r/BabyBumpsCanada

I'm giving birth in July, and I am considering an elective C-section. The idea of giving birth has always given me anxiety, so I have always assumed that I would ask for an elective c-section but now I am not so sure. I put together a list compared the differences between natural birth vs. C-section. One item I am cautious of in these statistics is many of them include emergency & unplanned c-sections, which generally have worse outcomes compared to planned. Is there anything I am missing/that I should consider?

(note: one of the major factors I was concerned about was an increased risk of hemorrhage and infection, but when comparing planned vaginal vs. planned c, this article did not find any significant differences in any maternal outcome: https://www.jogc.com/article/S1701-2163(16)34982-9/pdf).

Natural
Effect	Reference
Shorter recovery time
6% chance at 3rd/4th degree tear	https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/perineal-tears-and-episiotomies-in-childbirth/third-and-fourth-degree-tears-oasi/
Increased risk of long term incontinence +8% (abs) vs. C-section	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5009182/
Longer-term dyspareunia effects (compared to c-section)	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8415658/
Episiotomy rate - 20%	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3076481/
C-section
Planned/controlled/predictable
Longer recovery time/hospital stay
Delayed lactation onset	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22456657/
Increased likelihood for type 2 diabetes and obesity (+3.4% abs)	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5779640/
Increased odds of subfertility (+12% abs)	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5779640/
Increased likelihood for miscarriage (+1.2%)	https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5779640/

Hello everyone !

I start looking for a breast pump. I am at the beginning, so I have time to look. I saw so many recommandation for the Spectra S1 but, here in Quebec, its always sold out or 400$ on Walmart site. So I find it way to expensive. I want to exclusively Pump. So I was looking into Modela in style or the Freestyle model. Do you have any other recommandation or comments about the Modela ones? I would like to be able to do some chores as I Pump.

Also my parents are going to Florida in September (about a month before my due date). I could ask them to buy one of the spectra Model when They are down there. But are they that great? Should I ask for a Spectra one or I can find something as good here?

My husband works during the day and I’m at home with by baby and dog. As I’m sure is the norm, I’m non-stop them both and then when I do have a moment I’m meal-prepping / cleaning etc. I love my baby, my husband, dog etc. and feel super grateful.

With that being said, would love to get other peoples perspective / insight on how everyone juggles time with their partner once their children go down for bed. I find myself completely checked out once we sit down for dinner. I often want to just eat and then go shower and go watch a show or scroll in bed to get some me time. Wondering if others feel this way and do it or do they push themselves to spend quality time during the week?

I know it’s important to schedule date nights and weekends are nice because we do connect more, so I’m more so talking about during the week. Is what I feel the norm or do I need to try a little harder?

I’ve asked some of my mom friends and they tend to feel the same way but would love to hear from others outside of my circle! I also know when and if I do return to work or have another (we plan to wait several years) it will only get worse don’t worry haha.

Hello. Where do you buy maternity clothes in Ontario or online? I don't find many options other than old navy or H&M. I bought a few online however I have to return most due to sizing issues. By the time I order more, my sizes change (17w now) sigh.. Appreciate any pointers!

Hi everyone, I’m feeling really unsure and would love some advice. Last April 2025, I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. When I first realized I was pregnant, I went to my family doctor, but the appointment was so short, she didn’t give me any information about what to expect, what I should do, or even confirm the pregnancy. The very first question she asked was whether I wanted a C-section or a natural birth, and I was completely speechless!! I had no idea. It was my first pregnancy; I just wanted guidance. I have no family here. They stay in other country. Even my best friend moved to US. I asked if I could even choose a C-section in Canada without medical need, but at that point, the pregnancy wasn’t even confirmed with blood work or ultrasound , and I left that visit feeling so disappointed. After that, I found a midwife clinic, and even though we lost the pregnancy, their care was a lifeline,they were so attentive, calling me, checking in, and arranging an emergency ultrasound, even though it took a few days. Now, a year later, I’m thinking of trying again, but I’m so unsure, since I had a miscarriage, am I considered high risk now? Should I see a family doctor or OB-GYN for more monitoring, or do you think I should stay with a midwife? I really connected with them, but I also don’t want to miss anything crucial. If you’ve been in a similar situation, what route did you take? I would really appreciate your thoughts. Thank you so much.

I have a dentist appointment (regular cleaning/check up) scheduled for 35 weeks. I am possibly being induced at 38 weeks and thinking I should reschedule the dental appointment until after she is born, am I being ridiculous or should I just power through the dental appointment?

