Why I left the system. In September 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic I gave birth to my fourth baby. This time, I did things differently. Read a little bit about why below, there will be much more to come on this topic. All I’ve ever wanted was to have a homebirth. After giving birth three times, that was still an elusive goal to me- the first time I had resigned myself to the hospital setting because I was young, couldn’t get midwifery care, and as such resigned myself to the standard hospital labor that resulted in the usual epidural, pitocin…
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It’s the time of year where holiday gift guides are coming out and I wanted to chime in with my recommendations for the new parent. What’s different about this gift guide? After a baby shower, and spending months preparing for a new baby, the last thing a brand new parent needs is more *stuff* to organize. This gift guide focuses on things (mostly services) that will enhance the delicate time after giving birth and make life easier for sleep deprived parents. 1. Pre-paid postpartum doula services Postpartum doula services are a great christmas gift for a new parent! Postpartum doulas…
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Today I’m sharing a collection of birth-related posts written by my friends and colleagues that I think are beautifully written and really touch on some great topics related to pregnancy, birth and doula support. I hope you enjoy! 1. “The best thing I bring to your birth” by Jen LeClair First up I want to share this beautiful post written by my friend Jen LeClair of Mama Bear Doula Care. Her post “The Best Thing I Bring to your Birth” is so great– because it really gets to the heart of doula work, which can be done with or without our bags of…
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Today I wanted to do something a bit different than I’ve done in the past and share a review of LaLaBu’s soothe shirt. LaLaBu is a company founded on the principle of “simple babywearing”and giving back to the global community. When you make a purchase from LaLaBu not only are you going to improve your postpartum experience, but 2% of your purchase goes to local charities and YOU can choose where to direct your purchase. Options at the time of writing include supporting adoption, empowering women entrepreneurs, funding conception assistance and investing in startups doing good in their communities. I…
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A question I get asked often about postpartum is “when can I leave my baby to get a hair cut/have a massage/have some quiet time/visit with my friends and how do I do it?” The answer to that question will be very different for every parent, but in general you can feel free to step out whenever you feel ready to do so. The timing will be different for everyone based on your comfort level and your baby’s temperament. Some parents will go out for shorter periods of time soon after baby is born, and some will choose to stay…
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Today I was deeply saddened to hear that Kate Spade a beloved designer took her own life. She was 55. I always feel a tremendous sense of loss when I hear about anyone taking their own lives. Suicide is extremely tragic and complex, always leaving a deep sadness in my heart for the person who struggled for so long. Being both a mother and an entrepreneur like myself, this struck close to home. I have experienced both tremendous joy and loneliness as a mom and entrepreneur. Since beginning my journey as a mother 5 years ago, I have gone through…
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What do I really need for baby??? Are you asking yourself this question right now as you walk the aisles at your local baby store? Has a feeling of overwhelm set in as you think about the hundreds of dollars you feel you need to spend now that you’re getting ready to welcome your little one? Which stroller to buy, which crib, how much gear? Swing, bouncer, jumper?? How do you decide? How do you do it all on a budget? I’m here to help with that! Unfortunately aggressive marketing really pushes the need to get every piece of equipment…
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As someone who was born and raised in this city, I gotta say, I love Brampton. It is such a vibrant and growing city with lots to do. I’ve seen Brampton change a lot in the past 34 years and I love that there are so many things to do in the downtown core of the city! Here I’m going to share with you a bunch of things you can do in this city while you’re pregnant. And this is the fun stuff… not pack your hospital bag or take a childbirth ed class… I have a post on that…
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I had the opportunity to attend a rebozo technique workshop in Toronto this weekend at Yoga Mamas and what I learned today was phenomenal! I am so excited to bring these new techniques into my work and support my clients in a whole new way. Historically the rebozo (pronounced Re-Bo-So) has been associated with colonialism because it was originally a head covering worn by Spanish people. When they settled in Mexico, they forced their customs on them including the adoption of the rebozo, particularly in places of worship. Over time the Mexican people claimed the rebozo as their own and…
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Welcome to the first in my monthly blog series meeting with local practitioners in Peel Region. The first interview I did was in January with Dr. Blake Broker, a local chiropractor in Brampton. (Forgive the lateness of the actual post since my family was ill for weeks after the meeting). He is trained in the Webster Technique, which is a series of adjustments used specifically in pregnancy to help optimize the mother’s pelvic function and is often recommended to mothers with breech babies. Dr. Blake and his wife Justine Blainey founded The Justine Blainey Wellness Center together, located here in Brampton and…
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