WestCoast Midwives

Its true

Have you noticed that your baby will often only settle in your arms, as you rock them gently?

There is a very good reason for this: it is biological and entirely normal behaviour as a baby transitions from womb to world. The contrasts between life inside and in the world are huge and the reassurance of loving arms is vital.

Understanding the fourth trimester of a child’s life and how to be responsive is key to building a happy brain and a confident, securely attached child.

Don’t be afraid to hold and rock your baby. You belong together.

What every pregnant and new mom should know about breastfeeding.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2005/mar/30/familyandrelationships.healthandwellbeing

The cure for colic When Oliver James's newborn son got colic, he and his wife prepared themselves for the horror of sleepless nights. Then they attended a breastfeeding clinic ...

Heads up everybody! Claire Lewis RMT will be in town February 24 to MArch 1 working her magic as a massage therapist. Any of you who have had the privilege of receiving a massage from Claire will know what an amazing opportunity this is. PM me or Claire directly if you would like to book a massage with Claire. You wont be disappointed!

Excellent article

Matresence - A Concept All New Mums Need To Know WHAT IS MATRESCENCE? A term that finally explains the internal struggles of motherhood, acknowledging it as a process and not an overnight absolute.

We are resurrecting the WestCoast Midwives Garden Party this summer. For all the families who have ever been part of the WestCoast Midwives family.

Did you use WestCoast Midwives when you were pregnant?
Come and join us in the beautiful garden for summer Garden Party!

Save the date:

Sunday July 22 in the afternoon.
Stay tuned for further details

It really is OK to run hard, do intense exercise and go in the hot tub when you are pregnant.
I didn't just make that up

Heat stress and fetal risk. Environmental limits for exercise and passive heat stress during pregnancy: a systematic review with best evidence synthesis Objective Pregnant women are advised to avoid heat stress (eg, excessive exercise and/or heat exposure) due to the risk of teratogenicity associated with maternal hyperthermia; defined as a core temperature (Tcore) ≥39.0°C. However, guidelines are ambiguous in terms of critical combinations of cl...

For anyone who has lost a baby or is friends with someone who has lost a baby, no matter how young that baby was...

https://www.facebook.com/elana.nicholls/posts/10159454989110567

What the New Mom to a Baby Born after a Loss Needs Her Friends and Loved Ones to Know I might be gone for a while. Bringing home a new baby is a life changing and sacred experience. Now double that with bringing home a baby after your other one dies, and it seems twice as sacred. So please just give me some time

Family coming to town for the birth of your baby? Need them to be out of your house? Consider an Airbnb!
Check this one out
View On AirbnbThe Gorge Garden Oasis

The Gorge Garden Oasis - Houses for Rent in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Private room in Victoria, Canada. This lovely garden studio is located in our gracious 100 year old home. The private entrance allows you to come and go with ease. The door opens on to our large beautiful garden. We are close to downtown. Street parking. Bus routes are close by. W...

Listen to the experts!

Babies Need to Be Held Car seats. Cribs. Bassinets. Strollers/prams. Bouncy seats. In Western culture, “baby buckets” are often considered places where infants should spend their time between feeds and diaper changes. Ye…

Consider this....

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids tech-free — here's why

Birthing your beautiful babies is the beginning. Then comes the parenting. I think this article ha some important truths that can be implemented from babyhood onwards.

The scary truth about what's hurting our kids Dr. Twenge started doing research 25 years ago on generational differences, but when 2011 -2012 hit, she saw something that would scared her to the core.

Nobody tells you about this part of motherhood. I disagree with the last statement: the tiredness never finishes because you never stop being a mum and you never stop carrying the emotional load. And it is the bet thing you will EVER do.

The mental load of motherhood is what I didn’t fully expect It’s no wonder we’re tired. We feel ALL THE THINGS, and it’s utterly exhausting.

Or maybe leave the car seat in the car and carry the baby in your arms or a lovely lightweight baby carrier and have both hands and arms free. Just sayin'.....

We’ve Been Carrying Car Seats The Wrong Way This Whole Time “Someone taught me this before, and it’s been the greatest thing.”

