Urbanbaby & Toddler Magazine

� | urbanbaby & toddler | fall �009

Come join us at the Bellies

to Babies Celebration,

the province’s only

educational tradeshow for new

and expectant parents. Whether

you’re a rookie or becoming a

mom for the second or third

time, this day is just for you.

Attendees will see everything

from stylish baby and children’s

clothing, beauty products for

radiant skin, and postnatal dance

classes for mom and baby, to

organic baby gifts for the new

arrival; it’s all here at one show,

under one roof.

Community resources and

support services will be on hand

to answer questions for new and

expecting parents. Moms-to-

be can take part in educational

workshops with local “baby

experts” and relax in the Mommy

Lounge.

Bellies to Babies Celebration™

will feature a wide variety of

exhibitors and sponsors, over

$2,000 in door prizes, and the

first 100 moms in attendance will

receive a complimentary diaper

bag courtesy of New & Green

Baby Co.

Every mom who attends on

Sept. 27 will be entered in the

Grand Door Prize draw to win a

$1,000 shopping spree to Style

Kid. Rookie dads can take part in

our Daddy Diapering Contest.

For new mommies: enter your

baby into our CUTEST BABY

PHOTO CONTEST. Your little

one could win the opportunity

to be featured in an issue of

urbanbaby & toddler magazine,

$500 in prizes and a chance to

be our exclusive Bellies to Babies

Celebration™ Tradeshow Baby

for 2010! Pictures taken on site

by Studio 2 Photography.


takes place on Sunday, Sept.

27, 2009 at the Croatian Cultural

Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr,

Vancouver, from 11 am – 4

pm. Admission by donation to

Vancouver Food Bank Basics for

Babies Program.


supports “Breastfeeding is Best”

and provides a breastfeeding-

friendly environment for all.

To Attend: Register online at

belliestobabiescelebration.com

or call 604-908-8835. Sign

up today for Bellies to Babies

Celebration™ e-newsletters and

receive exclusive show updates

and enter our weekly Baby

Bucks Contest.

Bellies to Babies CelebrationTM:Your one-stop shopping destination

special advertising section

urbanbaby & toddler | fall 2009 | �

� | urbanbaby & toddler | fall 2009

featuresn baby & toddler: Caring for baby’s teeth .................................... 12

n baby & toddler: When your baby has Down syndrome ............ 21

n baby & toddler: Managing newborn multiples .......................... 22

n birth: Labour & delivery with no pain? ....................................... 24

n celebrity mommy: Tamara Taggart talks family & career ............ 30

n education: Reading to your wiggly tot ...................................... 14

n fitness: Training for the big event: labour ................................... 10

n nutrition: Top 10 meal mistakes ................................................ 16

n parenting: Building a parenting partnership ................................. 26

n parenting: Teaching preschoolers about Terry Fox .................... 18

in every issuen great goods: Stuff we love this fall ............................................ 32

n on the town: September, October, November ............................ 8

n Q&A: Eating “light, thinning thighs, acupuncture .......................... 6

n resource directory .............................................................35-39

Next issue: Winter 2009-10Book your ad by Oct. 30, 2009.

Call 604.420.8760or email [email protected]

fall 2009volume 7 n issue 1

editor • Emma Leesales • Barry Bergdesign & layout • Emma Leeproduction • Barb Farleycover design • Rick Campbellcover models • Tamara Taggart, Beckett & Zoëcover photo • Joy Photography, joyphoto.ca

contributors • Clare Adams, Patricia Chuey, Leanne Davis, Daniela Ginta, Kyrani Kanavaros, Marilee Peters, Lora Shinn, Dawn Sparks, Stratchona Community Dental Clinic, Renée Taylor,

urbanbaby & toddler maga-zine is published four times per year by Go Kids Publish-ing Inc, printing 40,000 copies per issue.

Address (mailing only): 928 West 20th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1Y5 Canada

Advertising inquiries: Tel. 604.420.8760; Email. [email protected]

General inquiries: [email protected] Website: urbanbaby.ca Blog: urbanbabyandtoddler.blogspot.com

Subscriptions: 604.420.8760 or visit www.urbanbaby.ca (click on Subscribe)

Material appearing herein may not be reproduced in print or electronically without written permission of the publisher, and without proper credit. Editorial opinions and viewpoints may not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Publications mail 40832580

Return undeliverable mail to: 928 West 20th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1Y5 Canada


Extraordinary circumstances. Anyone who’s been in one, will agree that an extraodinary experience can at first scare us, then stretch us, and finally help shape us for the better.

