Posts by Category: books

Q&A on Preparing Dog for Baby

Posted by on August 13th, 2011 | 0 comments »

Have a dog? Having a baby?  Planning eventually for both?

Preparing Your Dog for Baby workshop at Nurtured addresses many parents’ questions and concerns for how to transition the family pet into baby’s best friend.  Tamara McFarland, busy mom and dog trainer leads this workshop and recently answered a few questions for us.  The next workshop will be held Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 6pm.

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Q:  So much of what is commonly heard on preparing your dog for a baby suggests parents bring home an item from the hospital that would have the baby’s scent- how much of this is true and helpful?

T: There is a variation of this idea that can be more helpful but that involves a bit of advance preparation.

Before the baby is born I would help create a positive association with a scent such as a natural baby oil.  Pour a little oil on a tissue and place it on the floor.  When your dog investigates it praise them and immediately give them a treat.  Repeat this five times by taking your dog out of the room and letting them return to investigate.  At your next session, bring your dog into a room where you have set up your baby’s carseat and placed a tissue with the oil in it. When your dog investigates, praise them.  You don’t need to prompt your dog to investigate the car seat closely.  Forcing the issue may impact the positive association you have started to build.  Just leave the carseat in place for a few hours and then remove it and repeat again.  This same procedure would be best repeated with other main baby items as you receive them such as a sling, swing, etc. When your new bundle of joy does arrive, bring home a blanket or other item from the hospital that also has a tissue with the oil and then again when you first bring your baby home to start building a lasting friendship.

 

Q.  What do you recommend for a dog that is used to sleeping with you when you are also considering cosleeping with baby?

T: I recommend that you gradually get your dog used to sleeping in a dog bed on the floor in your room no matter where you plan on having your baby sleep. The majority of parents I have spoken to bring their baby or child into their bed at some point, even if it’s just to snuggle at the beginning of a day.  It’s just not worth the risk of having your dog be startled and reacting to a baby or young child.

 

Q.  Are there different stages of baby’s development to keep in mind for training the dog how to act around babies and kids?

T: In a perfect world from the moment your dog was born they were around gentle children, but in our less than perfect world start exposing your dog to calm children as soon as you can.  When planning for a baby it is always a good idea to be getting your dog used to what the baby will be like three months down the road so that they can more easily adjust to your rapidly changing baby.  An infant cooing during tummy time on the floor will be perceived very differently by your dog than your unstable walking baby or your babbling and screeching toddler.  These changes happen very quickly and anything you can do to help your dog adjust will make it easier on them and your family.

 

Q.  What do you recommend for keeping dog dishes on the floor and having a baby in crawling mode?

T: Dog dishes and children of any age are not a good mix.  A crawling baby will want to explore the water bowl as well as eat the dog food.  While your dog may never have shown any signs of aggression when you have been in the proximity of their dishes they could act aggressively with a baby.  That being said I believe the common suggestion of removing your dog’s food bowl while they are eating is counterproductive to getting your dog to relax when eating and could even lead to possessiveness.  Choose an out of the way area to feed your dog and start getting them used to this new location right away.  Instead of free feeding your dog by leaving a full food bowl down all the time, get your dog used to eating meals in a gradual manner.  Note the times that your dog eats most and feed their meals at these times even if they aren’t our conventional breakfast and suppertime.

 

Q.  What tips do you give to parents who have a dog that is overly protective of toys/territory or you?

T: A dog behaviourist or trainer should be consulted for one-on-one training ASAP. This type of behaviour [overly protective of toys/territory] is dangerous for a baby but thankfully there are gentle methods that can curb this behaviour.   Again, if the behaviour includes any aggression towards others This isn’t something to try and solve on your own.  Consulting with a dog behaviourist or trainer is recommended.

Thank you, Tamara!

For a great read at any stage of parenting, Tamara also suggests Living with Kids and Dogs without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar.

There’s still space left for Preparing Dog for Baby!  Sign up today!

Have more questions for Tamara?   Become a fan and follow Unleashed Pawsabilities on Facebook!

 

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Creature comforts

Posted by on May 25th, 2011 | 1 comment »

Nutrition has always been first and foremost a priority in my life.  It’s instinct to listen to what my body needs. I also recognize a focus on proper nutrition during pregnancy provides a great start for my baby, my energy and optimum health.

That said, I was in love with my first pregnancy and, equally, food.  I easily knew what foods I craved, would deliver energy, be agreeable after digestion or provide comfort.  Naively I expected a rerun the second time around. This is where instinct and comfort clash.  I have been knocked on my rear end trying to achieve proper nutrition.  “Hello morning sickness”.  This will not be the first time I will acknowledge this pregnancy is different.

Up until the last week or two, food has not been a comfort.  I’ve been hard pressed to look past ‘morning’ sickness multiple times throughout the day and concentrate on what’s good for my body and my growing baby.  It’s purely a labor of love.

One thing that changed my gut reaction to food was picking up The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook by Karen Gurwitz.  I highly recommend it for the early days as it offers three modifications for each recipe: feeling green, feeling food and feeling full.  I’m also planning on referencing it into post partum for keeping up a balanced diet.

Here’s a few other things I’ve collected early on to provide comfort for this pregnancy: A pair of Padraig slippers, Carriwell Comfort Bra, Earth Mama Angel Baby Tea and a Bella Band. Hope my reviews help you find something thoughtful for your friend’s pregnancy or your own!

Padraig slippers: You don’t need to be pregnant to enjoy these! Growing another life has actually made me chilly and achy this time around.  I love the padding, the breath-ability and softness my wool Padraigs offer.  The whole family deserves a pair but I’m especially finding mine to be a saving grace.

