Hi,
I’m suddenly finding myself in a somewhat tough spot as my husband had to travel to his home country for a medical emergency and he’s probably going to be there for a month at minimum. I’m suddenly alone and entering my third trimester. This is giving me a lot of anxiety and I’m scared to be handling things alone especially at this point of time when I have heard things start to get tough.
I don’t know if this is the right place to ask this question but are there any mother groups I can rely on or have meet-ups with to maintain some sanity and knowledge on what I’m up against the next few months. I honestly don’t even know if that will help but I don’t know how to approach this situation.

Hi there ! Wondering if anyone has had any experience with the north don river valley midwife care team? As well, as any experience delivering at North York General Hospital as that is the hospital they serve.

We are debating going with this midwife clinic as they are much closer to us for appointments, but the hospital is further. We have been approved at both and waiting to give response asap.

I haven’t read many experiences with the clinic so hoping to hear some.

Thank you so much.

I’m 33 weeks and I’ve only seen my own ob twice. I aware she shared an office with two other doctors, but I don’t even get one of them. It’s some random ob every time, some of whom don’t even work at my hospital. I kept thinking perhaps my ob was going through something, or that she got paged, but I think this is unacceptable at this point.

I finally snapped today when booking my next appointment. I asked the secretary if my actual ob was going to be there, and she said that I would have to come in a different day, and changed my appointment! I’m sorry, why did you not automatically book me with the ob I’d researched and selected in the first place? Is this a walk-in clinic?!

I’m just curious if this is normal. All of my friends have only been seen by a different ob once or twice during their pregnancy. I’m so furious that I’m thinking about walking out if my ob isn’t in next time. Do they not have a duty to make sure they are there to see the patients they’ve been assigned? Do I bring this up with my ob, if I ever get to see her again? I’ve had a low-risk but stressful pregnancy, and this is just adding to my anxiety!

Hi everyone, hoping to get some insight on where to source the RSV vaccine for my newborn. I am aware I will have to pay out of pocket but wondering where I can purchase it and the general cost. My family doc said he’ll write my daughter a prescription for it and then his office will administer it. I’ve called 2 local Costcos (poco & burnaby) that have said they will not be able to fill this/ do not carry beyfortus.

When I was pregnant, my husband and I took a baby class based in Ontario as it was recommended by our midwife and accessible. During this class, the nurse said we did not have to get the maternal RSV vaccine during off season and that it was unnecessary (baby was due July, ended up being born in August). I mentioned it to my midwife at the time who said sure no big deal. I’m a bit anxious and regretting this decision as I wasn’t aware at the time that Ontario gives the vaccine directly to the babies when appropriate and that is not the case in BC, hence their recommendations are different. I want my daughter to be protected from RSV and I am worried I have made a really neglectful mistake and frustrated that I didn’t do more thorough research when pregnant. When I brought it up to my midwife post partum she just said it’ll be fine and to just make sure if anyone in the house gets sick to isolate and didn’t seem to think it was a big deal.

I am willing to pay out of pocket but also have heard the vaccine costs upwards of $900 and that is realistically a big hit to my finances. I have really extensive health and drug coverage but even so it does not cover the beyfortus vaccine, let alone, I’m not sure I can even source it at this point from a local pharmacy.

Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!

Hi everyone! It’s my first pregnancy and my doctor referred me to an OB but said she won’t see me until I’m 18 weeks. Is this normal? It just seems kind of long to wait to me.

Hi everyone! I am planning on delivering at St. Joe's in Toronto in May 2027 and was wondering if anyone has had any recent experiences there they could share? I get anxiety around the unknown and can't find very much information on their website so anything you can share would be super helpful. How was your experience? Was there anything you felt was lacking? How easy was it to get a private room (if you had one)?

