“I was suicidal for years, and the way people treated me after the assault is a big factor in that. I attempted suicide about two weeks after the procedure. The hospital refused to let me stay after 72 hours because I was "just looking for a bed to mooch".
I was 14 and homeless. I am First Nations and gender-queer/2S. I didn't have the voice I have now, at 14. So, I never gave them feedback.”
Read MoreSusan's Story - Stratford General Hospital, Stratford
“After having a difficult end of pregnancy with constant complaints to my OB, Christine Bloch that were never paid any attention to, I delivered my son after a difficult delivery on November 20, 2007.
The next few days were not so good and I went from being fairly well to very ill requiring emergency surgery, being cut open from my breast bone to my pubic bone. Finding out I have a large cyst and umbilical hernia and had become septic. During surgery my heart stopped up to four separate times, leaving me in very poor condition in the ICU after surgery where I was to remain for many weeks.”
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Read More"We all had the same doctor" - What Prevents Doctors From Doing Harm?
“What happens when patients raise the alarm about healthcare professionals practicing in their community? What does it take for the regulatory college to take these complaints seriously? What prevents doctors who do harm from jumping from hospital to hospital, and continuing to practice for years to come?
According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website directory, the obstetrician featured in this article is still practicing at Stratford General Hospital & Wingham and District Hospital today.”
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If you’ve been harmed by a healthcare provider in Ontario, check out our new Guide to Reporting Negative Reproductive Healthcare Experiences and consider sharing your experience here on the Community Story Blog. Change can happen if we speak up together!
Read MoreThe Reproductive Justice Story Project
Being a Doula in Toronto
“We need to feel comfortable saying “Stop!” when we see cervical checks without consent. Our clients should be the ones to advocate for themselves whenever possible, but there are times when they can’t and we must.”
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Are you a doula or healthcare professional with a story to share about mistreatment and abuse in the healthcare system in Canada? Consider sharing your experience here on the Community Story Blog. Change can happen if we speak up together!
If you’ve experienced disrespect or discrimination while accessing reproductive healthcare in Ontario, check out the Guide to Reporting Negative Reproductive Healthcare Experiences.
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The Reproductive Justice Story Project
Survey Response - St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto
“As a Catholic teaching hospital, the cultural aversion to informed consent and bodily autonomy in your childbirth unit makes sense, however, some patients raised this culture as an area of concern in the feedback survey. You shared in your letter that you are “continuing to seek learning opportunities that expand care providers’ understanding of what obstetrical [sic] violence is and ways we can ensure patients don’t experience this under our care” In the meeting it was stated that “ideally we need to embed it into some standardized classes” but you were not able to speak to whether “obstetric violence” or “patient mistreatment” are terms that had come up at all yet, even in less formal conversations and huddles on the unit.
However, you expressed with certainty that there have still been no formalized discussions or training around what constitutes obstetric violence, and how to interrupt the cycle of obstetric violence in your Family Birthing Centre. It was also unclear whether the experiences of abuse and mistreatment some patients shared in their survey responses have been addressed in a comprehensive way.”
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Read MoreKatie's Story - McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton
“To give an idea of how much blood I lost... I was severely anemic for almost 1 and 1/2 years after having my son. My hemoglobin was so low they weren't going to release me.
But this is when the most heartbreaking thing happened. I wasnt even clear to be released and we were told my son was lowest priority in the neonatal unit and was being transported to St. Catherine's, an hour or so away from our home.
My husband and I were devastated I contacted the hospital management and filed a complaint. But this did nothing. They took him without our expressed consent.”
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Read MoreAlicia's Story - Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie
“I was in tears. I was alone and scared that something was wrong. I had never felt a pain so strong and crushing before. I continued to call my nurse only to be ignored. It had been 8 hours of excruciating pain when a different nurse finally came in. She immediately ran to get my OB and within minutes I was being taken for a C-section. I was in class 3 HELLP syndrome. My liver was about to burst. I was about to die. I almost lost my life and my nurse thought it was gas.”
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Read MoreSubmitted by LM
LM's Story - Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Cambridge
“And so, in went the pitocin. I made it clear that I only wanted the minimum amount, just enough to start regular contractions. Every time the nurse came to check on me and the machine, she'd raise the rate of delivery a little. When I caught her doing it and asked if she was increasing it, she outright lied and told me they were just trying to adjust the dosage to align with my contractions.”
