As a Healthy Babies, Healthy Children (HBHC) Public Health Nurse one of the best parts of my job is to help parents find moments of joy with their infants and children. Sharing joy and laughter can help parents and babies create a connection that will last a lifetime. Moments of joy may look like: A… Continue reading Increasing the joy in parenting
Category: Baby’s First Year
Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
In Canada, Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually on October 1-7th to promote the importance of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding provides a number of benefits: breast milk helps protect your baby from ear infections, coughs and colds and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome breastfeeding helps protect you from breast cancer, diabetes and ovarian cancer promotes closeness and bonding with… Continue reading Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
Do I have enough breast milk to feed my baby?
Almost all breastfeeding parents go through a period when they think they don't have enough breast milk. Sometimes parents worry about this soon after the birth of their baby. Other times even after breastfeeding is well established. The most common reason for stopping breastfeeding is when parents feel they don’t have enough breast milk. The… Continue reading Do I have enough breast milk to feed my baby?
Reading to baby: Get an early start on a lifetime of learning
The time I spend with my kids reading a book is my favourite part of the day. It’s a time where everyone can wind down, snuggle in, explore new adventures and…have fun while learning language! So how early should we start reading to our children? Research shows that in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy,… Continue reading Reading to baby: Get an early start on a lifetime of learning
What is delayed umbilical cord clamping?
A common question from expectant parents in our prenatal program is "when is the best time to cut/clamp baby's umbilical cord?" During pregnancy, the umbilical cord helps move blood, oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby. Shortly after baby is born, their umbilical cord is clamped. Research shows that clamping the umbilical cord at different… Continue reading What is delayed umbilical cord clamping?
Cleaning and pregnancy: Safety tips
Let’s face it! Every day we are exposed to all kinds of things that affects our health – and baby's health. During pregnancy, you may be hearing about the risks of certain environmental hazards and the effects it may have on your unborn baby. During pregnancy, your body is baby's first environment. Many cleaning products… Continue reading Cleaning and pregnancy: Safety tips
A recipe for praise
As a parenting group facilitator, many parents/caregivers have asked me "will praising my child spoil them or feed their ego?" Actually, praising children nurtures their growing brain with positive attention, love and reinforces that you believe in them while fostering self-motivation in your child. There are key ingredients to praising effectively which apply to both… Continue reading A recipe for praise
Are you ready to start exercising after having your baby?
Do you think of exercise and immediately picture a fitness centre with complicated machines and impossibly hard, high tempo exercise classes? This can be scary for anyone, let alone a new parent who is isn’t sleeping well and adjusting to life with a new baby. Exercise doesn't have to be difficult, it can be built… Continue reading Are you ready to start exercising after having your baby?
Family and friends can support breastfeeding
The early weeks after the birth of your baby are joyful and full of new experiences. At the same time they can also be tiring, overwhelming and stressful. As a new parent you can feel both emotionally and physically tired. Your body needs time to recover. You also need time to learn how to breastfeed,… Continue reading Family and friends can support breastfeeding
A picture is worth a thousand words
A child may find it hard to cope with new situations, routines, or experiences because they do not know what to expect. When this happens, it is common for children to have breakdowns and tantrums. So, how can we prevent these behaviours from happening? How can we help our child understand our expectations? By using… Continue reading A picture is worth a thousand words
