I am a non practicing RN. Relevant work experience in NICU , KGH. I teach Prenatal Ed and Parenting at KPCC. I am also part of KFL&A Prenatal Ed Network.
I have been volunteering at the Pregnancy Center since 2013. I can offer support to my client right from the positive test if needed.
Operating as usual
Everything gets super SQUASHED!
Sometimes eating little and often, avoiding spicy foods and foods with a high fat intake can help. Avoiding eating late t night may help too.
Sometimes you may have to visit the doctor for a prescription of antacids to ease the burn.
If you had heartburn, what helped you?
breastfeeding is hard fu***ng work.
i’ve been looking back at old pieces recently and while the words ring true, it’s so different from what i expected.
the first few weeks were so hard, i cried almost every night in frustration. my sleepy, jaundiced baby was hungry and neither one of us knew what we were doing. fumbling around in the dark, belly still sore and cramping, i’d try to get my fussy son awake enough to stay latched but he’d fall asleep again and wake up even hungrier, even fussier.
i don’t really remember the moment it clicked. i just remember being consciously aware that we weren’t crying together at 3 am anymore, that he’d latch in seconds and actually eat until he was full.
and while latching is no problem anymore, breastfeeding is still hard; i didn’t expect that. it’s so demanding. i have nights where, instead of crying, i’m gritting my teeth from the overstimulation.
it’s one of the (if not THE) most physically and mentally draining things i’ve ever done in my life, but i love breastfeeding milo. i acknowledge its difficulty and embrace every moment. i already find myself missing those early, “getting to know you”, weepy filled nursing sessions- i can only imagine how much i’ll miss the good times.
whether it ends tomorrow or in a few years, i am accepting of however this sweet, difficult, amazing journey goes for us 🧡🌙
A great infograph on increasing simply…
Photos from Our Mama Village's post
I came across a post from a new mother on a parenting forum the other day, showing how resentment between couples can sometimes form in the early days of parenthood, particularly when there is sleep deprivation.
Here is what the post read (DH = dear husband, DS= dear son):
"I’m not being very sympathetic.
We are both shattered, like all new parents I guess.
When we first got the baby home a couple of weeks ago, he was quite chilled (the baby was, and to an extent DH was too) he thought things were easy! Unfortunately DS hasn’t slept well at night, he’s a bit nocturnal- he’ll do 90 min stretches just 3x throughout the night so you can’t get a proper sleep. During the day he was fabulous at napping initially but he’s not great at the moment, he gets bad wind after a feed, gets uncomfortable and needs about an hour of comforting/winding.
‘I didn’t think it would be like this’ said DH yesterday
I think I cope better on the back of a night of no sleep so I’ve been doing the night shift, in the spare room with the baby, and trying to grab a few hours nap in the day, DH still has another week off work, but last night I’d had enough, I was dead on my feet, so I expressed some milk and handed over to DH.
I’ve just been into the bedroom to find DS sleeping peacefully, and DH practically rocking in a corner, ashen faced, like he has experienced a terrible and traumatic event.
I asked how he got on. ‘Not good’, he replied in shaky voice. I’ve got the baby now and he’s gone back to bed, in a strop, because I reminded him that it sounded like an entirely normal night to me.
Am I being unreasonable?
But I wonder if DH pictured having a tiny baby as like having an agreeable little cat curled up in a corner, waking up for the odd feed and cuddle, letting us watch a box set of an evening and share a bottle of chianti."
What would you say to this new mum or her husband? Can you relate? I'd love to hear other partners' perspectives too. How do we manage expectations of early parenthood?
When you see it once, you cannot help but see it everywhere.
Today our kid’s jaws are not developing.
Human jaw growth is the result of a symphony of factors that contribute to how a child’s craniofacial, airway, sensorimotor, feeding, and communicative systems are meshing together to form the child’s face.
When kids faces aren’t developing correctly, it’s important to know what’s what.
I tell patients to be aware of the signs kids jaws aren’t growing as swiftly as they need be, we can intervene in this, but a warning, it’s difficult. Remember this is a generational problem, and we won’t fix it overnight, but we do need to become aware of it, and very quickly.
I believe this is the most significant health issue on the planet.
