N.S. mom says she had to ‘beg’ for care while giving birth at IWK hospital

First-time mom Meghan MacDonald says she was met with neglect and a lack of compassion while having her child at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

Meghan MacDonald thought she was well-prepared for the birth of her first child. She and her husband attended classes, did the research, and were highly anticipating the arrival of their bundle of joy.

But she says when she arrived at Halifax’s IWK Health Centre early one morning in July after her water broke, what was supposed to be an exciting experience turned into a traumatic one.

MacDonald alleges that from the start of her birthing experience, she was met with neglect and a lack of compassion — at one point being left in a room for 13 hours as she suffered from excruciating pain.

“If this could happen to someone like me — not that I’m any better than anybody else, but I feel like I was extremely resourceful and prepared — it could happen to anyone, and I’m pretty sure it probably does,” MacDonald told Global News.

Leading up to her daughter’s birth, MacDonald said she had received “absolutely extraordinary” care from the IWK’s perinatal centre, so she expected the same level of care during the birth itself.

“That is what built the foundation of what I was expecting to be my birth experience, and why I was so relaxed and why I was so confident going into this,” she said.

MacDonald first arrived at the IWK Health Centre with her mother and husband around 4:30 a.m.

She went to an early assessment area, where she was given underwear with a pad and told there was “no space” for her as 22 other babies were being born.