Should I take a prenatal class?
Yes, yes, resounding yes. You are setting yourself up for failure if you don’t take a prenatal class. I know that sounds harsh, but this is too important of a topic to tiptoe around. I know what you’re thinking: “well of course you would say that, you teach prenatal classes!” True! But, why do I teach […]
My top prenatal reads
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF BOOKS OUT THERE ON PREGNANCY AND BIRTH. IT CAN BE HARD TO DECIDE WHICH ONES TO READ. HERE IS A LIST OF MY TOP 3 FAVOURITE ONES, SHORT AND SWEET BUT PACKED WITH GREAT INFORMATION, BECAUSE WHO HAS TIME TO READ A MILLION BOOKS! 1) MAGICAL BEGINNINGS, ENCHANTED LIVES: A HOLISTIC […]
Herbal Medicines during pregnancy
There is a lot of wisdom in traditional herbal medicine, but with health food store selling more products than most people know what to do with, it’s hard to know what to take. This is why, if you are using herbal products, it’s important to have a practitioner, like a Naturopathic Doctor, who is […]
VBAC is a safe option
First time parents usually have tons of questions, fears and concerns; with second and third children prenatal visits tend to go a lot quicker! One of the biggest hurdles families have the second time around is for parents who have had previous C-sections. I get so many families questioning the safety of a vaginal birth after […]
What to bring to your birth
Whether you’re planning on giving birth at home, in a birth centre or at a hospital, it’s important to have all your supplies ready to go before hand. Here is a good place to start. Remember to pack your essentials together in advance of your due date so everything is in one place and easily […]
Skin to skin care
Skin to skin contact is one of the things that makes me really pumped up. Babies do better when they are skin to skin with their parent, birthing persons do better when they are skin to skin with baby. Yet, it’s still really common place to see parents and baby separated following birth! So, let’s talk about the wonders […]
Self care during pregnancy
Real talk, the pregnant body is a weird place to live. Your skin stretches in ways you have no control over. You leak, if you’re lucky it’s just increased vaginal discharge and colostrum. If you’re unlucky it’s peeing a bit when you sneeze. Sometimes you sleep, sometimes you don’t, and sometimes you wake up so […]
What do I do with my placenta?
To encapsulate or not to encapsulate, but is that really the question? There are actually a ton of things that you can do with a placenta! Let’s call it a perk of living in a big city like Toronto. Be aware that more hospitals put placentas in the biohazard as a matter of course, so […]
What to expect postpartum
Pregnancy and birth are such intense emotional events. Often prenatal education classes focus solely on getting you through birth and into breastfeeding. If you are under the care of an OB here in Ontario, then you’re first follow up may be up to 6 weeks after birth. This leaves a lot of a huge care […]
Prenatal Nutrition
Maintaining good nutrition is an important part of a healthy pregnancy. But it’s sometimes hard to make the best food choices with hectic lifestyles. Most people have questions about how much weight they should be gaining. It’s also important to realize that an poor diet can actually contribute to common issues that arise in pregnancy. […]