Cowichan Doula

08/24/2021

🌟Now booking birth clients due October 2021 - April 2022 🌟

www.CowichanDoula.com/birth

08/24/2021

We are proud to serve our community while keeping our clients as safe as possible as they transition into parenthood. 💙

08/23/2021

🌟 Now booking classes for families due October 2021 - March 2022 🌟

www.CowichanDoula.com/classes

04/03/2020

💗 Set your reminders to join us tomorrow evening for our first round of FREE weekly virtual drop-in groups for expecting and new parents!

See the post below to find the links to each of our groups.

*UPDATE*
It was absolutely wonderful to "meet" so many parents in our first round of WEEKLY chats!

It was such a success we have decided to make each group an hour-long and consolidate all of our pregnancy groups into one.

🌟Join Us Every Friday🌟
💗Pregnant Parents (& Partners) 6pm-7pm
https://zoom.us/j/814303704
💗Postpartum Parents (& Partners) 7pm-8pm
https://zoom.us/j/665139457

🎉Our first round of weekly virtual groups for expecting and new parents start tomorrow evening! No need to have joined us before - this is a FREE drop-in group for expecting and new parents in the Cowichan Valley/Vancouver Island.

12/17/2019

I absolutely LOVE Ashley Marston Photography's daily photos and this one is all too relatable this week...

How are your Christmas preparations coming?

A Daily Occurrence | 365 Project
348 // 42
'Tis the season...

12/03/2019

One of my absolute favourite instagram & Facebook accounts!

If you have kiddos of any age go give her a follow. 💙

Last day to watch video call 3 common picky eater mistakes and how to solve them using BetterBites method. Plus a one-time ever Black Friday (through Tuesday) offer on the BetterBites program! Link in bio .eat.in.color⠀
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Do you name foods ‘grow foods’ and ‘whoa foods’?” Someone asked recently. Actually, no I don’t. Because kids can actually grow quite well on "whoa foods." They have calories, they have nutrients. 🤔⁣⠀⁠⠀
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I like to be as accurate as I can with my kids at their age level. ⁣⠀⁠⠀
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So, I’m personally uncomfortable with the idea of “grow foods” and not grow foods. ⁣⠀⁠⠀
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Instead, for preschoolers, I talk about what foods do in our bodies. I use actual nutrition principles and make a message that is understandable to a 3yo. Then I model “sometimes foods” in our family menu (but rarely discuss it). Here are my basic messages:⁣⠀⁠⠀
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🍞Sugary foods, grains - helps us move and run⁣, give us energy⠀⁠⠀
🥚Meat, eggs, beans, dairy (protein), nuts - make our muscles strong⁣⠀⁠⠀
🥞Coconut, avocado, olive oils and butter (fats) - help our brains think⁣⠀⁠⠀
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For fruits and veggies, I usually break it down by color. Although this is not accurate for every single veggie, I think it’s a good framework to get started. ⁣⠀⁠⠀
❤️ Red: gives you a strong heart⁣⠀⁠⠀
🧡 Orange: helps you see in the dark⁣⠀⁠⠀
💛Yellow: helps your body heal cuts⁣⠀⁠⠀
💚Green: gives you super powers to fight off sickness⁣⠀⁠⠀
💜💙Blue and Purple: Give you a strong brain⁣⠀⁠⠀
💟White: gives you energy⁣⠀⁠⠀
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Do you have a favorite nutrition message for your kids?⁣⠀⁠⠀
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Lunch supplies like the veggie cutters i used in this photo are in the Kids Eat in Color Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/kidseatincolor⁠⠀
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11/29/2019

Come join us for the festivities tonight!

11/26/2019

Wondering where to start making changes to your Christmas this year to go green? 🎄

Don't forget our first annual Holiday Swap 'n' Shop is this Friday and Saturday @ Matraea!

The world is buzzing with discussion about climate change and our oceans being ridden with plastic. As a result, many people, are looking at ways to make our lives more "green." Holidays are definitely in the spot light as they are generally full of cheap plastic toys, disposable wrapping,

11/24/2019

Our first annual Holiday Swap 'n' Shop is happening this coming week!

Don't forget to stop by on Friday during Christmas Kick-Off! and Saturday during the Duncan Farmers Market to pick up some special surprises for the kiddos on your Christmas list.

We still have a few spaces for "Sellers" (all you need to do is drop off your items on Thursday or Friday and we take care of the rest!) if you want to get rid of any once-loved and outgrown toys, books, games, and puzzles.

Register Now!
https://www.matraea.com/classcalendar/seasonal-swap-n-shop-drop-off-day

Christmas plastic reducing tips.

11/20/2019

Do you have an emergency kit together?

11/17/2019

😍

Amazing visual of what Midwives bring to every home birth!! Great pic Family Midwifery Care of Guelph!

11/03/2019

💙

11/01/2019

Happy Halloween 🎃

These dilation pumpkins are the scariest thing I’ve seen all night. 🎃🙀 🤣

It was set up by midwives at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Lancashire, England as part of a pumpkin decorating competition.

10/20/2019

Curious about sleep adjustments with the time change?

Here we go folks! This is a long one, so hang in there.

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 am. This means we will turn the clocks back and gain one hour.

