Childbirth Preparation Classes

Having a baby in this fall?

Toronto West Childbirth is offering group Childbirth Preparation Classes beginning in July


When: Fridays 7-9 pm


Where: Cosmyc Vybes Yoga Studio 222 Islington Ave. www.cosmycvybes.ca



Cost: 6 two hour classes $145.00/ couple.



Classes will focus on natural childbirth in hospital or home.

New Service through Toronto West Childbirth

New! Doula Consultant Service:
If you want the pre and post natal support of a Doula, would like to have someone around with whom you can ask questions  and discuss birth options in detail as well as have someone to talk to in the early stages of labour however, you do not want and extra person in the delivery room then, this service could benifit you.  The Doula Consultant Service gives you personal (by arranged meeting), phone and e-mail access to Christy leading up to and after your birth.  During your labour Christy will be available to you by phone at any hour to answer questions and offer support.   This service includes a meeting to discuss your birth options and sort out your birth plan.  The Doula Consultant Service will cost $300.00

Informed Choice vs. Informed Consent

Informed Consent VS. Informed Choice

Ok, so Informed Consent is what most people in a traditional Doctor/Patient relationships are offered. This means that the patient is informed of all the benefits and risks of the proceedure being performed and asked to give their consent for that specific procedure. Informed Choice means that the client (I am changing my word usage on purpose here) is informed of all the options available to them and all the risks and benefits associated with those options.
Here is a childbirth related example: Informed Consent - you are seven days past your due date and are ready to have this baby. You ask your doctor and are informed that you can have Amniotomy, amniotic sac ruptured by the Dr. (this is only one method that Dr.s may use to induce labour, chosen for this example). You will be informed that this increases you risk of infection, that it may still take hours for labour to begin, that there is a significant chance that other measures will have to be taken to augment the labour, that there will be a time limit put on your labour and any other information about this particular procedure. You will then be asked to sign a consent form and the procedure will be booked.
Informed Choice - You are seven days overdue and ready to have this baby. You ask your Doula or Midwife what your options are and they inform you that you can have a medical procedure such as Amniotomy, or Prostoglandin gell, or pitocin, or you can have your membranes stripped. They will also inform you that you can try natural ways of inducing labour first. Such as, exercise, homeopathics and herbal remedies or, intercourse. Your Doula or Midwife will give you the information on the effectiveness of each option, the risks and benefits and, will give you time to research, ask questions and make your decision. A Doula or Midwife will then support your choice and assist you in whatever way is needed.
The fact that a doctor is not likely to present you with informed choice does not make doctors bad or evil or even a wrong choice. Informed consent is part of the medical model and for some people the medical model is the right fit for their birth. however, if you pref to have options and to be given a distinct say in your birth experience then you may want to consider finding a Midwife or hiring a Doula

Doulas and Partners

How does a Doula help from the Perspective of a birth partner? When I meet with couples for the first time, it often becomes obvious that the mother is the driving force behind contacting a Doula. I have had fathers ask "will I be doing anything during the labour if you are there?", "I don't get why she needs someone besides me" and, " I don't want to be left out". The fact is, a Doula is there to assist the couple in their birth experience, not just the mother. A Doula will coach the partner in how to assist with massage, physical support and encouragement. She will provide the couple with information throughout their pregnancy and birth to support and empower them. A Doula will never "take charge" unless asked. a Doula is there to provide support, information, education, empowerment, and to act as an advocate for the birthing couple.
a Doula will also support the partner by "covering for them during bathroom breaks, getting food and water and reminding them to care for their own well being as well as there birthing partner's. if a couple is doing very well during labour, I will step back and give them space until there is need for a break or a change in position or location.
It can also be useful for the partner to have a Doula there if unfortunately the baby needs to be taken to NICU at birth, in this instance, the Father can accompany the baby and the Doula can remain with the mother for support and to funnel information.
A Doula is there to support the birthing couple, each couples needs are different however, a Doula should always be an addition not an interference.

How Can A Doula Assist With A Scheduled Cesarean?

Some medical circumstances make it necessary to plan a cesarean section for your birth.  If this is the case, you may discount the support of a Doula thinking that since you are not going to experience labour, you will not need a labour support person.  However, a Doula may be of great assistance through a planned cesarean section especially if the Doula has experience working cesarean section births.
When you birth through a cesarean section, you are still birthing a child and all the emotions will still be there however, you are adding major abdominal surgery to the experience of becoming a new parent.
A Doula can assist you in preparing for the surgery, knowing what to expect and how it is going to play out.  A Doula can also support you and your partner on the day of at the hospital, keeping you and your partner company and walking you through the emotional and personal aspects of the cesarean birth.
In advance of the scheduled birth day, a Doula can assist you in preparing yourself, your support system and your home for the arrival of your child after the birth.  Recovery from a cesarean birth is longer and physically different from that of a vaginal birth, you will need physical assistance and starting breastfeeding can be more complicated after surgery.  A Doula can assist you in the hospital during recovery and when you return home to make sure that everything is going well and to provide you with resources if you are experiencing complications.
Your Doula is your 24/7 contact throughout your birth experience and can provide you and your partner/support network with information and reassurance before, during and after your birth.