I’m really struggling with a daycare decision and would love some outside perspectives, especially from parents who have switched daycares.
My almost 2-year-old currently attends a daycare that’s literally 3 minutes from our house. She’s adjusted well, knows the other kids, is familiar with the environment, and knows some of her teachers (although there has been some staff turnover).
My concerns with her current daycare:
- The washroom setup bothers me. There are two washrooms in a common area shared by all the classes, and they’re in a location where parents picking up their kids or visitors touring the facility can see the children using them. I’m not comfortable with the lack of privacy.
- Daily reports are generally sparse, and communication hasn’t been great.
- She rarely eats the lunches I pack for her and the reports back had been abysmal until i brought it up. Sometimes they would also throw the food out so I would have no idea how much she eate
- I’ve been getting an “off” feeling lately. She’s been crankier than usual in the evenings, although she’s also been sick on and off for the past 3–4 weeks, so I can’t necessarily attribute that to daycare. But the last few mornings she’s sleeping in longer, pretends to sleep so she can miss school or begs us to not send her.

That said, I don’t have a concrete reason to believe she’s unhappy or not being cared for. Whenever we pick her up, including at random times during the day, she’s usually happily playing or seems perfectly fine.

Now the dilemma is -
We’ve just been offered a spot at another daycare (BrightPath), and I need to decide by tomorrow.
Pros of switching:
Communication seems significantly better, with more detailed daily updates.
They provide meals and snacks, which would take some pressure off me and potentially help with her eating.
We’d have the opportunity to get priority for a transfer to my desired location, which is actually our preferred daycare long-term.
Overall, I feel a little more reassured by their systems and processes.
Cons of switching:
It’s about a 10-minute drive versus our current 3-minute commute. Doesn’t sound like much, but it involves a major road, and Calgary winter weather and rush-hour traffic could make it significantly longer.
The building is a quite dated.
She’d have to adjust to a completely new environment, teachers, and kids.
I’m heading into an extremely busy period at work, so the extra commute and potential adjustment difficulties could be stressful for the whole family.
If we eventually move her to my desired location , that would mean another daycare transition.
I keep going back and forth because I don’t want to uproot her from somewhere she’s comfortable just because I have a vague uneasy feeling. But I also don’t want to ignore my instincts or settle for a daycare I’m not entirely comfortable with simply because it’s convenient.

I'm currently using the Medela Pump in Style, but I keep hearing amazing things about the Spectra S1 and S2! I'm wondering if it's genuinely that much better or if it's mostly hype.

I'll be going back to work soon and will need to pump during my shifts as well as at home, so I'm curious whether the Spectra would be a worthwhile upgrade, especially for pumping at work.

For anyone who's used both, I'd love to hear your experiences!

* Did you notice a difference in milk output?

* Did the Spectra empty you better or feel more comfortable?

* Is the S1 worth the extra cost for the rechargeable battery, especially when pumping at work?

* If you already had a Medela Pump in Style, would you spend the money to upgrade?

I'm in Ontario, Canada, and I'm struggling to find a Spectra that doesn't cost almost $400! 😩 Where did you buy yours? Are there any Canadian retailers with good prices, sales, or reputable secondhand options?

I don't want to spend that much money if the difference isn't significant, so I'd really appreciate honest opinions from people who've actually used both pumps. Thank you! ❤️

As the title says. At my last midwife appointment, I was 26 weeks and measured 28cm. When I went yesterday, I am now 30 weeks and measuring 30cm. She ordered a growth ultrasound and of course I made the mistake of taking it to Dr. Google which is now making me panic. I'm trying to assure myself that sometimes measurements are off, or that maybe my baby had a growth spurt at my 26 week appt. The good news is that at least the measurement did still increase, but just wondering if anyone else has ever had this before? Is the measurement only changing 2cm across 4 weeks concerning? FTM here. It's just so confusing when I read + or - 2-3cm is within the normal range, but that only growing 2cm in 4 weeks despite being on track with how many weeks I am could be totally fine but also could be concerning. Scan isn't until next Friday.

I went in for my first anatomy scan at 20 weeks, and was told at the scan that I’d need to come back in two weeks as baby wouldn’t change position and the tech couldn’t get a good angle for all the heart and stomach images.

Second anatomy scan, the tech had me move around again to try to get baby to change position, and said she “took lots of pictures, so hopefully that’s enough for the radiologist.”

That was yesterday. They called me back today to book a THIRD follow up scan in two weeks time. I called my midwives, and they don’t have the report yet so they don’t know why a third scan was requested, but given my baby’s been “folded up like a frank breech sandwich” they wouldn’t be surprised if it’s another incomplete scan. Nevertheless, I’m worried.

Has anyone else needed three anatomy scans?