Above is the childhood dental eruption chart. It tells us when kids teeth should break the gum and when they should fall out. It also accompanies a list of signs that the jaw relationship is not developing as quickly to fit all the adult teeth.
High narrow palate: Where the roof of the mouth is a V-shape, and may be quite high, instead of being a flat U-Shape. It is often associated with a lack of connection between the tongue and the palate. The tongue should shape the upper arch.
Open bite: When the bite doesn’t come together. This can be due to thumb sucking or pacifier use. It can indicate the jaw is distorted and may be worsened by a ‘tongue thrust swallow’
Under bite or Cross bite – Where the lower teeth connect in front of the upper teeth. It can happen at the front, side, or back of the mouth. If this happens it locks the upper jaw back and can contribute to an asymmetrical growth of the jaw.
Overbite – where the lower jaw sits a long way ‘back’ from the upper arch. Can be associated with improper tongue posture, swallow, and forward head posture.
Primate spacing – gaps between kids teeth which should be there, if there are no gaps, it’s likely adult teeth will have space issues.
Mouth breathing – a good sign your child has issues developing their jaws.
You should always watch if a child mouth breathes or snores at night.
Do you notice any of these signs in your kids? Would you add any points?
Sending love to those of you that carry your babies in your hearts and not your arms.
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We are available until 3pm PST if you would like to reach out for support today. You can reach us by phone or text at 604-255-7999.
💜
Posted • Today is Pregnancy +infant loss Remembrance Day.
T.W. Pregnancy loss
I was 7 months pregnant when I lost Lillian. I was young, and I could barely wrap my head around grief, let alone a grief that I couldn’t find words for.
I was 20 when I lost her, and I only started healing from it 4 years ago. My heart and mind had no idea how to even begin healing from this kind of loss, so I didn’t allow myself space to properly grieve at the time. It was as if because I never got to know her favorite color, what she was interested in or what foods she didn’t like— that I subconsciously told myself I had nothing to be upset about.
As you may know— that not how love, mothering, or being human works.
Every feeling I felt was valid. Every moment of anger, confusion, sadness, longing, resentment.
But was not valid was the little voice telling me that maybe it was my fault.
I did nothing wrong, my body did nothing wrong, and I wasn’t being “punished”. Which are all thoughts that ran through my 20 year old mind.
I didn’t need to hear “everything happens for a reason”, or that there was another plan for me, or her. Because sometimes terrible things happen, without reason and we just have to learn to move through them and be reminded that we are loved.
That’s it.
And if you also had this experience: your feelings, experience, grief are valid no matter how many weeks along you were and It was not your fault. ❤️
I dedicated my book to Lillian (and my mom) because the book I made is the world I would have wanted her to grow up in and she comes through in my art daily. I would have wanted her to know she is enough, worthy, whole and that the world needs her as she is— not as it tells her to be. ♥️
❤️If today is tough for you- my email is always open.
Facts about baby p**p:
💩 In the first few weeks, counting p**ps and pees helps us know if your baby is getting enough to eat.
💩 After your baby is 3-4 weeks old, breastfed babies may only p**p once every 7-10 days, and formula fed babies p**p about once a day.
💩 Poops come in all colours! Most are okay. Red, black or white are concerning and you should call your doctor.
💩 Breastfed baby p**ps are usually yellow, and liquidly. They might have little seeds or chunks - normal!
💩 When you start offering solids, p**p changes. it may become brown, and stinky. 🤢 ~Rebecca, RN
Photos from Safe Infant Sleep's post
The End.
What was the most thoughtful thing that you were gifted for YOU when you become a mom?
A few girlfriends of mine dropped of snacks and a magazines for while I was recovering and it felt so thoughtful during a time when everyone was focused on baby!
Finalizing mom gift giving download that will be coming your way shortly!
Share your favorite gift below ♥️
Photos from Our Mama Village's post
Most of our ideals and expectations around s*x in the postpartum period are not grounded in the reality of what is actually happening with couples behind closed doors.
Research by John Gottman reveals that before baby, both partner’s desires tend to mirror each other and both tend to rate their s*x life as being good to great.
