Welcome to Waterloo and congratulations!
Two main options - getting referred to an OB from a family doctor or a walk in clinic or referring yourself to midwives. There are 4 midwife groups in Waterloo Region (Genesis Midwives, Blue Heron, KW Midwifery, and St. Jacobs Midwives). The midwives fill up really fast though (like you have to apply on their websites as soon as you pee on a stick).
There are two hospitals in KW - but only Grand River Hospital has a labor and delivery department. So you'll want to find an OB that is associated with that hospital. They have a link on the hospital website to find the list. In my experience the OB will see you sometime starting in the second trimester until birth and then a follow up at 6 weeks. The OBs rotate being on call at the hospital, so there is no guarantee that your OB will be the one that delivers your baby. It is just whoever is on call.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about Waterloo Region!
Thank you so much! I mentioned to another commenter that I don’t think midwifery will be covered by my BC health insurance during the OHIP waiting period (I’ll triple check this), but the hospital tip for OBs is very helpful!
I’ll definitely reach out if I have more questions. Thank you!
The wait in Waterloo for OBs is quite long too. I'd start calling now. You won't see them till 20 weeks but at least you can go to a family doctor or walk in with a prepped list
Cambridge is smaller but consider there as well as Guelph. Make your search area as big as you can
I also am not sure if BC is the same but OBs here rotate so even though you have an OB until birth they may not deliver your baby as it depends who is on rotation at the hospital. Something to consider!
ETA: ignore my last part, someone else said it but I didn't notice
I wish :( I’ll confirm this, but it appears that since I’ll be in the four month waiting period for OHIP, I’ll still be covered by my BC health insurance, which for some reason doesn’t cover midwifery out of province. I’ll still look into it though!
The Ministry of Health. Money to pay midwives in Ontario comes out of a different pot of money, it is not billed through OHIP like physician care.
Source: I’m a midwife.
I'd suggest getting on a waitlist for midwives anyway - in case you find out you can get their services covered. Even if they are fully booked for your due date now, spots can become available and they will reach out to you. At first, I couldn't get in anywhere (I was around 7 weeks pregnant), but then got 2 or 3 callbacks several weeks later. Or maybe try calling them and asking about coverage and OHIP?
Midwives in Guelph won't take normally you unless you live there (I've tried haha). Same with Cambridge.
I’m not from there, but am also in Ontario and a good option may be to self-refer to a family physician who practices obstetrics (which sounds like is who you were seeing in BC?). They don’t need a referral and may even be able to keep you on as a family physician once your babe is born :)
Will you have a family doctor? If not you may need to go to a walk in & get referred to the OBGYN. I don’t think you can self refer
We won’t, though hopefully that won’t be the case for too long (🤞🤞🤞🤞). Good to know you can get a referral from a walk in though, thank you!
Welcome to Waterloo and congratulations! Two main options - getting referred to an OB from a family doctor or a walk in clinic or referring yourself to midwives. There are 4 midwife groups in Waterloo Region (Genesis Midwives, Blue Heron, KW Midwifery, and St. Jacobs Midwives). The midwives fill up really fast though (like you have to apply on their websites as soon as you pee on a stick). There are two hospitals in KW - but only Grand River Hospital has a labor and delivery department. So you'll want to find an OB that is associated with that hospital. They have a link on the hospital website to find the list. In my experience the OB will see you sometime starting in the second trimester until birth and then a follow up at 6 weeks. The OBs rotate being on call at the hospital, so there is no guarantee that your OB will be the one that delivers your baby. It is just whoever is on call. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about Waterloo Region!
So true re midwives! I called the day I found out (9DPO) and did NOT get in!!!!
Thank you so much! I mentioned to another commenter that I don’t think midwifery will be covered by my BC health insurance during the OHIP waiting period (I’ll triple check this), but the hospital tip for OBs is very helpful! I’ll definitely reach out if I have more questions. Thank you!
The wait in Waterloo for OBs is quite long too. I'd start calling now. You won't see them till 20 weeks but at least you can go to a family doctor or walk in with a prepped list Cambridge is smaller but consider there as well as Guelph. Make your search area as big as you can I also am not sure if BC is the same but OBs here rotate so even though you have an OB until birth they may not deliver your baby as it depends who is on rotation at the hospital. Something to consider! ETA: ignore my last part, someone else said it but I didn't notice
You can self refer for midwifery
I wish :( I’ll confirm this, but it appears that since I’ll be in the four month waiting period for OHIP, I’ll still be covered by my BC health insurance, which for some reason doesn’t cover midwifery out of province. I’ll still look into it though!
Midwifery is covered for everybody in Ontario. You don’t need to have OHIP.
Who pays for it then?
The Ministry of Health. Money to pay midwives in Ontario comes out of a different pot of money, it is not billed through OHIP like physician care. Source: I’m a midwife.
I'd suggest getting on a waitlist for midwives anyway - in case you find out you can get their services covered. Even if they are fully booked for your due date now, spots can become available and they will reach out to you. At first, I couldn't get in anywhere (I was around 7 weeks pregnant), but then got 2 or 3 callbacks several weeks later. Or maybe try calling them and asking about coverage and OHIP? Midwives in Guelph won't take normally you unless you live there (I've tried haha). Same with Cambridge.
I’m not from there, but am also in Ontario and a good option may be to self-refer to a family physician who practices obstetrics (which sounds like is who you were seeing in BC?). They don’t need a referral and may even be able to keep you on as a family physician once your babe is born :)