I currently teach prenatal classes at York Central Hospital. Because the program is run by an outside organization I often get couples that are having their babies in other hospitals. I realized the other day that I have an obvious bias toward certain hospitals. So as such, I thought I would try to keep my biases out of the classroom and share them here instead.
Sunnybrook - Having your baby at Sunnybrook is a definite experience. If I were to have another baby and had to have a hospital birth it would be here. The facilities themselves are practically brand new. Private labour rooms double as your postpartum room and are roomy with most medical equipment actually hidden behind cabinets and stored away. The bathroom holds a wonderful deep tub with jets and room for partner should they choose to join mum in the water. And there is optional dim lighting in there too. And the most practical touch of all, a mini fridge to hold your drinks and food to use during labour and postpartum.
But all that is just window dressing. The staff make your birth experience at Sunnybrook truly fabulous. The nurses, who are your main contact at the hospital, are definitely there for you. Whether you are choosing an unmedicated birth or are looking forward to your epidural, the nurses will be there to assist you in executing your birth plan as best they can. I have rarely seen women pressured in to procedures they don't want to the sake of expediency. They are open and friendly and caring.
The doctors as well are a rare breed in the world of maternity care. Several I have seen are open to choice, one was even supportive of a clients desire to have her baby in water. Something we only really see with midwives and homebirths. Whether you are hoping for more then 5mins in your appointment or delaying your cord clamping by 2hrs, there is a doctor at Sunnybrook for you.
Toronto East General - Until Sunnybrook came on line, Toronto East was my top pick for hospitals in Toronto. Like Sunnybrook the staff is fabulous. The nurses are kind and caring and the pressure to get an epidural is minimal. The facilities themselves while older are still good, with big rooms and tubs in almost every room.
The doctors are also unique in offering breech vaginal delivery and discussing choices with informed consent as opposed to pressuring patients into what will work best for the doctor and their schedule.
Toronto East General is also one of only two hospitals in Ontario that have been awarded an official Baby Friendly Hospital by The World Health Organization and Unicef. Not even Sunnybrook has this. As such they also have an amazing breastfeeding clinic to help you in getting the support you need in that critical time after birth when you and your baby are learning to breastfeed.
Mount Sinai - While many doulas would not even have Mount Sinai on their list at all, I have had too many good experiences not to have them on my list. Mount Sinai is the only hospital where my clients have not ended up in a cesarean section. Almost 30 percent of my clients have birth there and none have had a surgical birth. That's amazing.
While the facilities are old and in the process of being updated, the staff are fairly good with staff who are open to natural birth, even if they don't always understand a woman's desire to go natural. I have seen women pressured to accept interventions simply to speed up the process, but if you enter into your labour with a plan in mind, educated on your options and with good support who will advocate for you then you may not fall prey to unnecessary procedures.
The Others - The rest that round out the list include North York General, of which I have a certain fondness, having been born there myself. Markham-Stouffville, for its recent achievements in reducing their cesarean section rates. And Scarborough Grace where I had my own children with an amazing OB.
So that is my completely biased list of hospitals in Toronto. If your hospital isn't on this list, odds are it isn't one of my favs. But I'm just one doula. Your birth will be what you want it to be and what you allow it to be. But wherever you are having your baby I always recommend a doula to help you get the birth you want.