The Gottman’s asked the question did having a baby cool down a couple’s s*xual desire, passion and good s*x? They discovered that yes indeed it did, with no baby desire and satisfaction remain high whereas after the baby is born the couple's experience a disconnect in the amount of s*xual desire and that gap or difference lasted for up to three years.
They found that before baby both partners want s*x, after baby partners tend to want a lot more s*x than moms.
Not all moms report a decrease in s*x drive postpartum, but the majority do. This can be due to several reasons, such as those listed above, as well as the very real and present hormonal changes that mothers experience postpartum.
Not all intimacy is s*xual.
Not all physical intimacy needs to be s*x/intercourse.
Dr. Ream | Moms Mental Health] and I have a workshops on how to maintain intimacy in your relationship after baby arrives.
We break down the various forms of intimacy, things that get in the way and how to get on the same page with your partner to build a stronger and closer connection.
If you are struggling with emotional or physical intimacy after becoming a parent, check out my workshop with Dr. Ream | Moms Mental Health]. Visit happyasamother.co/intimacy
We created a sleep product resource page on our website to make life easier for our members.
Items include:
•bassinets
•playards
•cribs
•sleep sacks
•sheets
•small portable sleep spaces
•bassinet strollers
•nursery proofing items
•white noise
•door alarms
It’s not all inclusive but it has the popular items our members have told us they love over the years and their Amazon links.
https://www.safeinfantsleep.org/copy-of-resources
Have a young baby who still needs to be transferred when asleep?
Do they wake up when you place then down?
Try this trick along with our other tips:
•warm up the sheet
•have the sheet or swaddle/sack smell like you
•ensure sleep environment is quiet and dark
•white noise on low used 3 ft away
•keep your hand on them until in a deeper sleep then slowly remove.
Featuring the ette cetera! Sammi cribette safe sleep you kit. Perfect for helping a sibling know about safe sleep.
➡️https://www.ettecetera.com/products/safe-sleep-toy-kit-safe-sleep-sasha-or-safe-sleep-sammi?rfsn=4817667.cb3c4c
Did you know…
The glandular tissue (these little branches) in our breasts is where our milk is made and stored. When you look at how the structure is, you can see how our breasts are never empty. As your baby breastfeeds, each little lobe drains as the feed goes on, and your glandular tissues continues to re-fill. They are in a continual state of being well drained and then filling back up again. This happens in different areas of the breast, constantly, 24/7. This is why your breasts will never actually be empty. They can be well drained however they will never be empty. There will always be branches that have milk in them.
The more you drain this glandular tissue, the more milk you will make. Your body goes into milk making drive once they are drained however as they fill up, production slows down so your b***s don’t explode!
This is why breastfeeding frequently and regularly is so important to milk production. This is why sticking to a feeding schedule you find in a book will put you at such a big risk of decreasing your supply.
Babies and toddlers tend to not be given the credit they deserve. They know how often they need to feed in order for you to keep making the amount they need. The only time I’d say go against what your child is asking for is if there are weight gain concerns and you need to get more milk into them than what they’re asking for.
When in doubt…whip it out. ❤️
ps. Yup this is my amazing artwork. Can you see why I didn’t become an artist?! ☺️
Photos from Safe Infant Sleep's post
This is really important. How much you can pump is NOT an indication of how much your baby is getting! Many of us find that we cannot pump much out, even if we make more than enough for your baby!
Here are some of my top tips for pumping: https://themilkmeg.com/milk-meg-video-pumping-how-to-pump-more-breastmilk/
Photos from Our Mama Village's post
If you would like to talk to a nurse about the safety of the vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding, please send us a private message, or call 613-549-1154. We're happy to chat with you and offer non-judgmental, evidence-based information. ~Rebecca, RN
If we don’t make time for our mental health, we may be forced to make time for our mental illness.
Caring for your mental wellness can look like a lot of different things:
✔️ Saying no
✔️ Making decisions according to your values instead of pressure ad expectations of others
✔️ Prioritizing sleep
✔️ Moving your body and getting outside
✔️ Keeping up with your own healthcare appointments
✔️ Talking about your feelings
✔️ Practicing self compassion
✔️ Going to therapy or couples therapy
There are so many small ways we can care for our mental health. While each item on this list many not individually “fix” how we feel, it is a step in the right direction of caring for ourselves.