Carriwell Comfort Bra: This line is currently being introduced to North America.  I wasn’t particularly taken at first glance of the lightweight cotton bra, but once I tried it on I didn’t want to take it off. I wish it could be a part of my skin during pregnancy.  Any soreness or discomfort is forgotten- it’s currently a favorite of mine for the support it offers during sleep .  It’s also recommended by lactation consultants so it will be kept much longer than pregnancy.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama to Be Tea Sampler:  Oh Morning Tea relief! The ginger and mint combination has been very calming and a much needed variation from ginger ale!  I love that these teas do not have fancy packaging or a tag attached to tell everyone what you are steeping! Also in this box are three other teas that encompass 100% kosher and organic concoctions to ease any discomfort from anxiety, labor and heartburn.

Bella Band: my body has evidently not forgotten how it expanded five years ago however my pants were never given fair warning for extra accommodation!  I love the Bella Band’s ability to cover and smooth what I can’t fasten any longer, and hold up what is still loose so I can expand my wardrobe.

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The learning curve

Posted by on May 3rd, 2011 | 0 comments »

“Of course I plan on breastfeeding my baby” I confidently proclaimed to my mother in law one day on the phone.

Breastfeeding was something I was committed to from the start of pregnancy. Although it was not my mother in law’s cultural norm, it was mine.

I’ve had the opportunity to attend a focus group on Nova Scotia breastfeeding initiatives.  It was interesting to hear the many facets of internal structures inside the medical field, hear how breastfeeding can further be supported, learn about the World Health Organization standards, and then talk about the trickle down effect of what is seen and experienced at the by new and expectant mothers.   It will be very interesting to me to read the final research later this fall.

One bunny-trail discussion I found particularly insightful was talk about cultural exposure to breastfeeding.  This struck home for me.  If my only support group had been my mother in law, I might not have chosen to exclusively breastfeed.  My background and personal research allowed me never to waiver with my initial decision.

Cultural norm or not, what really impacted my decision to learn how to breastfeed and commit to it was discovering that the breasts’ final development and a follow up to pregnancy was the end result of lactation!  My husband laughed at my commenting that being pregnant made me feel like I was part of a science fair project. So many things were developing.  The fact my breasts were changing was more difficult for me to understand than my expanding abdomen.  However, any strangeness I had felt about using my body to feed my baby was simply overcome by this single piece of knowledge that this was a natural and intentional development.

As a woman, this set of tissue was designed specifically to provide for a baby’s growth, digestion,metabolic and developmental needs and a built-in pathogen-defense system! It was an aha moment that I wish I had come to earlier on!

Learning the role of breastfeeding is not purely textbook but it should be accessible. I do recommend reading Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding as one book I leaned on.  And in all honesty, I will never judge a single person because breastfeeding didn’t work for them and their baby. But I will always encourage, advocate and support the mother who is gritting her teeth in those early days and trying to learn.

The amount of support you will find at Nurtured for breastfeeding is something I know April MacKinnon focused on building because of her own cultural norm.  Having a local doula, Jen Hammond, volunteer her time to provide breastfeeding support groups every Thursday at 1:30pm is instrumental to new moms in the HRM community.  I wish I had similar access in my early days of cracked nipples and balancing out supply!

Robyn Berman’s Breastfeeding 101 workshop is also approaching in 2 weeks and has space! Whether breastfeeding is your cultural norm or not, attending a workshop like this led by a passionate doula provides the education, troubleshooting and positive thinking for a head start in the learning curve.

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Simplicity Parenting

Posted by on October 27th, 2010 | 0 comments »

Simplicity ParentingHave you ever walked in to your own home, or the home of a friend, and are literally tripping over toys, puzzles, games, art supplies only to find screaming kids chasing each other in the living room, ignoring the thousands of dollars worth of toys available to them? I certainly have. I have also consciously weeded out plastic, battery operated toys from my home a few at a time, replacing the plastic drum with a set of real bongos, replacing the exercaucer with a clothesline lined with play silks for the baby to crawl through and enjoy the sensation of wind and silk on his face.

By the same token, I have also been the mother that worked 60 hours a week, struggled to keep on top of the routine, was exhausted and out of sync with my own rhythm.

Not unlike Richard Louv’s ‘Last Child in the Woods’, Simplicity Parenting is a great manual for parents of older toddlers and pre-schoolers when things feel like they’ve gone awry. Based on the principles of Waldorf education, this book is a great read for anyone who is overwhelmed as a parent, has a very willful child, or a child that appears to be reacting to stress, over scheduling, or overwhelmedness at not being able to relax in their own bedrooms as a result of the amount of STUFF residing there (don’t laugh, I have seen children’s bedrooms so full of toys that the child literally COULD NOT sleep in their bed).

I read this book easily over the Thanksgiving weekend, enjoying it by the fire and being reaffirmed by a lot of my parenting choices, but it also did remind me to be mindful of where toys live in the house, the quality (and QUANTITY) of playthings, and to be mindful of not running such a tight schedule that my children had no time just to play in the backyard and make acorn soup!

For anyone with a challenging child, there is a lot of practical advice on how to set an appropriate physical environment to help with the child’s “decompression” and relaxation. As an aside, it amazes me how many parenting books are warning about over stressing our CHILDREN. OVER STRESSING OUR CHILDREN, how can this be? We’ve really gotten off track with our lives as a whole, it seems.

Once the physical environment is “fixed”, the tips move on to routine suggestions, exercises you can do together, and case studies of the author’s former clients. It’s an intriguing read, and it certainly led to some purging of a few of the plastic toys we had left, and some inspiration on where to go from here.

Recommended for parents of children age 2 and up (although you could easily read it beforehand to “pre-empt” some of these hot spots), and information I found very helpful for my 3 and 5 year old!

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