Blog

 

You didn’t expect this.

You didn’t think you’d be introducing your new arrival over a video chat.

You expected to be alone – but not like this.

No one did.

 

Experts are predicting that rates of postpartum mood disorders will increase – we know it’s coming. The increased isolation and anxiety new mothers are experiencing tell us it’s coming.

The Village is needed now more than ever.

No, your village can’t come hold the baby while you sleep and eat and shower. Like everything else in our lives, the village has moved mostly online or at the very least – 6 feet away.

Here are some of the ways your village can still support you while keeping their distance:

• pick up and deliver your groceries
• send meal delivery gift cards
• start a meal train
• order and send baby essentials to your door
• do your yardwork or plant some flowers
• arrange a virtual baby shower
• give gift cards for a postpartum doula
• check in by phone or text

 

You may not be getting the in person support you were looking forward to but a postpartum doula can still be a critical member of your virtual village. We can still review and discuss your postpartum recovery – how you’re feeling, how you’re healing, and what’s going on. I can look at your nursing position and check baby’s latch and we can troubleshoot any breastfeeding questions. I can show you how to use your new stretchy wrap. You can still send me text messages and I can still send you resources.

Is it the same? No. But is it important – especially now? Absolutely.

Give me a call and let’s set up your virtual village.

Book your call today!

Photo by kelvin octa on Pexels.com

 

This is one of my favourite foods to make for a new family. It’s delicious, easy, and cheap. It also freezes and reheats well and can easily be customized for any diet or preference.

It’s full of fibre and protein and even better the next day!

Finish it off with your favourite toppings! I personally like cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips.

 

Ingredients:

• One package of ground turkey
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1tsp cumin
• 1tsp dried thyme
• 2tsp (or more) chili powder
• ½ ancho chipotle chili chopped (more if desired)
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 2 large cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 orange bell pepper chopped
• Desired toppings (cheese, chips, avocado, etc)

Place meat in large pot and cook over medium heat for a few minutes

Add onions, garlic, cumin, thyme, chili powder, and chipotle pepper

Continue cooking until meat is cooked through

Drain and rinse beans in a colander and add to pot

Add cans of tomatoes and bell pepper

Simmer for 30 minutes and taste – adjust seasonings as required

Cover and continue to simmer until ready to eat

Serve with whatever toppings you prefer.

 

My last Instagram post talked about my partner’s and my experience bottle feeding our exclusively breastfed baby.

The first time my partner tried to give my daughter a bottle did not work and was frankly almost comical.

He held her out at arms length silently tried to coax her to drink a bottle. She was not into it.

I was definitely frustrated with my partner for not knowing how to do this when, by this time, I was confident in breastfeeding. He should be too!

However as I took a step back I realized why should he know how to do something he’d never done before? No one had ever asked him to do this.

So we talked about it and figured out what we needed to do to make this experience successful.

Here are a few tips that worked for us:

• make sure the breastfeeding partner is nowhere around. Babies can smell you. If you’re nearby they will want ‘the real thing’
• mimic the nursing conditions – sit in the rocking chair and snuggle them close
• experiment with either skin to skin or swaddling – both can help calm and soothe baby
• make eye contact and talk to baby – this is a great bonding opportunity
• be relaxed – don’t force it or get frustrated
• get the timing right – don’t wait until baby is starving or overwhelmed
• if it doesn’t work the first time – try again later

Know that each parent is going to do things a little differently – this is not only ok – it’s encouraged! Both parents need to learn and develop their own style and figure out what works for them.

It’s certainly not necessary to introduce a bottle but it can help to lighten the load on the nursing partner and allow other people to help with feeding.

Breast or bottle feeding questions? Feel free to send me a message!

 

Check out this excerpt from my 4th Trimester Plan on how to ease the transition for your fur baby when you’re about to have a human baby: babies + dogs

babies + dogs

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….food is one of the best gifts you can give a postpartum family! Today I’m sharing one of my favourite snacks – white bean burritos.

This is a recipe I’ve used and revised a number of times. I stocked my freezer full of them after I had my babies and I often make a batch to take to work for lunches too.

These are fast to make, have lots of protein and fibre, and freeze well. Freeze them individually and you can just pop one in the microwave or oven for lunch…or dinner…or midnight snack. The measurements do not need to be exact and feel free to substitute whatever veggies you like!

Check out the recipe and let me know what you think:

Burrito recipe