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Read MoreJennifer's Story - Ottawa General Hospital, Ottawa
“I had to go to the ER after a month & a half for pelvic pain. I found out I still had tissue inside, so I had to get a D&C and then get restitched up. Now things down there don’t even look right - good thing I don’t wanna be a stripper! On top of that, I’m now waiting to get my child into physio at CHEO as he has torticollis, which (I’ll be finding out but I’m assuming) is from the trauma of his birth.”
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Submitted by Chelsey
Chelsey's Story - Ottawa General Hospital, Ottawa
“I was in a lot of pain in my ribs and the NICU was quite a walk for me. When I walked straight, my ribs would hurt so bad I couldn’t breathe. I’d asked a nurse if she could help me get to the NICU by wheeling me in a chair. She said “I’ve got better things to be doing than helping you get to the NICU. Get there yourself”. I had to walk there, back and forth to feed him and then go back to pump. I did this constantly barely able to breathe.”
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Read MoreSubmitted by Pigion
Pigion's Story - Kingston General Hospital, Kingston
“During the c-section I felt it all. I felt the cut, I felt them inside me, I felt them stitching me back up. I felt the awful, awful pain. They weren't taking me seriously. They told me there was no way I was feeling it, that it was all in my head. Well, it wasn't. Because of them I will never birth another baby, I can't watch TV shows that show surgeries, I can't talk about my birth, I can't even touch my stomach without being brought back to that table and feeling the pain I felt.”
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Read MoreChloe's Story - Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa
“I was totally alone with my boyfriend and the baby's head coming out. I was literally crossing my legs bawling that she was coming and wouldn’t be able to breathe. The nurse came in so slowly and said, "It’s impossible you dilated that fast", then I opened my legs and she said "DONT PUSH!" and ran out to find the doctor who was ASLEEP!!!!!! My baby was out 5 minutes later.”
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Read MoreJen's Story - Guelph General Hospital, Guelph
“Every nurse and doctor I spoke to assumed I'd had a C-section and high blood pressure issues which I’ve never had. I was incorrectly diagnosed with HELLP syndrome and had to deliver my baby without my husband as he was removed from the hospital after expressing concerns with my care.”
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Read MoreTerri's Story - Sault Ste Marie General Hospital, Sault Ste Marie
“Operation starts, I feel a lot of pulling and shaking the table. They were talking amongst themselves about vacations and sports, never said one word to me. Showed me the baby briefly, before whisking him off to NICU because he was 4 lbs. Then they sewed me up. The doctor and anaesthetist left the room laughing and said, ‘See you next year. You'll be back again.’"
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Read MoreMelissa's Story - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
“I was 28 years old, having my first baby so I did not know what to expect. I thought the care I received was the standard of care for everyone. It wasn’t until I had my daughter 11 months later with a different doctor & nurse that I realized how much of an impact they had on my first childbirth experience. I can’t help but think that if I was treated with respect & care I wouldn’t have had such bad postpartum depression.”
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Read MoreAN's Story - Alexandra Hospital, Ingersoll
“Three years later, I made them aware of the emotional heartache that I live with on a daily basis due to their actions and I requested they have miscarriage and pregnancy loss training of some sort. The doc apologized but nothing was ever done.”
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Read MoreA's Story - London Health Sciences Centre, London
“I was trying to get my daughter on bottle - they had her on a feeding tube. After 36 hours of having her on a bottle, I needed sleep. I'm surprised I stayed up that long. Her one feed during my short 4 hour sleep, the nurse fed her through her tube because she couldn't be bothered to try and feed her through the bottle.. so to say the least, I was back at stage one.”
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Read MoreThe Reproductive Justice Story Project
Kim's Story - Bay Centre for Birth Control, Toronto
“I was, and am, resolute in my decision to never have children, I know other people seeking reproductive care have experienced far more overt attempts at manipulation, but from this experience, I am still more guarded and defiant with health care providers.”
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Read MoreKaryn's Story - Victoria Hospital, London
“This was the first time I was mistreated in emerge when presenting with a women's health issue... so honestly I don't know why I expected anything different. My experience caused me to not seek medical attention with my second miscarriage and I chose to do the third one at home with the help of medication. We are pregnant again and planning a home birth, I am terrified we may end up in hospital as it is the last thing I would want.”
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Read MoreSubmitted by Kara