We get so busy mothering everyone else that we forget to mother ourselves, but we also need the same care and compassion we give others.
What is one small way you can care for yourself today? ❤️
Photos from Unbiased Science Podcast's post
Effective breathing during labour and birth will help you to focus, remain in control, lower your stress hormones and provide your uterus with enough oxygen to contract properly. This in turn will help the birthing process.
Up breathing:
When you are having contractions, breathe in deeply thtough your nose slowly (count to a comfortable number in your head, perhaps 5 or 6) without holding your breath, and then breathe out slowly through your mouth to the same count (or whatever feels comfortable to you) keep repeating these breaths until the contraction ends. If you are using gas & air, you can breathe through the mouth piece at this rate.
At some point you will start to transition into the second stage when your cervix is fully dilated and the head is really low. If the head is low enough, you should start feeling an involuntary urge to push. At this point you need to start down breathing. It will help you focus as transition can make you feel wobbly and out of control as the feeling becomes super intense! .
Down breathing is a gentle way of birthing your baby as opposed to being directed, holding your breath, counting to 10 and pushing for your life! *Guiding pushing may be necessary however in some situations like if you have an epidural as you may not have full sensation to be able to push effectively* .
Down breathing during the second stage is similar to up breathing but you inhale through the nose quicker. Perhaps to the count of 2. When you breathe out through your mouth, you allow blow down, channelling the breath down through your body towards your pelvis, allowing the natural pushing urge to take over.
Breathing this way can also help to prevent tearing and burst blood vessels in your eyes!
Practise during pregnancy so that by the time you are ready to give birth, you've mastered it!
To learn more techniques for a positive labour and birth, check out my hypnobirthing course, link in bio 🤰🏻🤱🏾
Place your baby fully supine (flat on their back) in an empty safe sleep space for every sleep up to at least 1 year of age.
Photos from Child & Babytalk in KFL&A's post
For more information like below follow our platforms.
All are found via flow.page/safeinfantsleep
CPSC’s most recent report on nursery product injuries and deaths shows that cribs/mattresses, playpens/play yards, bassinets/cradles, infant carriers and inclined infant sleep products were associated with 83 percent of the fatalities reported. About one-third (32 percent) of infant and toddler fatalities were associated with cribs and/or mattresses, while bassinets/cradles, infant carriers and inclined sleep products, collectively, were associated with an additional one-third (32 percent) of fatalities.
⬇️
Most of these nursery product-related deaths are due to asphyxiation resulting from a cluttered or hazardous sleep environment. The sleep area is often cluttered with extra bedding, such as pillows, blankets, comforters and plush toys.
Beginning in mid-2022, any product intended or marketed for infant sleep must meet a new federal safety standard. This new mandatory standard will effectively eliminate potentially hazardous sleep products in the marketplace that currently do not meet a CPSC mandatory standard for infant sleep, such as inclined sleepers, travel and compact bassinets and in-bed sleepers, which have been linked to dozens of infant deaths. Popular products formerly referred to as “inclined sleep products” include several styles that have been recalled over the years.
https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2021/Parents-and-Caregivers-Reminded-of-Safe-Sleep-Guidance
Timeline Photos
Ma*****na is excreted in your breast milk at levels 8 times higher than your blood ma*****na (THC). This may be the highest risk time for your child. Currently there are no studies to know what exactly the effects will be. However, based on studies done on exposure within the uterus, we recommend abstaining from ma*****na completely while breastfeeding. Even more concerning, smoking around the baby increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Learn More:
https://www.themothersprogram.ca/during-pregnancy/whats-safe-whats-not/ma*****na
It's okay to have questions about the Covid Vaccine. This local podcast talks about the covid vaccine and your fertility. ~Rebecca, RN
https://www.themothersprogram.ca/the-motherstm-podcast
This is why moms get overheated. Overwhelmed. Undone.
I took our two-year-old with me on my morning walk, while my husband went to practice baseball with his big brothers.
When my littlest and I made it back home, I was soaked in sweat from the southern summer heat and immediately thought of the others outside at the ballpark.
