the hour to Toronto or 1/2 hour to Mac (the short name/form for the hospital in Hamilton) depending on the time of day and the traffic on the 401/QEW.

    Then there's the traffic along the QEW to Buffalo - and the traffic to the border, and the wait at the border....some days it's a breeze, and some days it's a several hour wait.  (Just basic info I was able to find - 13,000 cars a day pass through that border crossing with the 3 bridges....)

    I hope that whatever you decide works out, and please keep us posted!


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  • I only go to an OB in Buffalo.  I have a scheduled C section for health reasons in Buffalo for 39 weeks with the same OB that did my emergency c-section.  I do have different options so I have been troubled with my decision.   


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  • My sister s about to deliver her 3rd at Oakville Trafalgar Hospital.  I was planning to deliver there as well, but was referred to the high risk centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.  My SIL will be delivering across the street from Mount Sinai at Toronto General.  There are lots of great hospitals in the area; McMaster in Hamilton also does high risk, I believe. 

    I guess it's what you are comfortable with; I'm used to the hospitals here and wouldn't want to deliver in the US.  I would suggest considering traffic; even if it is a scheduled C section, things can happen.  Depending on the time of day, getting out of Oakville can be difficult.  You may want to consider trying to do a tour of the Oakville hospital, just in case.

    And as an added bonus, if you are American and your baby is born in Canada, they can become Canadian citizen.

    i live in the area, my dh's brother is in buffalo, so let me know if I can help out at all... 

    *** DS born February 21, 2013 - Toronto, Canada  ***
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  • Thanks for answering some questions - that helps out a fair bit!  :)  Glad to hear you've got someone that you like and trust - and I think it's a super-wise decision to have all your bases covered!

    Like I said above - I'm super-worried about the traffic along the QEW & 401 if you suddenly go in to labour and are trying to get to Toronto or Hamilton.  I'd check out hospital tours at the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital - that way that is hopefully the closest one (depending on where in Oakville you are - closer to the Hamilton/Burlington side or Mississauga/Port Credit side).   Granted the OTMH will be smaller than the Toronto/Hamilton hospitals, but the most important thing at the end of the day is that both you and baby are safe.

    Here's all the contact info: https://www.haltonhealthcare.com/contact.php

    Good luck!

     

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  • I delivered both my children at Oakville Trafalgar. I didn't have a c-section but I had a good experience at the hospital. It is an older hospital (new one isn't opening for a few more years) so t doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a newer hospital would have.

    After the baby is born there are only a few private rooms so you may have to share a room with another person. Other hospitals in the area may not be any better (I believe Jo Brant also has some semi-private rooms and Credit Valley even has ward rooms). The first time I got my own room but this past May I had to share a room. I would be comfortable delivering at any hospital in the area especially knowing how bad traffic can get.

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  • Mount Sinai is an amazing hospital for giving birth. Sunnybrook is also fantastic. (it's actually one of the best as far as what it offers)

    That being said, I would trust any hospital in the GTA. I have relatives throughout the GTA and I haven't heard any of these awful birth stories that some women here have heard of. (and I have a very large family with many babies, currently there are five of us pregnant, four born last year alone) 

  • My husband tells me my back up plan isn't that great.  He says that we would have to pay upfront for any Canadian health care. How the heck do you pay upfront for delivering your baby.  
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  • As for paying up front - you actually can't do that in Canada.  They will bill you afterwards, because you don't know in advance what you might need - drugs, epidural, etc.  However, before going down that road....read below:

    First - check to see what his work permit/visa/ work status is.  Having worked for a relocation company for quite some time, his work visa/permit/whatever should be good enough to get you your OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) card - the card you need for whenever you go to the doctor.  They swipe it and you're covered under universal health care across Canada.

    Also - when did you move to Oakville again?  Depending on when, you might not be covered from his first day of work, but might have to have a 90 day waiting period (my DH had that when he moved from BC to Ontario).

    My suggestions - check to see if you already have a green OHIP card.  If not, go to a Service Ontario office.  https://www.services.gov.on.ca/locations/start.do  Explain your situation and bring yours & his passports, birth certificates, a bill to your address for your phone/hydro/whatever, and see what they say.

    You might already be covered.

    Does DH also have any supplemental insurance through work?  Check out that too - they might cover a private room instead of ward room, etc.  In which case they'll pick up what OHIP doesn't.

    Don't worry Mama!  We'll get this sorted and you'll be set somehow.

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  • My husband is on a 2 year work visa but we are here as US diplomats and paid by the US government. We don't pay any Canadian taxes and are not able to be covered by the Canadian healthcare system.  I called the hospital here in Oakville today and asked them what would happen in an emergency.  They told me we would have to pay $2000 per day to the hospital upfront and the Doctors usually will work out a payment plan.  Our US health insurance will cover some and the Department of State will pick up the rest but everything will be out of pocket to the hospital and we will have to get reimbursed on our end.  Good thing is the hopspital takes credit cards.  I can see now almost all of my husbands coworkers plan to go back to the US to have their babies.
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  • I had a scheduled C-Section at Triullium in Mississauga (hurontario and the queensway just off of the QEW).  I had a great experience and my OB performed te C-Section
  • wouldn't it be more cost effective to deliver in canada? even if you aren't covered from OHIP, canadian healthcare must be still be cheaper than the US, no? I have no idea...
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  • It won't cost me any money to deliver in the US with my US health Insurance.  To deliver in Canada it will cost me money up front and then hopefully I would be able to get reimbursed by my US heath Insurance and the US Dept. Of State.  Now that the time is getting closer I do wish it was easier to have the baby in Canada.  I would much rather keep our 19m old in our house in Canada, have the baby and come home to our house in Canada.  Having the baby in the US we have to stay in a hotel both before and after baby.  I just did a 36 day stay in a hotel when we first got here while we were trying to get a house.  Hotel life is hard with a 19m old, let alone an infant, 19m, and a csection to recover from.  I have not made my final decision as to where to have the baby now...all my options have pros and cons
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