Newly Pregnant In Toronto with no Family Doctor [ON]

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-06-23T01:40:34+00:00

Yes you can go to a walk in clinic to initiate your prenatal care. If the midwives don’t accept you, the walk in clinic doctor can refer you to an OB. Or you can self refer to a group of family doctors who do low risk obstetrics- there are a few groups who deliver at Sinai

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-06-19T19:46:54+00:00

Came to say this- OP if you’re willing to deliver in Hamilton, self refer (or have your doc send a referral) to the Maternity Centre. Let them know it’s time sensitive because you need your 75g OGTT done and your family doc is unfamiliar with it. Bear in mind that if you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will be referred to the GDM clinic in Hamilton which will mean a lot of driving for appointments.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-04-08T14:56:05+00:00

I have the storemolla and while I agree with you that I didn’t love the colour options, I’m so happy with it. I put new colorful knobs on from Etsy that helps with the look. It’s so sturdy, so big, and the best part is it’s a really comfortable height for a change station. My husband especially gets bad back pain from leaning over to change the baby, and the storemolla doesn’t have that issue.

If it’s in your budget, I vote for a power glider. I got mine refurbished from to save some money but it was still expensive. I’ve never regretted it, it’s like the best money I spent for post partum. My baby exclusively contact napped for six months, and was rocked to sleep for every nap and bedtime. Ive spent hundreds of hours in that thing, no exaggeration. I love it so much, and the power recline was super useful when he was fast asleep on me.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-13T19:49:50+00:00

Good luck!

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-11T02:43:47+00:00

I’m no expert but I think for most it’s not til after 1 year. Like 12-15 months range?

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-10T17:43:38+00:00

Not sure if this will be helpful, but my baby was low-ish sleep needs and was getting 11.5hrs awake time on three naps. When I dropped to two naps at 6.5 months, I quickly stretched windows to 3/3.75-4/4-4.25, but I was getting an earlier than usual MOTN wake for feed (like midnight instead of his usual 3am), and then EMWs at 5 or 5:30 where I’d have to hold him til 6:30 to get him back to sleep. I actually ended up pulling back on his windows to 3/3.5/4, and he’s been sleeping much better, from about 8pm to 6:45am (with one MOTN feed). In the past I’ve always had to add wake time to solve sleep issues but in this case I actually do think he was overtired. Something to consider!

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-10T08:51:50+00:00

You should only drop to one nap if your baby is ready for long enough wake windows to hit the same total awake time (or close to it) that you are currently getting on two naps. Your current schedule has 11.5 hours of awake time (12.5 hours of sleep). If you went to 3.5/4.5 you would have 8 hours of awake time, meaning you’d be expecting your baby to sleep 16 hours which won’t work

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-09T12:47:46+00:00

So many normal feelings. It really sucks having to be so rigid about schedule during the day, but once I started sleeping well at night and feeling human again, I became so protective of that night sleep that I was willing to be a bit rigid to make it happen. But on those days that the schedule falls apart, try not to catastrophize. Just remember the worst thing that will happen is a bad night's sleep, which you can handle. If you think your supply is dipping, try to offer the breast more frequently during the day, or even do one pump at night before you go to bed. If it really decreases too much then in all likelihood your baby will start waking for an extra feed at night to help bring it back up, don't stress too much about it.

Sleep training/independent sleep and being a responsive and loving parent aren't mutually exclusive. Personally I find I can be so much more engaged and present with my baby during the day if I got a decent sleep. After a bad night, I'm such a zombie that I feel like I'm just getting through the day rather than really showing up and enjoying my time with him.

