I Gave Birth in Toronto during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Katherine Flemming recounts her experience of undergoing a C-section on 15 April 2020, at North York General Hospital during Toronto’s first COVID-19 lockdown. The primary challenge she notes was the difficulty in communication due to heavy masking by her husband, midwife, nurses, and surgeon.

In her essay, Flemming reflects on how her delivery occurred before the virus’s peak in Ontario, allowing her to benefit from a calm environment with attentive medical staff who encouraged her to document the occasion. This narrative contrasts with accounts of later overcrowded hospitals and fatigued healthcare workers. Flemming’s story highlights both the uncertainty of the pandemic’s early days and the importance of relinquishing control to medical professionals in high-stress situations.