I called my husband to check in and see if they were headed home to cool off. He said they were going to stay longer; the heat wasn’t all that bad for coaching and catching balls.
I told him I was just about to pass out from our little trek. So hot. So tired.
That’s when he acknowledged pushing the baby in the stroller in this heat was harder on me.
And I let that fact sink in.
Because moms don’t stop pushing the stroller.
Moms don’t stop carrying the extra weight of our hardships, while still considering what our babies are facing.
Moms don’t stop reminding everyone to get a drink or to come inside to cool off.
Moms don’t stop wondering how our babies are feeling and wanting to take care of them, even if from afar.
And no matter how hot it gets, moms keep going.
We keep doing whatever it takes to get our babes home safe.
And, of course, dads and grandparents and other caregivers put in the hard work and love and sacrifice, too.
But there’s something unique about the strength and empathy and compassion that flow through the veins of a mama.
And there’s something important about acknowledging the journey and cheering each other on.
I see you, mama.
And I want to encourage you to keep on.
Keep asking God for help.
And trusting He is with you. He is with your babies.
Just keep on.
Submitted by Mommys15Minutes by Jaclyn Warren
“This was taken 2 days before I met the psychiatrist who would help to save me from my PPD. As I stared vacantly at my daughter, I contemplated skipping that appointment. What could this doctor possibly do for me?
Is it ironic that as a pharmacist myself, I wanted nothing to do with antidepressants?
I had learned these medications inside out and rattled them off like ABCs in school at one point, but somehow I was too scared and impatient to take them. I knew the side effects; I knew they took awhile; I knew it might take months to adjust doses or find the right one.
I also knew I was depressed.
So depressed.
And anxious.
Try as I might to lie on the questionnaires, I couldn’t fool myself. Scary intrusive thoughts multiple times a day, along with the complete loss of purpose made it so obvious to me. Nothing brought joy. Nothing was funny anymore.
Yet I found it hard to ask for help, to try antidepressants. I brushed off therapists as a waste of time, thinking it was too late for CBT. I dismissed that antidepressants could actually help “fix” what was wrong.
What I needed was for breastfeeding to be magically easy, for someone to tell me exactly what to do when my baby cried. Ha. I needed to FEEL something other than empty again. These pills needed to work like yesterday.
It’s like I gave up before I started.
But luckily I went to that appt. And she convinced me to give the Zoloft a chance. As a humbled pharmacist now, I can tell you antidepressants aren’t easy and they’re not a cure-all. But I will also tell you that they CAN help play a part in your recovery.
You still need to put in the work. But we need to remove the stigma around taking antidepressants and instill a culture that says . No shame in getting help. I know I truly believe in antidepressants and therapy now. They helped to untangle my mind from insurmountable guilt and shame.
Mama, if deep down you know you need the help, ask for it. Don’t give up before you start. It may feel hopeless or useless, but you might be surprised what happens. I am only one story, but I hope it can still be a ray of hope. ❤️”
Credit : Pearls of Jasmine on Instagram
Timeline Photos
My post-natal reality. This is how I received the midwife who visited us the morning after Ziggy came home from the NNU. She turned up without any warning; I was in bed, naked bar an adult nappy, on a load of towels to soak up the insane night sweats nobody told me about. I had raging mastitis and had surgically taped silver nursing cups (way better than any ni**le balm, by the way) and breast pads to my engorged, leaking b***s because I couldn’t wear a bra. That’s an ice pack on top. My hair was greasy, sweaty and broken from almost two weeks of scraped back hospital buns. After a traumatic instrumental birth and two catheters, I found myself temporarily incontinent; something else nobody had warned me could happen. Not to mention the mental impact of a NICU baby. Throw in a beautiful little newborn waking to feed every 30 minutes...I looked and felt like a badgers arse after a run in with a HGV on an A road. Why share? Because I wish I’d known that this is NORMAL! But also to say that if this is you right now, or if you’re pregnant and a bit scared, it’s temporary. The fog lifts, you will sleep again, breastfeeding eventually becomes second nature, you will be able to take a long shower and wash your hair again. We need more realities about new motherhood, but less “your life is over” fear-mongering too. Life is 10 x more chaotic but 100 x more magic. 💫
What do you wish you’d known?
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