TOLAC stands for Trial of Labour after Cesarean Section and if it is successful it ends in a VBAC Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section.  Check out our free Birth Plan Download here! 

Why are we talking about this you might ask?  Because it is a question that many women struggle with and their thoughts are influenced by many different things.  We think it is so important for women, and their partners, to understand all of the potential issues and then make a decision based on good sound information that is right for their family!!! 

Now as usual, it is important to discuss this with your care provider, as there will be some people who do not fall into this discussion, and other issues may factor into the decision that we do not touch on...but this should cover the Broad strokes!!!

Why Try for a VBAC?

Everyone has different reasons for wanting to try for a successful VBAC here are a few!

• Planning on having multiple pregnancies
• Wanting to try to have a...

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a ‘novel’ type of coronavirus that is newly infecting humans around the globe. It is a strain of coronavirus originally found in animals, and because it has just newly infected humans, we have no immunity to it hence the rapid increase in cases both initially in China where it originated and now around the world.

Are pregnant women at higher risk of contracting COVID-19?

From the current base of knowledge we have about COVID-19 and pregnancy pregnant women do NOT appear to be more susceptible.

What symptoms would I show if I had COVID-19?

Pregnant women would present the same as non-pregnant women if infected with COVID-19. This includes fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and headache. Symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, and sore muscles are less common.

Will my baby get infected if I get COVID-19 while pregnant?

From all the information we have at present there is NO evidence of the baby being exposed to...

Breastfeeding can be tough, and even worse if we don't know how to get off to the right start!  This blog post gives some great tips on how to do that!  Check out our free cheat sheet on the top 5 mistakes we make when breastfeeding and how to fix them!

BREASTFEEDING TIPS for Beginners: 

 The first hour after birth is called the GOLDEN HOUR. Skin to skin with mom and latching in that first hour has been associated with longer breastfeeding duration and less challenges later. 

 Colostrum is the milk you have in the first 3-5 days and is jam packed with immunity and is all the baby needs initially. 

Milk volume increases on day 3-5. Your breasts will feel engorged/hard. They will continue making milk if they are drained on a regular basis; usually every 2-3 hours. 

Babies feed OFTEN sometimes as much as 14 x a day! This gets less frequent and more efficient with time. This helps your milk supply establish. It is...

Pregnancy is such an important time in our lives, and one that we want to do our very best to give our well little baby the best start in life that we can!  So we should take lots of supplements right? 

WRONG!!!

If you are consuming a healthy diet (especially pre pregnancy) you really should be getting most of what you need.  We recognize that during the first trimester some women are quite nauseous!! This is why we encourage people to think about planning for pregnancy if at all possible!  I like to say….your baby is the ultimate parasite...they will suck what they need out of you!....

The other thing about supplements, is they are not actually controlled by the government, so we don't actually know what is in them! They are also very expensive, so save that money for all the extra costs that come with having a baby! 

What do you need? 

• Folic acid - all women should be taking at least 400mcg of folic acid...

How Will COVID-19 affect my birth? 

Many women are asking about what changes may happen at the hospital, and if they are at increased risk while giving birth.  

We have just had an update from our local hospital in Victoria, BC.  If you are from elsewhere please ask your caregiver if there are any changes at your hospital. 

Covid-19 is a virus which is spread by large droplets (sneezing, coughing) but it can also live on surfaces for a few days, which makes it highly transmissible and can spread easily, especially if we do not practice good hand hygiene.   As a result we are trying to limit the spread from person to person as much as possible.  For more info on Coronavirus (COVID-19) in pregnancy and breastfeeding, check out this blog post.  Find more info on COVID-19 and social distancing here. 

Here are the recommendations around pregnancy and delivery at Victoria General Hospital:

Worried about COVID-19 in...

What is COVID - 19:

This is a virus, which is present across the world at this point.  It is a new virus, which we do not have much information on; but rest assured we are learning every day. 

What we think we know includes that it is spread by large droplets (coughing, sneezing) and comes in to our bodies by our mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth etc).  It is extremely contagious, and for the most part, in young healthy people, will cause mostly mild symptoms.

 However, we also know that people over the age of 60, and those with chronic medical conditions, are at a higher risk of having more severe symptoms. 

So what we need to do as a population is implement measures, which we can all do, to help slow the rate of transmission.  We need to do this as our resources to help people are limited. 

 Why? Well, if we all get sick at the same time, there will be a large spike in people who need hospitalization and intensive...

Miscarriage, which should really be called Natural Pregnancy Loss (NPL),  is a tough topic to think and talk about. This is despite the fact that we know it is incredibly common in women of child bearing age.  So common, in fact, that most women have had at least one miscarriage in their lives, and if they haven't then they almost always know someone who has. 

What is it?

Natural Pregnancy Loss happens in about 30% of pregnancies...that's right...1 in 3 pregnancies end in the first half of the pregnancy.   Most of the time this occurs prior to 9-10 weeks of pregnancy as a result of something having gone wrong with the fertilization of the woman's egg or the implantation into the uterus that would have resulted in something going very wrong with the pregnancy.  It is nature's way of giving us the best chance of having a normal healthy pregnancy and baby. But nonetheless, it is still tough to deal with. There are certainly some medical conditions...

So we are going to dive deep into the normal menstrual cycle, how it is controlled, and some of the common things that can make it go a bit "wonky". 

Check out our free preparing for pregnancy guide here! 

What is it?

The menstrual cycle generally starts in early adolescence - average age around 12, and occurs until menopause - average age of 51.  It occurs every 21-35 days, lasting for 3-8 days and amounting in between 2-3 tablespoons of blood per cycle.  

As you can see, there is a wide variation in what is considered normal, and that is OKAY! 

Why does it happen?

The lining of the uterus builds up every month in preparation for a potential pregnancy.  When your body has been signalled by hormones that it is not pregnant (a drop in progesterone) and the lining of your uterus is shed....

We thought we would post a little update on Coronavirus and include what we know about it and how it might affect pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as our kiddos!

What is it? 

Coronavirus is actually a family of viruses that can affect humans, animals and birds. What we are calling coronavirus is actually known as COVID-19.  COVID-19 was first described in the Wuhan province of China and was thought to have spread from live animals sold at this market.  It is a respiratory virus (like influenza or the common cold) which we think is spread by droplets, like from a cough, which is then transmitted to the mucosal surfaces (eyes, nose, mouth) of close contacts.  This is important information to know for when we discuss how to help prevent transmission.  

As of March 1, 2020 when we are writing this post there are a total of 87,701 cases if COVID-19, with 2995 deaths worldwide.  This gives us a mortality rate of between 2-4%.  This needs to be put...

Hey all you soon to be new mommas and poppas....little babies can be scary, so many things you have no idea you need to know until you are in the middle of it!! So, we compiled a list of the top 5 things you need to know about your newborn, and some tips on Newborn Care.  

1) Babies are born Blue!

Babies have quite the journey from their cozy home in your uterus to life in the big bad world!  They go from getting everything they need through the umbilical cord to needing to breathe, eat and manage all their needs own their own (with lots of support from you of course!).  This transition goes surprisingly well for most babies, but until they get those lungs working they start off a little blue! They should start to pink up within the first minute of life, but sometimes they need a little extra support from us to get things working properly.  Most babies have it all sorted by 10 minutes of life, so don't be too worried if they need a little extra...