Why prioritizing motherhood in the first three years is critical It’s no secret that new babies need extra care and attention from their parents — from skin-to-skin bonding in the first few weeks, to snuggles and stories before bed.

Breastfeeding to Sleep and Other Comfort Nursing • KellyMom.com Many moms feel guilty for nursing their baby to sleep. Nursing your baby to sleep is not a bad thing to do! It's very normal and developmentally appropriate for babies to nurse to sleep and to wake 1-3 times during the night for the first year or so. Some babies don't do this, but they are the excep...

Beautiful Handmade Ring Slings for sale. $40

We are selling Woombies again!
We are also selling beautiful handmade Ring Slings!

This is really good food for thought.....

10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12 The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics

Breastmilk contains antibodies that fight off any viruses your baby may be exposed to. Its hard work sometimes, but there are huge benefits.

Why This Image of Breast Milk in a Petri Dish Is Blowing the Internet's Mind The viral photo, originally shared by a bioscience student in England, has been shared over 15K times in just a few short days — and with good reason.

https://www.facebook.com/motheringtouch/posts/1676011092424902

The 100 Days Of Darkness With A New Baby “How old is your baby?” asked a woman not much older than me as I tossed four bars of chocolate into my grocery cart, two of which would be my reward for getting the baby to sleep that afternoon. “…

https://www.facebook.com/4thtrimesterbodiesproject/posts/2184631605094291

Mother Redefines What It Means To 'Look Like A Mum' In Powerful Photo Series 'I wanted to try and show a different image to the word Mother.'

this is so well said.

Birth as a Thin Place: The Sacred Nature of Childbirth Birth is, of course, very common. It is one of the still almost universal things about humanity. Yet, despite its commonplace nature, childbirth is far from mundane.

An interesting article for those of you over 35
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161117150032.htm

Women who have their last baby after 35 are mentally sharper in old age: Participants in the study were tested on verbal memory, attention and concentration, and visual perception A new study has found that women have better brainpower after menopause if they had their last baby after age 35, used hormonal contraceptives for more than 10 years or began their menstrual cycle before turning 13.

this is the story of being pregnant and giving birth....

A COMIC ABOUT BECOMING A MOM | GUTS Canadian Feminist Magazine Rebecca Roher's original comic illustrates the physical tumult of childbirth and the transformative experience of becoming a mom

Wonderful offer from STILLPOINT ACUPUNCTURE.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the community style model of acupuncture. We charge on a sliding scale between $20 to $50 (we just ask that patients pay what they can, no questions asked.) This makes for a very accessible model to effective healthcare. All of our treatments are done in a group setting.

At Stillpoint we continue to have much success assisting women throughout their entire pregnancy journey. As you may know, acupuncture is well known to be an effective fertility treatment as well as a safe treatment for several conditions relating to pregnancy, such as: back and ligament pain, morning sickness, heartburn, constipation, fatigue, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. We can also help to prepare women for a smooth labour process and delivery, as well as support women with post natal care.

Please see the attached Complimentary Acupuncture Treatment for any of your patients to enjoy! They simply need to bring a printed voucher with them, snap a picture of it on their smartphone to show us, or just say "MAMA" when they come in for their treatment and it will be FREE! There is no expiration date on this wonderful offer, so feel free to spread the love to any your current and future patients who may be interested in giving acupuncture a try.

We have also attached an informative poster on how we can help treat a number of conditions relating to pregnancy and pre and post care.

Such an amazing process.....

Life in the womb 9 months in 4 minutes HD Pregnancy is a process that invites you to surrender to the unseen power behind all life..

https://www.facebook.com/groups/888228944567742?view=permalink&id=1006016822788953

Mothers from around the world reveal their birthing essential kits As these photos reveal, the contents of a mother's birthing essential kit vary enormously according to where they live with pregnant women in Zambia packing just a bar of soap and baby clothes.

Zika virus and pregnant women / Le virus Zika et les femmes enceintes As you may be aware, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has recently confirmed travel-related cases of Zika virus in Canada.   While the risk of virus establishment in Canada is low, there is ongoing risk for Canadians travelling to Central and South America. Pregnant women and those who are…