Fun @ Home Mothers Day Activities

Hey Mamas 👋,

As we most likely will all be home this Mothers Day. I’m sharing some fun at home activities you can do with your children (or Mom) young or old, this Mothers Day. 

Mothers Day is a very bitter sweet day for me as I lost my mom before I became a mom and my grandmothers are now both deceased. So it’s even more important to me now to cherish the time and memories had with my mom & grandmothers while creating new memories & moments with my little ones. 

What’s your ideal Mother’s Day? Whatever it is I hope it’s a great one. 💜💐

To all those grieving the loss of a mother or child this Mothers Day, my heart is with you.💜💐 

Breastfeeding During COVID-19

As mentioned in a previous post, I recently had a bout with COVID 19. During this period I did breastfeed and I did find that my youngest (under a year) was the least affected by any symptoms. Canada has not yet published any specific guidelines around breastfeeding while positive with COVID 19. However, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) among others recommend that breast is still best. 

Are there any guidelines around breastfeeding during COVID-19 in Canada?

At this time, there are no Canadian guidelines published on COVID-19 and breastfeeding. Below are some resources, shared by Enfamil Canada in their recent newsletter to parents, that can help to inform your breastfeeding decision.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidance on breastfeeding and COVID 19 (https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/maternal-or-infant-illnesses/covid-19-and-breastfeeding.html)

• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/key-topics/covid-19)

• The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (United Kingdom) (https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/)

• Dietitians of Canada (https://www.dietitians.ca/News/2020/Advice-for-the-general-public-about-COVID-19)

Guidance on breastfeeding and COVID-19 may change as knowledge evolves.  Whether and how to start or continue breastfeeding should be determined by the mother in coordination with her family and healthcare providers. 

 Are you a breastfeeding or soon to be breastfeeding mom? What are your thoughts on breastfeeding during this time?

Child Travel Checklist: Part 1

Here’s a handy checklist to take the guesswork out of safe travel with your little one and have a great vacay! 🗺⛱

[ ] Check your country's travel advisory website for destination specific advisories. For Canada, visit travel.gc.ca, for the US visit travel.state.gov and for the UK visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. These travel sites also contain lots of useful information about safe travel and other guidelines.

[ ] Register your child and other family members online on your country's travel website or in person at your country's consulate in the destination country. This registration allows you to get help and updates in the event of emergency evacuations due to natural disasters or civil unrest.

[ ] Consider buying travel insurance or at the very least book your flight with a credit card that offers travel protection. Check with your credit card provider if you are unsure of all the perks. There are probably more perks associted with your credit card than you know.

[ ] Get your child fully immunized. Especially if you are travelling to distant and exotic places, be sure your child has all the necessary immunizations and that you discuss travel plans with your child's physician.

[ ] Research the closest hospitals and clinics in the area you will be vacationing and have numbers on hand just in case.

[ ] Pack your child’s medictation such as puffers, epi pens and baby Tylenol in a mini first aid kit or health and safety pouch; also include your child's immunization card.

[ ] Inform Emergency contacts of your travel plans and at the very least make sure all the emergency contact information is correct and updated when making your ticket reservations.

For ideas on what to pack for your child check out Child Travel Checklist: Part 2 and be sure to leave your child travel tips in the comments below!

The Boppy Pillow: Breastfeeding Must Have

National Breastfeeding Month cannot end without me talking about one of my favourite new mom must haves - the Boppy Pillow!

As a first time mom I did not start out with a Boppy nursing pillow. I started out with a twin size My Brest Friend pillow because it was recommended by a friend. Turned out that pillow was way too big for me and I was having issues keeping the baby propped up on the pillow. 

I remember another mommy friend had used the Bobby Pillow for her first baby so I decided to try out the Boppy Luxe nursing pillow. Two babies later I've been breastfeeding with the Boppy pillow like a pro!

In my experience the Boppy pillow is great because:

• It fits moms of most shapes and size
• It is completely machine washable and can be popped in the dryer.
• No matter how many times it is washed it still maintains its shape and firmness.
• They sell affordable beautifully designed cases if for any reason you choose to change the look of your Boppy pillow.
• Great value for money as with proper care it can last a really long time and can even be regifted.

  

What is your favourite nursing pillow and what do you like most about it? Comment below!