This issue celebrates the extraordinary—from the article on how to manage newborn multiples (page 22), to the piece on how Canada’s own extraordinary superhero Terry Fox can teach important life lessons to your preschooler (page 18), to what to do when your baby is diagnosed with Down syndrome, with personal testimony from Tamara Taggart (page 21).

Our own extraodinary circumstance here at urbanbaby & toddler magazine? We’re turning 7 years old, starting with this, the Fall 2009 issue. So, congratulations to us, and a huge thank-you to the advertisers and readers who support us, and to the doctors, nurses, midwives and health professionals in the hospitals, private practices, clinics and programs, who give out urbanbaby & toddler magazine to their patients and clients. We can’t do this without you.

We look forward to continuing to bring you the information you need to raise your extraordinary family.

editor’sletter

embracingeverythingextraordinary

Editor

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ask Patricia Chuey, nutritionist

Q: I’m trying to lose the pregnancy weight by choosing “light” versions of my fave foods. They often contain aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Is this bad?

A: A well-balanced pattern of meals and snacks all containing protein and quality carbohydrates will assist weight loss more than simply choosing “light” foods. While nursing, instead of restricting calories, emphasize quality foods and begin to get back to exercise as you are able. Health Canada has approved aspartame as safe up to a level of 40 mg/kg/body weight per day. This is well beyond the amount anyone is likely to consume. Still, it is not a substance that originates in nature. I am not a fan of it. Choose foods that are “light”

simply by having less salt, sugar or fat added without the addition of artificial replacements.

ask Dawn Sparks, registered massage therapist

Q: Can I use aromatherapy when pregnant and with my baby?

A: With caution!Essential oils, aromatic liquids

extracted from flowers, grasses, fruits, leaves, roots and trees, are very powerful medicinal substances. It is always wise to seek out the help and advice of a certified aromatherapist when using aromatherapy as complementary medicine and this is doubly important when you are pregnant or when using it on your baby.

With this warning in mind, aromatherapy can be a wonderful way to alleviate the more uncomfortable aspects of

Using aromatherapyand acupunctureQA&

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Thefocusisongentleroils(nothingtoostimulating),usedwelldiluted.Andalloilsshouldbeavoidedduringthefirsttrimester.Therearemanyoilsthatarecontra-indicatedthroughpregnancybasedontheirknownpropertiesandeffects.Theoilsthatareconsideredsafeare:Bergamot,Chamomile(Roman&German),Geranium,Lavender,Neroli,Rosewood,Sandalwood,Ylang-Ylang.

ask Renée Taylor, registered pre/postnatal acupuncturist

Q: Can acupuncture help with anxiety due to the extra stress of having a high-needs baby?

A:Havingababyisajoyoustimealthoughitcanalsobeverytrying.Adjustingtothenewroles,relationships,sleepdeprivation,nottomentionthephysicalrecoveryfromlabourarechallenging

enough.Havingahigh-needsbabyintensifiesallthesechallenges,oftencontributingtomoreanxietyandevendepression.Acupuncturecanhelpeasethetransitionintomotherhoodasitofferswomenasafe,effectivetreatmentoptiontohelprestoreenergy,calmthemind,easeanxietyandtreatdepression.Womenusuallyfeelcalm,relaxedandlessoverwhelmedbytheirnewroles—makingiteasierforthemtoenjoythisspecialtimewithbaby.

OneresearchstudyfromStanfordUniversityshowedthatacupuncturecanofferalsoprotectionfrompostpartumdepression.

Treatmentscancommenceatanytime,althoughrestorativetreatmentsforthemotherarerecommendedaspreventionstartingasearlyasthefirstweekpostpartum.]


