Obstetrics
Welcome to the Obstetrics clinic! We are happy to have you join us. OB clinics almost always run Friday mornings.
Sometimes, your appointment may move to the afternoon or another day if there are limited ultrasound spots are needed. Some urgent consults will take place on Labour and Delivery as well.
Registration & Consultation Visit
At McMaster, you can come directly to the 2F clinic to register for your appointment. The 2F clinic is located on the second floor in the Red section. Please bring your Health Card to each appointment and a list of medications for your first visit.
OB clinics can get busy, so we suggest you only come 10 minutes early for your appointment. If you are going to be more than 30 minutes late, please call us so we know you are coming.
Your first visit will be a consultation, whether you have been referred by a family physician, a midwife, or another provider.
At this visit, we will review your medical history and ensure that the necessary prenatal testing is up to date. Much of the initial intake is performed by the clinic nurse, though sometimes a learner (resident or student) will participate in the intake. We will also meet to review any questions you have from the outset.
An ultrasound may be a part of your visit. To save you from repeat trips to the hospital and limit your time off work and away from family, we generally schedule ultrasounds at McMaster to take place the same day as your visits.
Some midwifery consultations require only one visit, while others will require a transfer of care. We will discuss this at your visit and, where possible, we will engage your midwife in the decision-making.
Follow Up Prenatal Care
After you register, and before you take a seat in the waiting room, we recommend that you use the washroom and, if comfortable, weigh yourself at each visit. If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to write down questions you have, as not to forget them until the minute you leave the hospital!
Doctors’ offices are busy and unpredictable places (we haven’t delivered a baby in the clinic but have come close once or twice!). While we try to be on time, emergencies and unexpected events happen which can take longer than expected. I do not run clinics at the same time as call shifts, so delays are usually short-lived. Rarely, you may have to stay a bit longer at the hospital for blood-work or a Non-Stress Test (fetal heart-rate monitoring).
At the end of each visit, you will be given a ticket to take to reception to register your next appointment, and requisitions for any tests that may be needed. If you want to book your next few follow-up visits, that’s fine, too – just ask.
Examinations Getting Ready for Labour
Towards the end of the pregnancy, you may require an examination.
You always have the right to request a female chaperone if that makes you more comfortable. As a male provider, I can’t provide a female doctor to perform exams – students and nurses cannot perform unsupervised exams.
We will always do our best to be respectful and mindful of the sensitive nature of these examinations. If you have questions, please ask.
Emergencies When to go to Labour and Delivery
You should go to Labour and Delivery (even if you have a booked appointment) if:
- You think you may be in labour (regular painful contractions)
- You think you are leaking fluid (water broken)
- You have bleeding
- You feel unwell
- You have been in a car accident or have been injured
- You are worried about the baby’s movements
A good way to remember when to go to the hospital in labour is 4-1-1: Contractions 4 minutes apart, a minute in duration, for an hour or longer. But if you are worried, please call Labour and Delivery (905-521-5050) or, if it is a true emergency, call 911.
Partners/Supports
We encourage partners and family members to attend appointments as they and you see fit. Please note that the clinic rooms are a bit small, and generally only one support person can be comfortably accommodated in the examination rooms. Additional supports may be asked to stay in the waiting room.
Remember that you are welcome to breastfeed anywhere in the hospital. However, if you would like some privacy to do so, please ask any staff member and we will gladly offer a clinic room for quiet nursing.
URGENT ASSESSMENT
If you feel that you need to be seen urgently outside of clinic hours, call Labour and Delivery and make your way in.
If you are pregnant but your urgent/emergent problem is unrelated to pregnancy (e.g. broken bones) you should go to your nearest urgent care/emergency department.
Clinic Information
McMaster Clinic
McMaster University Medical Centre
1200 Main St West
2F Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic
Dr. Costescu’s clinics are located in Hamilton Ontario Canada, on Unceded Ancestral Lands of the Haudenosonee and Annishnabeg First Nations.