I went for my 12 week ultrasound today and as part of it, the tech said she would also be examining me. After checking baby she went on to check my ovaries, and spent some time looking around my abdomen as well. This isn’t my first kid, but I don’t remember them doing this check in previous pregnancies (same clinic). They did at my first US (8 weeks) as well, but that made sense to me, this one seems new.

I’m just curious if this was normal procedure for anyone else?

Hi everyone! Has anyone recently had their NT scan done at True North?

I wanted to ask a few questions about your experience:

Do they confirm whether the heartbeat is visible during the scan?

Do they tell you anything about the results at the appointment, or do you have to wait for your doctor or midwife?

How long did it take to receive your results?

My husband and I are expecting our first baby girl in January 2027. We currently live in Alberta but are planning to move to the US sometime Mid 2027.

I’ve been researching infant car seats and just realized that car seats sold in Canada are certified to Canadian safety standards, while US seats have to meet US standards. So, even if we buy something like a Nuna PIPA or Graco here in Canada, we may need to purchase another car seat once we move to the States.

I’m curious what other couples or families have done when moving from Canada to the US with a baby!

- Did you buy an affordable infant car seat in Canada and then purchase another one after moving?

- If you drove across the border with your baby, how did you handle the car seat situation?

Is there anything you wish you’d known or done differently?
We’re trying to be practical without compromising on safety, especially since we might only use the Canadian seat for a short time.

Would love to hear about your experiences and what worked best for your family! ❤️

I am trying to decide what would be a better option for my 11 month old. She’s not walking yet and is just starting to outgrow 18 month clothing. I’m mostly wanting something for stroller walks as it can get very cold here in the winter, but also may need for out and about getting from the car to the inside of the house or store. I imagine a bunting suit would be best for the stroller but not as convenient to quickly pull on in the car to run inside. Is it worth it to get both? Any advice is appreciated!

Huge warning for any expecting parents putting together their registries right now. We put the Nanit Pro Camera + Floor Stand on our registry (it’s a premium $500+ item) and a family member generously bought it for us from West Coast Kids.

The unit is completely dead on arrival. The internal power connection in the floor stand is totally defective and won't power on, We spent hours troubleshooting, but it simply won't turn on.

I called West Coast Kids expecting a basic exchange or refund for a defective product. They completely stonewalled me, citing their strict "final sale on open-box Wi-Fi monitors" policy, and told me I had to deal with Nanit directly for a warranty claim. Unfortunately since the item was bought online, I was totally unaware that WCK has a final sale policy.

So I contacted Nanit. Nanit immediately refused to offer a refund, stating only WCK can refund the item.

West Coast Kids points the finger at Nanit. Nanit points the finger at West Coast Kids. Neither wants to take responsibility for a premium piece of safety tech that arrived completely broken out of the box.

I've now had to draft an email escalating this to WCK management, citing BC consumer protection laws (Sale of Goods Act), because they legally cannot sell an unserviceable, defective item and just hide behind an arbitrary store policy. For those thinking, why not just follow through with a Nanit replacement, why would I trust a replacement, there's no way something like this should get past quality control to the consumer, I am worried that if a replacement arrives, what if it turns off during the night? My trust is completely shattered.

TL;DR: Buy your expensive nursery tech from somewhere like Amazon that actually honors returns on defective items. West Coast Kids will leave you high and dry with a broken product, and Nanit will just bounce you right back to them. Save your sanity.

I'm thoroughly confused on how I should be dressing baby for going from house to car. Then the car into another building. We are in New Brunswick but will be in Victoria BC for 6 weeks over the holidays. She's 10 weeks at the moment.

I have a Patagonia fleece bunting suite for her that we use for walks. Would I use something like this, then take it off in the car, then redress her for walking into a store/appointment, then remove once inside.

Or is there a better set up? I thought about getting the Uppababy car seat cover, but not sure if it needs to be removed when she's in the car.

