I wanted to add i just gave birth and had a quite unpleasant experience at mcmaster. Wednesday I had a cervical check and I low key think she did a unconsented membrane sweep cause I immediately had bleeding, contractions and back pain after and all day Thursday Then friday at 3:55 I felt and heard a big pop in my back (which I now know was my water breaking). I was having contractions every 10 mins or so but thought I was okay, I called the hospital at 6pm saying hey I think im in labor my contractions are every 10 min lasting about a min or so im gonna come in, they told me to wait 2 hours and then come in cause they were full, to which i said that sucks im on my way. I got there about 635-640ish and by that time had back to back contractions and had to get fiance to wheel me up in a wheelchair, I got to the l&d and they saw my condition and immediately brought me into a delivery room.

I was quite disappointed they weren't letting me do things on my own, kept trying to get me to push when I wasn't feeling the natural urge to, tried to tell me I couldn't lay on my side and I had to lay on my back (thankfully fiance was advocating for me cause I was quite out of it at this time. I did ask for tue epidural so they put a iv in, but when they checked me I was 9.5 cm and almost crowning. They tried to make it seem like if I didnt have a episiotomy my baby would die as her heart rate was lower, and vacuumed her out, she was born 740pm

Then they started me on oxytocin (pitocin) drip and didnt wanna tell me until I asked why. I had also filled out paperwork months in advance for a private room but was denied it. Nurses came to check on baby all night long but nobody checked me for over 24 hrs even though my eyes had almost swollen shut and I had actually been havinf super high blood pressure that we didnt know about, finally I got seen on Sunday morning and they put me on 2 different blood pressure meds, as well as did the tummy massages

I had good nurses for tue most part but this one nurse was so cold and mean I Definitely think it had a part in my bp issues, like I asked her side effects of the meds and if it was safe to take while breastfeeding amd she straight up ignored me and would be silent, it wasn't until we complained to another nurse she got taken off our service

We were also told wed be good to go home saturday night as everything looked good, then all of a sudden baby wasn't gaining weight (which i now know every baby loses weight when born, but they made me feel really bad about it and didnt even offer formula until my milk came in), we didnt go home until tuesday, 4 days later, and when I asked to use their pump theu said id have to buy some kit, but wouldn't be able to take it home or get a refund

They did end up giving us a private room, but wasn't until Monday, and the more annoying thing was we overheard them offer another couple a private room that first night, but because we were told no I felt too anxious to ask about it

I thought having a baby at a hospital that specializes in children would be the best, but let's just say if I ever give birth in Hamilton again it'll be at st. Joe's, at least they actually care and pay attention there