I’d love to start weaning my 12M old. She currently nurses at night and throughout the day, and I’m wondering if it’s affecting her solid food intake. Some friends mentioned that their babies started eating more solids after weaning, which makes me curious. I don’t know much about the weaning process, so I’d really appreciate any advice, what’s worked for you, tips to keep in mind, and how to approach it. She’s also in daycare for about 8 hours during the day.

Any recs for soft, fragrance free diapers for a newborn? (not Huggies please!) The Pampers Pure line is not consistently in stock on Amazon and seems to out of stock everywhere else. For fresh newborn skin, I prefer pampers over huggies as huggies was really rough on my my first babies skin (the tabs would rub against her skin. We switched to pampers swaddlers cos it's way more padded, softer and we ignored the fragrance though I would've liked them without it. Haven't tried any other brands.

I have my GD test coming up and unfortunately for me I hate artificial orange flavoured things and apparently we don't have the lemon lime flavour in Canada anymore. My patient info sheet says there's supposed to be an unflavoured version available but my friend just did hers at the Ranchlands location and they didn't have it. I realise this is trivial but orange things make me gag and that seems counterintuitive in this situation. 😹

Has anyone come across it at any of the lab locations in Calgary?

My kid got hand foot and mouth last week, sores started Monday and finished on Thursday and then started scabbing over. Hadn’t had a fever since Tuesday but we played it safe and sent him in on Monday. Energy, appetite and happiness are back.

Then we get a call from the daycare saying we need to take him home today and get a doctors note before he can return. When I called to get a note they were really confused because they said hfm is contagious for 4 weeks after in the stool and I’m like okay but no one is keeping their kid out of daycare for a month? They said they would be able to write a note to satisfy the daycare because the sores are dried up and he hasn’t had a fever in days.

They pointed to a scab on his face as the reason but it was a scab he got after falling that he kept picking at, not hfm.

Has anyone needed a note for hfm? I appreciate they are so strict but I’ve kept him out of daycare for 7 days now and he was obviously more contagious beforehand, isn’t that the usual policy? When scabs form and they’ve been fever free for at least 2 days?

Hi! I am pregnant with my first baby and wondering what everyone’s first trimester must haves are/were😊

I'm stressed. My baby has suddenly started spitting food. It's the 5th day. He was never interested in eating until he was over 10 months. And I think he still had no interest but would eat. We don't do BLW and I feed him myself (3 meals a day). It was already very difficult and time consuming. Now it's all about crying. When I bring food near his mouth he starts nodding no. If I put it in his mouth, which he'd take but immediately spit it out. No cereal. No fruit. No egg or rice or toast. Nothing. He saw me eating a candy and took it. Idk what has happened. Recently, he's also started biting a lot (which he's never done before). I believe it's molars. Otherwise, he's active and playing. He drinks very little milk. 2 to 4 ounces, six times in 24 hrs. Breasfeeds while he naps or sleeps or during night. I'm thinking of trying BLW again. Maybe it'd develop his interest in food.

Have your babies done like that? What helped you out? Please suggest while I wait for the doctor's appointment.

Not really Ontario specific, but I'm planning a trip from SC Ontario to Florida next year. My child will be just under 2 years old at the time, and I'm considering driving there instead of flying. The drive is about 21 hours, vs a 2.5 hour flight. For those who have done a long-haul trip like this, would you do it again? If so, any tips?

I just signed my LO up for swim class with Water Babies.

We purchased the required wet suit- but is there such a thing as a 'swim diaper' I am to use underneath, or do I put a regular disposable one on baby?

We use cloth diapers but Huggies for outings. I was gifted a bag of swim diapers by a friend. The swim school refers to "swim diapers" but the instructor said regular disposable ones are fine under the Splash About Happy Nappy wetsuit.

Is a swim diaper better or even a different product than a Huggies diaper?

Just curious how other parents handle their morning routines and commute times. We’re currently only about 3 minutes from daycare and then about 10 min. to my work, but we’re thinking of moving to a bigger place soon.

How far do you typically travel for daycare drop-off and then to work? I’ve heard of some people doing drop-off and then commuting close to an hour, so I’m just curious!

Hi everyone,

We’re expecting a baby in early November 2026, and I’ve started looking into the essentials. I really like the UPPAbaby Cruz V3 stroller. It does have a newborn-compatible position, but since the baby will arrive in late autumn, I’m wondering if we might need something cozier, like a bassinet.

My husband thinks we won’t need one since we probably won’t be going on many walks during the winter, and by spring we could just use the regular seat.

As first-time parents, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and tempted to get everything, so I’d really appreciate your advice and experiences.

