Refusing Eye ointment in ontario

[chandni3]

Has anyone? I just read today in my midwife info book that's it's law in Canada for all newborns. Has anyone refused? I'm having a hospital birth but with a midwife.

[eljube112]

I refused with all of mine.

My first was a hospital birth, and my midwife refused it but the nurses gave it anyway. I was upset.

If you don't want it, just stand your ground and keep a close eye on the nurses. My midwife didn't care if we gave it.

It is law, but the law is a silly one. I wish they would get rid of t.

[chandni3]

I'm going to ask at my next appointment. It is a stupid law. If I did a urine test to show I don't have those STD's why should I have to give the ointment to my baby. It's not a big deal to me, I did it with my daughter (I didn't know it was only for STD's), but I'm going to try to refuse it this time.

[jennayoung99]

Hmmm maybe I should check this out. I'm not in ontario but alberta and I was planning on refusing this time around. DH even agreed with me, now hearing I might not have a choice kind of erks me. But I thought I remembered them asking me if I wanted it when I was in labour, that and the vit k were the 2 things they asked me. Maybe I was in a crazy labour hallucination tho.

[wordmama]

I was just at a birth where the mum refused it without any problems (in Ontario).

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[almostcrunchy]

Okay, first off, I am not in Canada and I'm a homebirther.....so take it as you will


The ointment is required here in WA where I live. I just refuse and my MW marks it down as "mother refused" and that's that.

If you are having a hospital birth, could you just not let them do it? I mean I can't see them physically forcing the drops?

I hope you can find a way around it!

[Blueberry32]

I'm in BC and last time my mw had me sign a form refusing it at one of my appointments. Same thing this time. I didn't have any trouble at the hospital when my dd was born. No one tried to push it on me. I wasn't aware it was a law. My mw just told me it wasn't necessary and that it was an outdated precaution. But ultimately the decision was mine.

[canadianbakers]

I'm in MB, but we have refused it for our boys and there was no problem with that. I don't remember having to sign anything saying we didn't want it, just told them no.

[Computermama]

I'm in Ontario. My midwife offered the vitamin k shot and the eye ointment and asked if I wanted her to have either of them. I said yes to the vit k and no to the ointment. She seemed pretty non-plussed by it, saying something about it being based on old methods anyway. That was the end of the discussion. DD1 had both I'm sure, they were never given as an option, but that is one of the many things I was unhappy about at her birth. If you pipe up it should be no problem.