Fun for the family this fallon thetownSEPT 10, 5:30 – 8 pm: In Search of a Super Nanny at #302 – 788 Beatty St, Vancouver. Get tips on nanny interviewing, tax info, reference checking, communication strategies and contract writing. Cost: free (donations to charity). Info: 604-734-1776 or nanniesoncall.com

SEPT 12 &13, 10 am – 4 pm: Go Baby Expo at Agriplex, 176th & 64th, Cloverdale. This tradeshow is for moms, dads, grandparents, babies, toddlers and kids. Bouncy castles, face painting and balloon-making, plus lots of samples, prizes and a fashion show. Free parking all day. Tickets: $10 per person (18+ years); free for kids (0 – 17 yrs). Tickets at the door (cash only). Info: gobabyexpo.com

SEPT 13, 10 am – 4 pm: Southlands Country Fair, 7025 MacDonald St, Vancouver. Pony rides, horse entertainment, midway games, music, petting farm, vendors’ market and thrift sale. Entry by donation. Parking is free. Info/tickets: southlandsridingclub.com or 604-263-4817

SEPT 13: 29th Annual Terry Fox Run, across Metro Vancouver. Help raise money to find a cure for cancer. Info: terryfoxrun.org

SEPT 27, 11 am – 4 pm: Bellies to Babies Celebration at Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr, Auditorium 1, Main Level, Vancouver. A one-of-a-kind event that offers new and expectant parents

and grandparents a chance to explore and shop for trendy baby fashions, décor and more. Community resources and support services will be on hand to answer questions for new parents and parents-to-be. Admission is by donation to Basics for Babies. Info: belliestobabiescelebration.com

SEPT 27, 11 am – 5 pm: The Word on the Street, Library Square, Homer and Hamilton St, Vancouver. Author readings, exhibits, performances and fun. Info/registration: thewordonthestreet.ca/vancouver

OCT: Pumpkin Patches• Laity Pumpkin Patch, 21145 128

St, Maple Ridge, 604-467-4302• Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch,

18507 20 Ave, Surrey, 604-992-7748

• The Applebarn Pumpkin Farm, 333 Gladwin Rd, Abbotsford, 604-853-3108

• Aldor Acres, 24990 84th Ave, Langley, 604-888-0788

• Cloverdale Product and Farm Market, 4623 168th St, Cloverdale, 604-576-1449

• The Pumpkin Patch at Richmond Country Farms, 12900 Steveston Hwy, Richmond, 604-274-0522

OCT 4, 10 am – 4:30 pm: Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St, Vancouver. Family-friendly activities, story-telling and music. Moon cakes will be served. Admission: open by donation. Info: vancouverchinesegarden.com

urbanbaby & toddler | fall 2009 | 9

Fun for the family this fall

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OCT 9 – NOV 1: Stanley Park Ghost Train at Stanley Park Miniature Train, Vancouver. Dare to climb aboard this Vancouver tradition. Includes the Haunted Children’s Farmyard. Advance tickets available through Ticketmaster at 604-280-4444 or ticketmaster.ca. Info: vancouver.ca/parks/events/ghosttrain

OCT 12, 10 am – 3 pm: Kerrisdale Community Centre’s Thanksgiving Mini Play Palace at 5851 West Blvd, Vancouver. Games, toys, equipment suitable for children up to 7 years of age at Kerrisdale’s Play Palace. Cost: $3 per member; $5 per non-member. Info: kerrisdalecc.com or 604-257-8100

OCT 17 – 18, 11 am – 4 pm: UBC Apple Festival, UBC Botanical Garden, Vancouver. Celebrate the apple. Participate in apple tasting, see demos of cider-pressing, enjoy the entertainment. Admission: $2 per adult; free for children under 18. Info: ubcbotanical garden.org

NOV 28, 2 – 3 pm: Bobs & Lolo Holiday Concert at Kerrisdale Community Centre, 5851 West Blvd, Vancouver. Featuring hits from Bobs & Lolo’s award-winning albums. Sing and dance at this interactive family concert. Tickets: $7 per person (2 years +), or $24 per family of 4 (membership not required). Info: kerrisdalecc.com or 604-257-8100 ]

Find more events or submit your event at

urbanbaby.ca.

24 | urbanbaby & toddler | fall 2009

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When I was pregnant with my first child I read many a

pregnancy book and watched a few videos of women giving birth. Some women were screaming and cursing while giving birth, and some women gave birth while humming, enclosed in their own special moment, feeling at peace with themselves and the whole birthing process. The two sides were both so different and both so powerful. Which side will I be

on?, I asked myself. My friends, who had already given birth, told me that childbirth will hurt like crazy but it was worth it. My prenatal instructor, a doula

with a lot of experience, made me feel empowered. And I was, but I was also afraid of what was to come. By looking around I realized that I was not alone in my fear. We as a society are conditioned to associate childbirth with pain.

Most pregnant women, unless they have an underlying medical condition that requires a cesarean section, go through this dilemma. Sure, we all want to be in the moment; we want to greet the baby with open arms and if possible, pain-free. It turns out that being both pain-free and present in the moment is up to each of us.

