The most important thing is to be confident.   No one wants to hug you if you’re tentative – it’s like the floppy fish handshake, it just feels wrong.   They key to a good hug is to keep your bum in, hug with your whole body and really share the warmth and love. The person…

When news broke that Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was overwhelmed and needed additional support, the Internet erupted. How dare she!? She has nannies and a cook and no job. Isn’t that enough? No. Maybe it isn’t. We aren’t going to wade into the arguments around taxes and who pays for her staff. That is a political battle…

Spring heralds the arrival of so many things; robins, rain, green buds on trees, and without fail, wedding invitations. Whether it is your best friend, your co-worker, or Uncle Joe who is is getting married (again), those sparkling envelopes start to arrive just as the geese fly home. Other years, those invitations were fun. A…

The most consistent piece of advice that people hear during their pregnancy is, “Don’t push on your back! It’s the worst position to push in!”   Photo Used Under Creative Commons Licensing. Women frequently tell us this in their prenatal appointments. They write it in their birth plans. They have read it on websites and heard…

Every family wants to provide the best for their baby, but the “best” can look different for different families. No matter what feeding method you choose for your newborn, there are ways to make it a good experience for everyone.   If you decide that exclusive pumping is the preferred method of feeding your baby,…

Today, March 30, is National Doctors Day. First celebrated in 1933 in the US, it is now recognized in countries all over the world. At Toronto Family Doulas, we love the doctors we have the opportunity to meet and work with, and to them, we send our thanks and appreciation. In honour of National Doctors…

It’s World Doula Week and we wanted to highlight the support that postpartum doulas provide! Picture shared by George Ruiz The postpartum period is both magical, and nerve-wracking. Your baby is here and it is wonderful to kiss their forehead, count their toes, and snuggle them in your arms. But it can be worrying! Are…

Last week we talked about when parenting sucks, but sometimes, the suck comes long before Jr makes his or her appearance. Everyone hopes for the Hollywood version of pregnancy: you glow, you bloom, you radiate with the joy of anticipation. For most, pregnancy isn’t quite that simple. Nausea: Even though TV dramas have prepared us…

How you feed your baby is a controversial subject. The “breast is best” and “normalize breastfeeding” campaigns are not quiet ones. Every mother who has dared to give her child a bottle in a public space has, at some point, received a glare that makes her grateful looks can’t kill. Dads, being unable to lactate…

By the time your baby is born, you know what is coming:   Everyone has an opinion.   No one can keep it to themselves. Everything from what you eat to what you wear. And once your baby arrives, it is worse! It is still what you eat and what you wear, but it is…