I know this is a very long shot but I guess I want to vent a bit too!
I am 10 weeks pregnant - hurrah! but cannot find any doctor to follow me through the pregnancy - boo.

I do have a family doctor ( a minor miracle) but all she can do is give me numbers of obstetricians. I have now called 6 different doctors, none of which are accepting new patients.

What is a girl supposed to do? It's just a tad worrying to not have someone looking after me and the baby.

Any ideas? (except nipping back to the UK for a few months where it would be oh so easy )

Congratulations

Its a good idea only until you tried to come back to canada with the kid and find that without a canadian citizen parent and proven canadian citizenship, the child would need to be sponsored through immigration to have any status here.

Can your family doctor not arrange a consultation with a specialist...thats how it happens in Ontario.

You could try contacting the local health unit too as (in Ontario) they are broadly responsible for some prenatal education and stuff (as well as PAP smears for those without doctors) and might be able to help.

Thanks for the prompt reply Ian.

Good point about re-entering Canada, I guess I won't go down that route then

My doctor can't refer me, only give me phone numbers. I have called the hospital and 3 local clinics and got some more numbers. Have called all of them to no avail.
My first choice was the local birthing centre but there is a waiting list of 64 women for July so I'm not holding my breath for that one.

I just don't what to do really.............

So what happens there if you need to see a Surgeon or a Oncologist or one of the other specialists? Do you just get a number then too? This sounds dodgy to me.

If its any help the (excellent) ontario settlement site has some tips...
http://www.settlement.org/sys/faqs_d...faq_id=4000196


Dont panic yet though, 10 weeks is pretty early on and there is not much to do. My wife saw the OB at about 20 weeks, then after the one and only untrasound, and then increasingly more often as she approached full term (weekly in the last month, and monthly or bimonthly before then), so you have a little time to sort this out. I am amazed though that your GP has not been able to arrange a consult with someone though, even if its not your first choice. In the past when we have been dissatisfied with our (ex) GPs attitude we curcumvented him by going through either the hospital emerg department, or the walk in clinics...but of course you run the risk of picking up some bug or other doing that, what with all the sick people in those places.

Good Luck!

Try these guys:
http://www.sogc.org/index_e.asp
They should be able to point you in the right direction.
Good luck

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Do they have midwives in Montreal? We live just inside Ontario in Cornwall and my wife gave birth to our new daughter six weeks ago. Her whole care was handled by a small team of midwives which I understand to be not the normal way to go over here. At least we had several people who expressed surprise at our choice. The care throughout the pregnancy was top notch and a joy to my wife.

In answer to my own question.

http://www.canadianmidwives.org/quebec.htm

Hi tall person i too have just found out i'm about 8weeks pregnant i'm also in montreal, you have been lucky to find a doctor!
i have managed to find a ob but can't see me until the end of feb can't believe how this country runs at times. I have some numbers if you want me to email them to you also have come across a ready good forum for canadian mums who have been really helpful

Hi, thanks for your reply. I would be very grateful for any numbers you have, please PM or email me. Thanks very much.

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! I'm glad to hear all went well for you all.

I would love to go down the midwife route but you can only do that through a birthing centre of which there are two in Montreal, both of which have very long waiting lists. I am on both lists but don't hold out much hope.

Thanks for the link - will check it out.

Dont panic yet though, 10 weeks is pretty early on and there is not much to do. My wife saw the OB at about 20 weeks, then after the one and only untrasound, and then increasingly more often as she approached full term (weekly in the last month, and monthly or bimonthly before then), so you have a little time to sort this out.


Hi Ian

Did she not have any blood or urine tests during the pregnancy? Having given birth 2x in the UK I was basing my expectations on that. At 10 and 15 weeks blood and urine tests, an ultrasound at 12 and 20 weeks and genetic tests.
Do you know if there ia any equivalent of the National Childbirth Trust here offering antenatal classes?

Thanks

That's a shame. I guess using a midwife is more popular than I thought. It's seems like the problem is that there aren't enough of them.

have pm you

I am shaking my head as I find it hard to believe that there is even a thread started discussing this. In a city of some 2 million I would have expected less complications (pun intended).

We had our two boys (some 37 and 27 years ago respectively) and although my memory fades (my wife did all the work) I do not recall there being an issue.

I now think of a book called 'the good earth' by Pearl S Buck describing women in China who used to give birth in the rice fields. Once the newborn emerged they were all alone to dispose of the placenta, place baby over their backs in a sling, and promptly go back to planting or harvesting rice.

Have we really evolved I ask myself?