Women have been taught

that childbirth means pain—lots of it—and as a result, most of us prepare for it with much apprehension and fear. We keep telling ourselves that we were meant to give birth and that it’s what women did for thousands of years—yet the link between these thoughts and the actual belief that childbirth can be enjoyed eludes us somehow.

“Pain is something that creates tension and that can create fear, “explains Kathy Welter-Nichols, clinical hypnotherapist and certified hypnobirthing childcare educator. Fear creates tension and that leads to pain, which creates a vicious circle, Welter-Nichols says. When a woman gives birth, her whole body is participating to bringing the child into the world. While it is nice to know as much as one possibly can about birth, pregnant women are often led to believe that the body doesn’t know much and it is the brain that directs everything during birth. And in fact, Welter-Nichols explains, the situation is quite different. “During birth, the unconscious mind knows to

quiet the conscious state and helps the woman reach a deep, timeless place,” she explains. As the baby emerges, the mother is allowing her body and mind to work together in an amazing fusion, she adds.

The natural birth concept is by no means new. After all, women have been giving birth naturally forever. But the concept of painless birth is new, at least in the western part of the world. It was first introduced in the first half of the 20th century by Grantley Dick-Read, a British obstetrician who believed that birth should be a natural process, with little or no intervention from obstetricians and other health practitioners, and as a result, dedicated most of his life to educating expectant couples about the benefits or natural childbirth.

Around the same time, another obstetrician, French doctor Fernand Lamaze, introduced the idea that a certain breathing patterns and relaxation can help women deliver their babies painlessly. He also argued that pain is a learned concept and the

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In nine months or less, you will be pushing through one of the biggest physical

challenges of your life—literally. Labour is the sprint to the finish line in a very long and arduous race. If you knew you were running a marathon in nine months, would you train for it? What if you approached labour with the same tactics? Exercising through pregnancy will prepare the body for labour positions, endurance during delivery, and strength demands after the baby is born.

Let’s think strategy. Pregnancy is not the time to ‘get fit’ and if you are new

to strength training, waiting until your second trimester is recommended. Now, imagine the labouring positions you would like to move through. Try some out and see what muscles are burning. What muscles are tight and restricted? Are you able to get into position and hold it for any length of time without getting tired? For all labouring positions, flexibility and strength are equally important to train. By planning your workouts to include critical muscle groups, you can enter the abyss of labour with the confidence that, at the very least, you are strong.

Here are four labour positions and the areas you can train to be ready for the big day:

The Deep Squat: Gravity is working in your favour helping the pelvic floor muscles to relax but this is hard work. Feet are on the floor and knees are angled out to allow your belly to fit in between. You may be hanging on to a birthing bar or a chair for support. Keep your head up and your spine long. Get ready by:

Strengthening your: arms, shoulders, buns, hamstrings, quadriceps, ankles and back

Stretching your: inner thighs, hip flexors, hips, buns, chest

The Pelvic Rock: A very relaxing position that can help relieve back pain and may help to rotate the baby into position for descent and birth. You can do this one lying down, on all-fours or standing. Feet are hip-width apart. Head is up and shoulders are pressed back, knees slightly bent (or obviously bent if on all-fours!). Pull in your abs and squeeze your buns as you tilt the top of your pelvis backwards, hold in position and release slowly. Get ready by:

Strengthening your: abdominals, hamstrings, buns, pelvic mobility, arms

Stretching your: lower back,


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hamstrings, buns, pelvic floorSlow Dancing: Slowly

swaying side to side while being supported by your partner. Lovely except that you are in labour! The swaying motion helps to encourage descent and alignment with the pelvis, may speed up labour and increase the need to push. Get ready by:

Strengthening your: arms, shoulders, buns, hamstrings, quadriceps, pelvic mobility

Stretching your: calves, hip flexors, pelvis

The Sideways Lunge: Standing with one foot on a chair or kneeling with one leg extended out to the side, this position will widen the pelvis. Get ready by:

Strengthening your: buns, hamstrings, quadriceps

Stretching your: inner thighs

In all the examples, a strong core will serve you well. Strong abdominals will counteract

an aching lower back and the ability to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles will help you with pushing. After the baby is born, pelvic floor tone will protect you from urinary leakage. Now, what about those arms? Soon you will be carrying a five pound-plus baby-shaped weight around, likely in one arm while reaching, holding, gripping your way through various new tasks. Are your arms up for it? Including exercises for your biceps, triceps, forearms, grip and shoulders will help you support your weight in labouring positions and leave you strong and ready for the demands of new motherhood.

