Photo: @tailoredmommy via Instagram
Krystal Ferguson?s first baby was born at home, but last May, when she was 39 weeks pregnant with her second, she was still unsure of where she wanted to deliver. A home birth wouldn?t be the same?she was in a smaller house and now had a toddler running around?so she was considering a hospital delivery. But when her midwife raved about the Toronto Birth Centre (TBC), with its new and spacious rooms, large birthing tubs and soothing atmosphere, she began to second-guess her decision. She booked a spot, but before she could even take a tour, her baby girl was born in one of the TBC?s birthing tubs. Ferguson doesn?t regret her last-minute choice one bit. ?It had all the comforts of home, with a hospital close by. It was like giving birth in a beautiful hotel room.? The provincially funded, not-for-profit Toronto Birth Centre opened in January 2014 and was developed by indigenous midwife co-leads Cheryllee Bourgeois and Sara Wolfe from Seventh Generation Midwives of Toronto, a practice focused on guiding indigenous families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Though it?s a health-care facility that specializes in midwife-led childbirth, its four birth rooms have all the comforts?and maybe more!?of home: a double bed made up with cozy linens; a sleek, deep tub set off to the side; a fireplace and a full ensuite bathroom. The furniture is comfortable, the fixtures are modern, and there?s a kitchen where expectant families can gather. Metis...