VBAC friendly midwives and communities in Ontario?

[doulawoman]

I will be moving at about 20 weeks pregnant to Ontario and hope to have a home vbac. At least that was my plan here in BC, where midwives are also covered. However, I'm finding many of the clinics I've spoken to in Ontario (midwife clinics) very conservative and discouraging, telling me basically all vbacs get induced in their area, only three women have ever had home vbacs and all three had previous vaginal births as well, and also the ob takes over the vbac labour just because you're a vbac...in most places where midwives are covered by provincial health (ontario and bc) midwives follow the entire pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum unless there is a complication at which point ob steps in but mdiwife also stays.

So, we are willing to travel several hours for appointments and to stay somewhere for the end of my pregnancy if it means less trauma than last time. I've been looking into Sages-femmes in scarborough, kingston midwives, and peterborough midwives. Does anyone have feedback on these practices or hospitals? It seems the individual hospitals makes whatever rules they want that can make or break midwives' hospital privileges (like no home vbacs, or obs get to take oevr labour, or three days over you get induced) Peterborough was seeming more friendly and they rarely induce vbacs. I called the hospital myself, but they said no one they know of has ever refused continuous EFM.

Help. I'm really finding ontario to be more conservative overall. I feel staying out of the hospital is the best bet for me, but finding people comfortable with this is another issue. If peterborough works out we have family we can stay with there at the end of my pregnancy.

I'm ina  bit fo a rush as many practices have little to no spaces left for my due date (jan 2012)

[nononose]

I don't have any knowledge of the midwives in the Toronto area, but wanted to wish you well.  I'm really surprised they induce VBACs.  I have heard that a few hospitals are starting to transfer care for VBAC (among other things) - one hospital in Ottawa just reversed that.  And yes, hospital policy does override the College guidelines, which is really too bad in a lot of places.  I'm in Ottawa and just had a VBAC at home, if that helps.  Have you called all the practices in what will be your new catchment?  You can ask those practices if they know of a more homebirth friendly practice in the area too.  I did find it hard getting information on policies when I called around though.  Best of luck!  Hopefully someone else will post with more useful information.

[doulawoman]

Would you mind telling me who your midwife in Ottawa was? I am not having good results here. I cannot believe the political kettle of fish I've opened. I'm interested in non-college midwives too. Anybody?

[LynneMarie]

Hi there

I am a Registered Midwife in Ontario - I do HBAC and we have a very friendly VBAC hospital in our area as well. I've had lots of women decline continuous EFM in the hospital and have absolutely no problem with that. I'm, unfortunately, not in any of the areas you listed, but if you are willing to travel then we definitely have room in January 2012 for another client :) PM if you want more details and we can see if we can work something out.

LM

[doulawoman]

I wanted to tell anyone who might be reading this, that I was pretty happy with both responses from collingwood and kingston. Kingston was a bit more sticky on things like continuous EFM, but pretty open minded. I think I've found my midwife/midwives, after a logn crazy search and it will require some traveling and moving at the end of ym pregnancy, but i was already prepared for that in bc too.

If anyone wants to knwo more about how things go, feel free to pm me in the future.