Getting your muscles ready for a strong delivery will take a little planning and some hard work. But you if you ready yourself, you will have faith in your body’s ability to support and sustain you through the biggest event of the year. ]


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Caring for baby’s teeth

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As parents, we make sure our babies’ and toddlers’ skin is

protected from UV rays, we help their bodies grow by feeding them healthy foods, and we stimulate their minds with educational toys and activities. But what about their teeth? From gummy grin to milestone-reaching toothy smirk, everyone loves a baby’s healthy smile. Start your baby’s smile off right.

Sometimes dental problems are often difficult to see and by the time they are visible, it is usually too late. This is likely one of the reasons that tooth decay is still so prevalent among children.

According to Canadian Dental Association’s publication, Those Important Baby Teeth, “Baby teeth last for about one-sixth of a person’s life (about 12 years). A child could not act normally if some other part of his body was missing for this long. It’s the same with baby teeth. He needs 20 healthy ones. Chewing on well-formed

teeth helps the jawbones to grow properly. Without the full number of teeth, your child’s jaws would be working off balance and could grow that way. The baby teeth are nature’s pathfinders for the normal growth of many of the permanent teeth. Premature loss of a pathfinder tooth allows tipping and drifting of neighbouring teeth. The permanent tooth could be forced out of proper position (teeth ended up crooked)… And we all know that your babies need all their teeth to learn to speak and eat properly.”

Dental decay is a continuous, progressive process, which means that once tooth decay begins, it will not fix itself. It can start as soon as there is a tooth in the mouth. The key to prevention is good oral care habits, both for you and your babies. Start early, even before your babies have teeth.

The GumsBefore the first tooth

appears, care for your baby’s

Caring for baby’s teethgums. Start cleaning your baby’s mouth every day by wiping gently all around the gums with a soft, damp cloth. Besides removing bacteria, this will massage the gums and help ease teething discomfort (some babies have no teething discomfort at all, but many do). This will also develop the habit of oral care for yourself and your baby. It will also help you later on when you start brushing your baby’s teeth.

You can lay your baby on the changing table, on the sofa or on your lap as long as you can see the inside of the mouth easily. Try different angles and be creative in getting your baby to open his mouth. Just make sure your baby won’t fall. Remember, your baby is going to need your help cleaning every day. So find a way that you can do it comfortably. When your baby has a good oral environment, he is at less risk for oral disease.

The First ToothThe first tooth will appear

when your baby is about six months of age. It is a big deal. Celebrate it! Take a picture and use it as a screensaver. Send it to friends and families. While you are having all this fun, also let the brushing begin.

Use a baby-size toothbrush to brush your baby’s tooth twice daily. Make sure you brush all sides of the tooth and where the tooth meets the gum. The saliva in the mouth contains minerals that repair the beginnings of tooth decay but it needs two elements:

a clean mouth and time. So, make it a habit to keep the mouth clean between meals by wiping the gums clean after each meal. It takes less than a minute.

Have baby’s teeth examined by a dentist. You don’t need to rush to a dentist the day the first tooth appears. However, it’s best to have your baby’s teeth looked at by a dentist within six months after the first tooth erupts, or when your baby reaches his first birthday.

The bottle should not be used for soothing baby to sleep. Instead, use other methods of soothing, like rocking or singing. If you must use a bottle to soothe baby to sleep, make sure you put only water—never anything sweet (milk or juice)—in it. Infants who sleep with a bottle containing milk or juice often develop ‘nursing bottle syndrome,’ where severe cavities develop in a concentrated area on the back of all the front teeth, leading to pain and premature lost of teeth.

Don’t give up. When a baby smiles at you and shows a few cute bright-white incisors, you naturally smile back don’t you? Don’t just love this healthy smile, take care of it. A successful life begins with a healthy smile.

For further dental health information, visit bcdental.org. ]



toddler

by Lora Shinn

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A toddler stumbles, walks and begins to run. Movement is what

interests him, says Susan Straub, author of Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos. Reading a book? Not so much.

“Sitting quietly on Mom’s or Dad’s lap isn’t as delicious as climbing over something or practising walking or climbing stairs or chasing the cat,” Straub says.