Its useful to have a doula

Why have a Doula? It has been shown through numerous studies that having a Doula present at your birth significantly increases the success rate of natural births. Why? Because a Doula is specifically trained to support you during your birth experience. Doulas know birth, they know what the options are, and why interventions happen. a Doula also spends time with you before your birth to get to know your goals and limits. a Doula will assist you physically, emotionally and will help you to advocate for yourself during the birth.
a Doula is there to support and to advocate for you and your family.

In honour of my son's t8th birthday, I am reposting his birth story

My first child was due on May 1^st, 2008.  My Partner and I had chosen to have a midwife deliver our baby at a hospital.  I wanted a vaginal birth with absolutely no intervention.  My intention was to labour at home for as long as possible and then move to the hospital to deliver my baby and return home within six hours of the birth. 

I had no fear of labour pain and was intent on pushing out my baby and having him immediately placed on my chest, I wanted to begin nursing right away and I wanted to take my family home as soon as possible.

On the morning of April 27^Th, 2008 my water broke waking us up.  Contractions began about ten minutes later.  We called the midwife who was at our house by 9:30 am.  She checked me and was concerned because my blood pressure had spiked, she told us to monitor the contractions and if everything continued as was to meet her at the hospital at 2:30pm.  Within the hour after she left my contractions increased to two minutes apart, and forty-five seconds to one minute in length.

We again called the midwife who arranged to meet us at the hospital at noon.  Once at the hospital I was monitored briefly and because my blood pressure was still fluctuating I was then admitted to a birthing room with my partner and the midwife.  I was having back labour because the baby was in an Occiput Posterior Position.   I laboured through the day with little change.  I used many different labouring positions including a birthing stool, a birthing ball, toilet sitting, walking the halls, showering and slow dancing.  Around 9:00 pm I still had not dilated beyond five centimeters this was due to the OP positioning and the fact that the baby had not fully decended into the pelvis prior the water breaking.  At this time I was given the option of a Pitocin drip to help move things along.  I declined this as I felt fine and wanted to continue to labour without intervention.  Between 10:00 and 11:00 pm we had a midwife change over and in between a Doctor tried once again to put me on the Pitocin, again I declined.  With the arrival of the second Midwife I laboured through the night and well into the next day still with little change.  At some point during the night the midwife performed a Stretch and Sweep to try and increase dilation.  I remained active throughout the night and continued to take in fluids to keep up my energy.  During the night I did spend some time in bed side lying to attempt to turn the baby.  By 1:30 pm on April 28^Th, I had not dilated past five centimeters and my contractions had begun to slow.

At this point the Midwife spoke with me about an Epidural so that I could rest in order to be able to push when the time came, and a Pitocin drip to increase the intensity of the contractions so that I would dilate and transition to pushing.  We had an emotional heart to heart and decided to go ahead with the intervention – at this time we had been warned that because of the posterior positioning of the baby, the lack of decent and the length of my labour, that a Cesarean was a possibility.  I still hoped to deliver my baby naturally and felt that this intervention would give me the best chance to still meet that goal.

After a few hours on the Pitocin with the Epidural I had not dilated further and my contractions had slowed.  I was having back pain and feeling nauseous.  At 6:00 pm the Doctor examined me and declared that I would need a Cesarean.  Again after much crying and reassurance from my Midwife that this had to be, we consented to the surgery and our son was born at 7:15 pm on April 28^Th, 2008 via Cesarean Section.

When he was born, both of us spiked fevers and he had what they called a respiratory hiccup.  He did not pass the APGAR and a Pediatric Respiratory Specialist was called into the delivery room.  During this time the surgery on me was being completed and I could only see my son from a distance as he remained on the warming bed with staff buzzing about.

I was taken into the recovery room and on my pa'srtner insistence the baby was briefly brought to me on his way to the NICU.  He and I were separated until 11:00 am the next day when I was taken to the NICU to nurse him for the first time.  We remained in the hospital until May 1^st when on my insistence and my Midwife’s assurance, I was discharged one day ahead of schedule.