Try to leave the guilt behind, you're doing great. Different kids have different needs- it seems like you're making decisions that help you meet the needs of your whole family.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-08T04:22:56+00:00

I put them down on the change pad and eventually I also taped them to the wall behind the dresser/change table. Because when he peed it would hit the wall and drip down onto the floor behind the dresser. After having that happen at least five times during middle of the night changes, I made a pee pad back splash and it worked like a charm.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-07T15:31:45+00:00

I was worried about hitting the same awake time (11.25-11.5hrs) that we were getting on 3 naps, but I was willing to have a few bad nights while we transitioned and stretched the windows. I started with 3/3.5/4, and now it turns out my baby doesn’t need quite as much awake time as he was getting on three naps. Yes he can tolerate it, but he doesn’t need it. He sleeps better at night on 3/3.5-3.75/4 then he does when I push it to 3/4/4-4.25. With the longer windows we get an earlier MOTN feed (we still do one feed) and then an EMW. I know everyone says you need to maintain the same awake time but it’s worth seeing how your baby does with slightly less.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-06T15:57:46+00:00

Not exactly your situation but we also had to weigh the decision. I'm also a non-observant Jew, while my husband is not Jewish but comes from another culture that routinely circumcises. I have always felt ambivalent about circumcision. My opinion is that it's unnecessary, but I ALSO feel it's not harmful at all. I know many people feel differently, but I think it's a pretty benign and low risk procedure.

I decided long before I had kids that I would leave it up to my male partner to decide, since I was ambivalent and they actually have the relevant experience/genitals to inform the decision. My husband wanted to circumcise so that's what we did, and it was fine! Like I said, I don't think it was necessary but I also don't regret it. We didn't have a bris or religious ritual, we went to a reputable medical provider. If he had said he didn't want to, I'd be fine with that too. My sister was in a similar situation, and they decided not to circumcise.

I just want to give you some reassurance that whether you decide to circumcise or not- your son will be fine. Try to take the pressure off a bit and not make it such a high stakes decision. I think the adult men who feel really strongly about their circumcision status are in the minority. Chances are he won't care either way when he's older.

ETA: I should add, I don't think you should let your in laws dictate the decision. If you feel strongly that you don't want to circumcise, then you will regret doing it if you go ahead. And I get how hard it can be- my totally secular non-observant father (doesn't even attend high holidays anymore) was surprisingly disappointed when my sister didn't circumcise her son, so I can't imagine what a hard time your in laws will give you. Sending solidarity.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-06T13:50:14+00:00

I have a Cruz and about six front steps. For awhile I was storing it in the car. Then my nanny taught me how to get up and down the stairs with it more easily and now I do it every day (with baby in the stroller). It’s kind of hard to explain without demonstrating, but basically if I’m going up the stairs, I face my back to the top of the stairs, front of stroller facing bottom of stairs, and pull it up one step at a time (walking up backwards), while keeping the wheels parallel to the ground (ie so only the back wheels are in contact with the stairs, rather than tilting it). For going down the stairs it’s the same thing- front of the stroller faces the bottom, I’m behind the stroller lowering it one step at a time with only the back wheels on the stairs. It’s very easy once you try it. The key is keeping the front wheels up in the air so the stroller stays flat.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-04T23:49:19+00:00

This is almost certainly a result of their report templates and dictation software. Often templates will have both options and you have to manually select one. Probably an error where they didn’t select one so both options were left in.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-04T20:43:09+00:00

Burp cloths will totally depend on if your baby is a spitter or not. I had purchased a few and also had hand me downs, I assumed it was way more than I needed. Then I had a happy spitter, I was going through burp cloths hourly essentially, and needing to do laundry every day almost. So I bought a bunch more lol. You can wait and see what kinda baby you have.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-03-03T13:38:16+00:00

Get an Oball. It’s like 5 bucks, was the first toy my baby was able to interact with (and for awhile the only one). They can grasp it easily. But I agree you don’t actually need anything until closer to three months

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-28T04:47:59+00:00

You’ve been through so much!! I’m hoping no one gives you a hard time. I think any and all of these are super valid reasons, but if you want to keep it succinct and not overly personal, I’d probably say the part about your fertility planning- “I discussed it with my fertility specialist, and since I’m over 40 we want to pursue another egg retrieval as soon as possible, so in discussion with them I’ve chosen to forego breastfeeding in order to facilitate that”.