Can you convince your little rambler that snuggling up with Seuss is just as much fun as dumping out the kitty litter? Try these handy tips when reading with tots:

Carefully select sleepier times. “Babies do get tired,” Straub says. “There are moments—while they’re eating or after a bath—when it’s a slowed-down time.” Have a book at the ready, by your toddler’s bed or highchair, when you’ll have a few seconds more of their attention.

Seek surprises. Toddlers don’t need books with lots of light-up noises or tunes. They’ll be more intrigued by titles requiring a little dexterity: lift-the-flaps, twist-the-knob, push-and-pull books with surprises hidden inside. As with a puzzle, toddlers will spend a little more time trying to understand how a book works. “If you’ve got a child able to manipulate books, it goes a far distance,” Straub says. “Then, you’re just maintaining that awareness of how a book opens, how you turn a page,” and what’s between the covers.

Try book-related games. “Anything that happens with books is reading preparedness,” Straub says. Create a deceptively simple game of “pass the book”: Ask your toddler to pass you a book, thank him, then pass one back. Or try peek-a-boo, covering and uncovering parts of a book with your hand. Straub says this one works well when you’re waiting in the doctor’s office or in line—just take a magazine and say, “Where’s the cat? There it is!”

Read together. Integrate older and younger siblings, suggests kid-book author Lorie Ann Grover, a blogger at Reader Totz, a site dedicated to board books. “Read the full text for the older and allow pauses on each spread for the younger to identify objects of interest or ask questions,” Grover says. Family reading time cuts down on sibling rivalry and creates a family tradition you can sustain into the preteen years.

Go off-book and improvise. “Feel free to deviate from the text if a wiggly, vocal toddler would rather identify imagery and turn pages,” Grover says. “Once the book is perused, the child may settle down for the full story.” Take a Richard Scarry book and have your toddler find the car, cat or king drawing—anything he knows the name of.

Play with your books. See books as toys, Straub says. If your toddler loves trucks and cars, Straub suggests building a “road” out of board books for

Reading to your wiggly tot


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her little vehicles to motor along. Along the way, open up a book and point out the tow truck. Alternately, build a tiny house or tower out of books. “Enjoy it,” Straub says, and points out that you’re helping baby see books as fun, entertaining objects. “If you don’t get to the text today, you’ll get there eventually.”

Act it out. Dramatize activities you see in books, from roaring like a lion to going on a bear hunt. Straub recommends interactive titles, such as Little

Yoga: A Toddler’s First Book of

Yoga, where you’ll see photos, then get your turn to pose. But truly, the two of you can act out any basic plotline.

Pick up a favourite topic. Toddlers love books about going to bed, potty training, siblings, family, animals and songs. For example, many of Raffi’s songs have been turned into toddler-ready titles, and other folk classics are available in picture format as well. Closely

watch your toddler develop interests and ask your local librarian for fiction and non-fiction on the topic.

Write your own. Rebecca Hoyt, a former therapist, once wrote books featuring her young clients, to explain difficult situations and prep them for transitions. “They loved starring in their own stories,” Hoyt says. Now that she’s at home, Hoyt makes books for her 18-month-old son and incorporates photos.

“It helps me to remember all the big, little, funny and important things that happened, as I write the story,” she says. One line reads: “And just as we rolled onto the ferry, Owen barfed strawberry yogurt all over the car. … ”

It’s no surprise that Owen looks over his books again and again. ]

Reading to your wiggly tot


nutrition

by Patricia Chuey, MSc, RD

The art of feeding kids gets pretty complicated at times. There will

inevitably be moments of feeding frustration for every parent, but avoiding these 10 preventable mistakes can help keep meal times enjoyable and fairly uneventful.

1. Delaying the introduction of solid food.

As soon as baby is developmentally ready, typically at four to six months of age, offering solid food in a form he can handle is important not only for nutritional needs, but also so he can begin accepting different foods.

2. Offering too limited a

variety of food.Exposing baby to a wide

variety of tastes and textures during his first year helps reduce chances that he’ll become a picky eater. Even if he enjoys infant cereal, as the months pass, it is important that a wider variety of texture be introduced so he won’t insist on still having infant cereal at age three.

3. Giving juice.For kids of all ages (and

adults too), consider juice an extra, occasional treat. One four-ounce portion of 100-percent real fruit juice counts as a serving of fruit, but whole fruit is always a better choice as it offers the same nutrients

along with fibre and a little more staying power. If your baby doesn’t like juice when first introduced, no need to worry. Juice can be saved for later, or even never. Many childhood obesity experts suggest that juice and fruity drinks contribute to weight problems. If you have an underweight, super-active child who needs the calories, juice makes sense and is always a better choice than pop.