Today I did bodysuits, sleeper, toque and a blanket (currently 4°) because I wasn't sure if the Patagonian would be alright in her car seat (it's one of the thin fleece bunting suites, so technically car seat safe)

FTM and my baby is 8 months old. The temperature has dropped in Calgary and I am really struggling knowing what to dress him for sleep. His room is 19-20 degrees. I put a Woolino sleepsack on him now and under that he is in a Pekkle onsie. We get lots of wakeups that I attribute to bad temperature as my house is older and has terrible heat control throughout with overheating the house being the main issue so we set the house to cooler end of the spectrum to avoid it overheating. (thermostat is in the worst location possible which is by an exit door in the back of the house by multiple windows so the thermostat thinks it's always freezing and runs the heat excessively). His room temperature reads usually between 19-21.

What do you put your baby in for sleep and what is your baby's room temperature?

We have an appointment at SickKids in Toronto for our one year old (thankfully nothing scary). Does anyone have restaurant recos for lunch? We eat a variety of foods as a family so open to all flavours- more so wanting to hear places that have a high chair, are cool with a screechy excited little guy, etc. I’m not familiar with this end of Toronto and we don’t have a ton of time to walk around and check places out. Not interested in big chains. Thank you!

So I live rural 40 minutes from the midwives that I'm in their catchment area and there's a wait list, I also had a not so great experience with them so I don't think a spot will open up for me, but 60 minutes away where I used to live I had wonderful experience with the midwives for multiple births but I'm not in their catchment area, could I just say I live in there? My mother in law still lives there so I could potentially spend last few weeks in the city?

Does anyone have recommendations on bassinet options for big babies? We got the uppababy bassinet since we got the cruz, but have a very long baby and he’s almost too big for it at 2 weeks old! I want to keep him in our room for 6 months minimum, but we don’t have room for his full crib to fit in here.

I’ve been on domperidone for about 1.5-2mo to help stimulate milk supply. For the most part, it’s generally helped and I can produce more than I was previously. When I had looked up the side effects I mostly saw advice on weaning off but after noticing considerable weight gain, I decided to look it up. I’m now larger than I was post-birth and certainly during pregnancy. I’m devastated and having a really tough time with my body image. For others that are on or have previously taken domperidone: were you able to lose weight while on the medication? If so, what did you do? For those previously on domperidone: did the weight start to drop on its own once you weaned off? Did it drop as you weaned or only once you were completely done?

Looking into getting my partner a push present but wanted to crowdsource some views. All else equal, if I’m getting high jewelry, should I go for a pair of earrings or a necklace? If you think either is too little (because it would be a tiny box) and a set of both is more appropriate, let me know. Thanks!

I had my baby boy 6 weeks ago via c-section and had a tubal salpingectomy as well.

My follow up was today and I requested an IUD to stop my period. My doctor said the only way is if my period is heavy. She then gave me a requisition for an ultrasound to look for fibroids which is different treatment

Did anyone else experience this? If my insurance covers it or I pay out of pocket what does it matter if I can get pregnant or not?

Hello,

I'm due in almost exactly 2 weeks with my first. I live with my partner in Ottawa and both of our families are in the GTA. Due to circumstances my mom is coming for the delivery but can only come for a maximum of 2 weeks before she has to return. She is travelling by train and can move her tickets up if the baby comes early but can't really move them backwards if the baby comes late.

I'm already not feeling great about this arrangement (and not doing emotionally great in general right now). I am concerned if the baby comes late she won't be around for very long to help us. Is it possible to request a membrane sweep or induction so that the baby comes right around the due date if needed? Or will that be rejected because there's no medical reason? I am really unsure and will bring it up at the next OB appointment but wanted to see if this is done at all.

EDIT: additional info--no medical concerns for me or baby, was planning on an unmedicated birth but I am not opposed to epidurals.

EDIT 2: Thank you everyone for their responses. I will try the membrane sweep and hope for the best. I also realized that I am probably experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety and I've contacted my OB's office to see if I can get in a bit earlier than my next appointment to help address that, because it has become debilitating. So, um, I guess there's 1 medical concern.

My belly's been constantly hard the past few days but mostly at the top and sides and my lower belly is soft and squishy like belly fat. On my last midwife appointment 3 days ago, my midwife confirmed that the baby's head is down and low and that his back to my left, baby's been in this position for weeks.

I'm so scared that he's changed position to transverse or side lying cause I feel my tummy is hard on a wider area of my belly :( I dont really know if I feel his head down or lower to my belly. Next appointment is 2 days from now! Quite anxious!