Amazon Prime: 5 Mom Perks

Another great must have for new moms or just busy moms who need extra time in the day 😅 is Amazon Prime!
Here are 5 things that new moms will love and appreciate about Amazon Prime:

1. Amazon Prime membership can help you keep on top of your baby, home, self care and even some grocery essentials with subscriptions (read power of automation). You can subscribe for all your baby essentials that do run out like Vaseline, formula, wipes, diapers and the list goes on.

2. Speaking of Diapers; Amazon Prime members also get 20% off the cost of Diaper subscriptions. 

 3. Free Same Day/2 Day Shipping for Prime members is also a good perk when you need your baby essentials pronto but don’t have the time (or energy) to visit the store. 😅

 

4. One of my favourite Prime benefits would have to be the self care options for moms (read Amazon Video and Amazon Reading). You can get Prime Video on your TV (with Amazon Fire TV Stick or even Roku) on your tablet device and on your Android or iPhone. Amazon Reading is a fairly new perk where you can read hundreds of titles for free! There really is nothing like a good show or a good read to relax the mind every now and again. My favourite show on Prime Video right now is Hanna! 💁‍♀️

 5. Finally, if you’re a mom who loves a good deal then you will love that Prime Membership gets you early access to lightening deals (read deep discounts) throughout the year and to member exclusive shopping events like Prime Day. 💃

~ You’re welcome 🤗🎁🛍

Vaseline: The Ultimate Diaper Rash Blocker

Now to talk about an experience that can scare any new mom and some seasoned ones too and that’s the first time baby gets a diaper rash. The last thing a mom wants is to see her little one uncomfortable and in pain; so here’s how new moms can prevent it from happening in the first place.

Step 1: Be sure that baby is wearing the correct size diaper. It’s especially important for chunkier babies who may be prone to skin irritation around the thighs.

Step 2: Change diapers often and on time. During each diaper change, properly wipe all of baby’s private area that is covered under the diaper which includes the genitals + inner thighs and the bum area. Be sure to completely dry the area with a clean rag after wiping.

Step 3: Apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly to the entire area covered by the diaper. A popular and well trusted brand is Vaseline but any petroleum jelly should work fine.

Remember it’s important to complete all these steps each time during the diaper change, to prevent diaper rash.

Disclaimer: Despite our best efforts as moms and despite following these steps, diaper rash could still occur for a number of other reasons including allergic reaction to a specific diaper etc. It’s important to seek medical help from your child’s doctor if the rash sticks around for more than a couple days after using diaper rash ointment. 

What steps do you take to make sure your baby is diaper rash free? 

Vicks for Baby & Moms

It’s already cold and flu season and another baby essential that I have in my motherhood toolkit is everything Vicks! I really do believe that the big box retailers should carry a gift set of various Vicks products for new moms. This would make the perfect baby registry item. 

Until then, you can make your own Vicks gift basket for any expecting or new moms in your life and it can include:

For Baby

1. The Vicks Baby Rub - safe to rub on baby’s chest

2. The Vicks VapoSteam for use in any humidifier with a medicine tray that allows you to pour liquid Vicks in.

3. Vicks VapoPads for use in the Vicks Vaporizer

For Mom

4. Regular Vicks Rub for mom

5. Vicks inhalers for mom

6. Vicks cough drops for mom

My mom personally used Vicks on me, as a child struggling with nasal congestion, cold and flu, so I was pleased to know it’s one of the only safe things that an expecting mom  or new mom can use instead of medication when battling the cold and flu. 

What other Vicks products do you use in your motherhood toolkit?

                                             

Graco Children Graco Glider Lx with Plug, Waterloo

I personally knew (in my heart) that for a swing/glider it had to be the @graco Glider LX Waterloo. My nephew had the exact one as a baby and I had personal success getting him to take long naps in it. I have the memory of him being able to walk and still climbing into this glider to take a nap. Love the sound features on it and the fact that it can support bigger babies (up to 30 pds). Although it was a gift, we would still buy it if we had to because baby got a lot of mileage out of this one. 

Update: We ran into an issue where the sound feature started to short circuit on the swing. We were directed by Amazon to call Graco and it was such a great customer service experience and replacement process. Once I sent all the required information the new product was at my door within two days. 

What is your go to brand for a baby swing? 

Check out The Baby Store on Amazon