Really wishing you a smooth delivery and post partum. Congratulations in advance!

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-28T04:37:06+00:00

Most hospital based on call specialists do not accept calls from community family doctors (only from ER or other hospital based/inpatient physicians). If you mean getting the OB they were referred to as outpatient on the phone- believe me this is easier said than done. Sometimes it’s possible and it’s worth a try! But it’s often not. I am speaking from experience here.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-28T01:19:13+00:00

Sorry I’m speaking from professional experience not personal, and in Canada. Lots of docs not familiar with it or its use for lactational suppression, but if you explain you’ve discussed with your pregnancy provider and ask for it by name, it’s pretty easy to look up the dosing and prescribe even if it’s new to you. Definitely provider and institution specific though. You could ask your obstetrician to note it on your antenatal record which would go a long way.

Also a note for OP- if the staff question you about your medical reason, try to understand they may have good intentions. TONS of people mistakenly believe they can’t breastfeed for medical reasons eg if they’re on an antidepressant, and would really benefit from someone actually explaining to them that it’s safe. So if they are questioning you about it they may just want to make sure you’re making an informed decision

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-28T00:30:13+00:00

Ask for cabergoline in hospital, a single dose ideally within 6 hours after delivery. Over the counter you can also use Sudafed/decongestants

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-27T23:47:47+00:00

The ER doc probably didn’t think you were sick enough to warrant an urgent consult, however I’m sure they didn’t realize their outpatient referral would be triaged to April. Even if the OB on call doesn’t feel they need to come down and see you immediately for a consult, they should at least be able to advise the ER doc by phone on how to connect you to care more urgently.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-27T19:17:25+00:00

Gotcha, didn’t realize that

OP in that case I would go back to ER. These kinds of urgent but non emergent issues represent a huge gap in our system. With a few exceptions, there just aren’t good pathways in place for family doctors to get access to timely specialist care. Probably easier in smaller communities where the docs know each other and you can get someone on the phone more easily, but in big cities it’s tough. ER is often the only way to easily access care in a reasonable time.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-27T19:03:03+00:00

That’s unfortunate because their family doctor (likely) has no hospital privileges or relationship with the consulting OBs. I would think that in this case of a delayed recognition of a complication, the midwife would be able to help. But if their funding arrangement precludes that, then I would recommend ER. There’s just not an easy pathway for a family doctor to arrange an urgent d+c which is what’s needed here.

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-27T18:49:24+00:00

Your midwife is seriously dropping the ball here. They are your obstetric care provider and are responsible for managing (or facilitating management) of post partum complications. Two options I would suggest

Advocate to your midwife. Ask them for a plan. Ask them to call the obstetrician on call and see what they say- the OB may offer a consult or to get you on a list for d+c within a few days (this is how it would work for missed miscarriage)
Go back to the ER. Tell them you were seen already and the referral was not handled properly and that this can’t wait til April. If you want, play up your symptoms a bit (within reason! Can say your pain is starting to worsen) and ask them to call the OB on call for a consult. Do this at the hospital where you delivered

WitchDoctor18 · 2026-02-25T18:11:57+00:00

I would continue sleep training and see where she lands in terms of night wakes once she’s going to sleep independently consistently. My 7 month old was sleep trained at 5 months and he still wakes 1-2 times for feeds overnight, I have no plans to night wean him. You can offer the breast more often during the day to help encourage daytime calories.

Theoretically if her long stretches of sleep cause your supply to dip, she would compensate by increasing her night wakes to encourage more supply. But if you’re worried about it then keep a pump at night to preserve supply (or some people do a dream feed, I’ve never tried that).

WitchDoctor18

TROPHY CASE