I always envisioned that I would breastfeed my baby. Going into pregnancy, I knew it might be tricky because of my inverted nipples. I met with an amazing lactation consultant, who was also a former coworker and friend, multiple times before giving birth. I took her prenatal class and was planning to have her support after birth. Unfortunately, she died suddenly right after I had my baby. Other coworkers have told me that if it was not for her, they never would have been able to breastfeed. She worked miracles for them.

Breastfeeding was a struggle from the start. I did supplemental syringe feeding at the breast with formula, then slowly added in pumped milk as my supply came in. I used nipple shields to help with latching. It was messy, milk was leaking, and the latch was poor. It often felt like my baby was getting milk without really having to suck consistently.

After 2 to 3 weeks of this, along with weight gain issues, I saw a different lactation consultant. That experience felt overwhelming and unhelpful. She did not observe a full feed, had me fill out surveys, and I left the appointment crying, feeling like I had taken a step backward. One helpful thing was that she identified a posterior tongue tie.

The following week, we had the tongue tie released and met with another lactation consultant who recommended triple feeding. That appointment felt much more supportive. She observed a full feed, did a weighted feed, and I left feeling hopeful. I attempted each breast, then bottle fed, then pumped. At first, it felt easier than the syringe feeding, and my baby seemed to latch better.

Based on that consultant’s recommendation, we also saw an osteopath who identified a small palate. We worked on that, along with tongue tie exercises and other strategies.

As the weeks went on, triple feeding became impossible for my mental health. The tongue tie exercises felt like a battle, often ending with both me and my baby in tears. Even after a follow up call and adjusting the plan to be more manageable, it still did not feel manageable. I just could not mentally offer the breast every day. I decided on my own to pause for a weekend, which turned into a week and now a week and a half.

Now that I have taken this break, I have started to reintroduce the breast a small handful of times. Her latch seems worse. She is fussy at the breast even if milk is leaking. I have tried with and without nipple shields. I had to return to using nipple shields because her latch was causing cracked and bleeding nipples, to the point where I was in severe pain when she tried to latch.

Her bottom lip seems to have trouble flanging properly. She does not get enough breast into her mouth and tends to rest on the bottom of the nipple instead. I have watched countless videos and tried different positions, techniques, and hand holds, but nothing seems to work consistently. She also has some leakage out of the corners of her mouth during feeds, both on the breast and with a bottle. We use Evenflo wide bottles, and she latches well on those, but still has some leakage. She does well with paced bottle feeding.

This is not a supply issue at this point. I am able to pump enough to fully feed my baby and even fill my freezer if I choose to.

I am feeling a lot of guilt about not breastfeeding. I keep thinking that if my coworker had been here, she would have helped me have a more successful breastfeeding journey. I feel like I have failed, and I worry that pumping and bottle feeding will make it harder to get out and enjoy the summer with my baby.

I am trying to decide what to do next. I could book another follow up with the lactation consultant I liked, but she is a two hour drive away, or I could try a phone appointment. The local options do not feel affordable, competent, or accessible.

I feel exhausted, but I do not want to give up, especially if this could still be successful. At the same time, I do not want to keep pouring time, money, and energy into something if it is not realistically going to be feasible.

I do not know if I should stop attempting breastfeeding and focus on protecting my mental health while pumping and bottle feeding, or if I should keep trying and pursuing more support.

TIA for the support!

I am a first time mom to a 10 month old, and in this journey of motherhood, it’s very easy to forget ourselves.

So I wanted to know if there is a meet up (without babies) only for moms to feel like yourself again maybe once a month, and do some sort of activity like dancing, or games, or paint or yoga etc anything that helps us and is a refresher, will you be interested?

Any suggestions are welcome, and if you are interested, let me know because right now I am validating this idea and I personally love it but I also want other moms’ opinion.

I'm 28 weeks and 3 days and work a somewhat demanding job - I work as a barista/front of house for a friend's bakery. Honestly it's pretty relaxed and I thought I could make it to 37 weeks, but am already struggling badly. I don't know if it's also because I'm short (5'1) so my bump is already quite large and adding to my struggle or just being on my feet but I really don't see how I'll last to 37 weeks. For the short mamas or those who work on their feet when did you stop working? Personally I want to try to go until 35/36 weeks. Also any suggestions to help would be appreciated! I am going this week to an Ortho store for compression socks and hoping they help.

I’m curious what people use for sleeping for toddlers. I’ve got a 3.5 to so obviously grown too big for the pack n play. At home he’s in a toddler bed with a half railing and we have safety locks on the doors so he doesn’t wander around at night.

For travel, do people use portable guard rails on a bed? Inflatable mattresses?

And for the staying in the room situation, what do you use?

TIA