This tends to be the more difficult of the two time changes for infants and young children, because after you turn the clocks back, 6 am will be 5 am.

If your little one is an early riser, your day is going to start a lot earlier if you don’t take steps to transition them to the new time. The benefit of this time change is we get more light in the morning, but this too can be problematic, particularly for those early birds because exposure to light signals to the brain it is time to be awake.

I recommend a gradual transition for babies and toddlers.

In the week leading up to the time change (Oct. 27-Nov. 3), help adjust your child’s wake time by delaying exposure to light and delaying the morning feed a little bit each day. This delay can be as little at 10-15 minutes a day. Each subsequent day, you should extend that delay by another 10-15 minutes until your child is waking a full hour later.

When Monday night comes around, if all goes well, your child will wake at the same time as before the change. For example, if your 10-month-old baby was waking at 6:45 am, by the end of the week she will wake one hour later than usual, at 7:45 am. But on the Monday, after you've turned your clocks back, she will be waking at 6:45 am again according to the clock.

If your child is sleep sensitive, you might want to hold each shift for two days.

In addition to the morning shift, you’ll also want to push bedtime later. This can be done in the four days leading up to the time change in 15-minute increments. With the bedtime delay, it’s important to keep the lights on and keep the house bright, especially because it will be getting darker earlier, which signals to the brain it is time for sleep.

Older children (preschool aged and up) can often handle a bigger shift, so you could do 30-minute delays, holding for 1-2 days each.

For babies and children who are going to bed too late, you can decide to do nothing, and allow the time change to shift their bedtime earlier.

If you have any specific questions about this topic that weren’t addressed, please post them below and I will be sure to respond in a timely manner.

10/19/2019

See you soon! We are here until 2:30 in the classroom.

10/06/2019

🌟 A great infographic on how to set up for successful sleep habits from the start! 🌟

Incline sleepers increase the risk of breathing problems and suffocation, even for babies with reflux. Babies should be put to bed on their back—alone, unrestrained, and on a firm, flat surface free of bumpers and other soft bedding. http://www.healthychildren.org/safesleep

10/04/2019

😍

09/29/2019

I can only imagine the “dad jokes” to come... 🤣

09/28/2019

Are you confused or worried about your child's car seat?

There is still time to sign up for Car Seats 101 this coming Wednesday at the Matraea Centre & Baby Boutique!

www.CowichanDoula.com/CarSeats101

Thank you to Car Seats for the Littles for this great graphic.

09/26/2019

What a sweet kiddo! 🥰

Do your little ones have a favourite doll or stuffie?

09/25/2019

Unsure about how your child's car seat?

Sign up and come join me on October 2nd to learn more about how to choose and use the right seat for your child, vehicle, and budget!

www.CowichanDoula.com/CarSeats101

Cars.com’s three certified child passenger safety technicians clear up some common car-seat misconceptions.

09/23/2019

Do you have a funny slow-motion video of your baby? 😅

09/20/2019

So incredibly lucky and important!

If you’re not sure about your child’s car seat safety please come out to Car Seats 101 at the Matraea Centre in October.
Sign up at www.cowichandoula.com/carseats101

09/18/2019

What passions and hobbies are you excited to share with your kids? :D

09/13/2019

Can you relate? 😅

I LOVE this awesome Mom's account!

She's a Registered Dietician and has such fantastic advice for feeding kids (and their adults).

*Check her out on Instagram too. 🌟 www.instagram.com/kids.eat.in.color/

Here's how it goes... I stay up late (10:00pm) or wake up early (5:30am) to make a cute lunch. There's a bunch of leftovers. I call them "squiggles" and I put them in a container for later. I really try not to waste the squiggles - because squiggles have feelings too... Okay, really because I'm too tired to make anything else for myself. I need to save my last ounce of energy for pouring on extra chocolate chips.⠀

Do you eat your kid's leftovers too? 🙋⠀
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PS I try to eat the food as part of a meal, when my body needs the energy (not just mindlessly as I'm making the lunches).

09/13/2019

How do you feel about budgeting for your family?

If you're overwhelmed - you're definitely not alone! 🤯

The book at the link below is one of the ways I got started seriously budgeting a few years ago and is a great first step for beginner budgeters.

https://www.amazon.ca/Your-Balanced-Budget-Monthly-Planner/dp/1441323813

If you are on top of your family's budget what are your strategies? :D

09/11/2019

How's your Wednesday going?

The goal is not perfection mamas , your struggle doesn't define your parenting style 💜. You're enough 💜.

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Photo credit :

09/11/2019

Any of these look familiar? 😅

If you're feeling overwhelmed with picking out or using a car seat for your wee ones come out to the Matraea Centre on Wednesday, October 2nd from 6-7:30pm to learn more about finding and using a seat that fits your child, vehicle, and budget.

Space is limited so sign up now at www.cowichandoula.com/carseats101 🙂

09/10/2019

If you're due in the next couple of months I still have a few spaces for this weekend's Birth & Baby Prep workshop.

A down-to-earth and evidence-based weekend full of practical tips, tricks, and comfort measures for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Sign up at www.cowichandoula.com/prenatalclasses and learn about how pool noodles can help you. 😉
*Private classes available too!