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There is something I hear from most mothers, and fathers, whenever I work with families as a Lactation Consultant and it is a version of the phrase “I just wish I knew a little more about breastfeeding before we got to this point.” For most new breastfeeding mothers, and supportive partners, the challenges that come…

Cradle cap is a skin condition most commonly seen in babies in the first three months of life.  It often appears as pale yellow crusts on the head, eyebrows and sometimes the folds of the skin.  If forms due to residual maternal hormones making the oil glands of the baby’s scalp overactive. This oil can…

Most people will tell you that the second baby is “easier”. In some ways this is true. The experience of being a first time parent often teaches you the real meaning of the saying “this too shall pass” so by baby number two you understand that eventually they will sleep and even when you want…

When you become a parent everyone has advice. Advice that they are usually happy to share with you whether you asked for it or not. Some of this advice can be kind and help you feel less alone, like the sympathetic mother who smiles at you in the baby aisle and gives you her recommendation…

Health care professionals supporting parents with new babies will often encourage parents to weigh their newborns, naked, with each appointment. There are a few reasons that these regular weight checks are important. While it is important to understand that a baby’s weight is just one element of assessing a baby, it can tell us many…

I am often asked about different parenting styles, and what is the best way to parent. In all my time working with families I have never met a parent who doesn’t desire to be the best parent they can be. Parenting books, apps, programs, TV shows and podcasts are popular for this exact reason, parenting…

We often hear that when a baby is born a mother is born right alongside. This concept is important for a number of reasons. It acknowledges that while babies are all individuals, they do not exist on their own, they need a carer, a mother, a parent. When we look at the health, growth, and…

What do babies see? Parents will often ask this question and I can understand why. We want to understand both how they experience their world and how we can help them to develop their senses. There are a number of different aspects to babies visual development and it doesn’t all have to do with how…

Every parent has been told about the importance of reading to our babies and children. As a Child Health Nurse I could talk endlessly about the value of books and reading to your little one. Connection, calm, literacy, speech development….. But as a parent I know the frustration of buying a book that I’m sure…

Choosing toys for your baby or toddler can be an overwhelming experience. Parents often feel a lot of pressure to make sure that their child’s toy is “educational”. As a parent we can spend hours researching toys that will support brain development and independent play only to find ourselves in the toy aisle with a…