4. Not letting children feed themselves.

As soon as baby can hold a spoon or pick up little pieces of food, let him feed herself, even if just partially. With assistance and some coaching on quantity, let preschoolers dish out their vegetables from the family serving bowl. They’ll take a more personal interest in what they’re eating rather than having the food set on their plate for them. Food is a key tool children use to express their independence. Allow involvement now to avoid rebellion later.

5. Rewarding a “cleaned” plate.

Praise your child’s excellent

behaviour at the table, tell him how pleased you are that they he at least tried one bite of a new food and tell him how much you enjoy sitting together as a family. Encourage him to eat until he feels satisfied and then stop. Without being wasteful, avoid encouraging kids to clean their plate if they really aren’t hungry enough.

6. Not packing snacks.When on the go with little

ones, prepare and pack along healthy snacks. It can be really tough to find balanced choices when out. Make homemade snacks fun. Bring small triangles of turkey sandwiches on nice bread, peeled orange segments or a homemade trail mix.

7. Ordering off the kids’ menu.

Many so-called “kids’ menus” at restaurants are loaded with salty and/or high fat, vegetable-less choices (chicken fingers, fries, mac’ and cheese). Look at the menu overall and choose something well-balanced. Maybe you order the chicken fingers, but ask for some veggies with it. Or choose small portions from the grown-

Top 10 meal mistakes parents make

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up menu (e.g., sushi rolls, vegetable soup, or pasta/rice dishes with vegetables).

8. Shopping on a per-meal basis.

Keeping a basic supply of food on hand at home reduces the time in getting meals on the table. Standing in line at the grocery store with kids during the pre-dinner rush hour is usually not fun. This can be a tough time to resist unhealthy, convenient choices.

9. Allowing snacks in place of missed meals.

If kids arrive at the dinner table and adamantly state they aren’t hungry, encourage sitting with the family for at least 10 minutes. Later, when they express interest in a snack, offer food from the meal. Allowing a bowl of cereal, toast or a treat instead will prolong their habit of not eating at meal times. Snacks often lack the vegetables and protein present in meals. Reduce excess pre-

meal snacking—this can reduce or eliminate appetite at meal time.

10. Keeping the kids out of the kitchen while cooking.

As soon as they’re old enough, with safety in mind, allow your kids to help wash potatoes, tear lettuce leaves, grate cheese, set the table. Banishing them from the kitchen can discourage interest in eating what’s being prepared and sets the tone that Mom or Dad must always serve them. Also, when baby’s old enough, fill a drawer with child-safe rubber spatulas, spoons, measuring cups, plastic containers and other “toys” they will love playing with. ]

Patricia Chuey is a registered dietitian and mother of a preschooler. Author of The 101 Most Asked Nutrition Questions and co-author of Simply Great Food (Robert Rose, 2007), she manages the Nutrition Affairs for Save-On-Foods. She welcomes your questions to the Ask Our Nutritionist feature at saveonfoods.com and invites you to subscribe for free weekly healthy recipes.

Top 10 meal mistakes parents make


making the effort to explain his or her parenting styles and values. Are you paying attention? Work on listening to your partner as carefully as you would like them to listen to you. And …

3. Don’t get discouragedYou’ve learned the reasons

behind your spouse’s parenting approach, and you’ve accepted that his/her style is different from yours. But as your children grow and change, it’s inevitable that new parenting challenges will arise, about which you and your partner may disagree. That’s okay, as long as you …

4. Don’t drag the kids inHere you are, faced with

a brand-new parenting issue —a biting toddler, the death of a pet, clinginess at the kindergarten door. You think the solution is obvious, but before you can say anything, your spouse is right in there doing something entirely different. Although you may disagree with their approach to the situation, don’t let an argument blow up in front of your child. Save the discussion for later, when you’re alone, and when you’ve cooled down. And don’t forget to …

5. Look for the positiveYou may not always

agree with your partner’s parenting approach. But he/she undoubtedly has a reasonable explanation for the approach he/she has taken, and if you watch your partner’s interactions, you’ll

no doubt see evidence of how his/her parenting techniques are benefitting your children. So, …

6. Be willing to compromise

It’s no secret—successful relationships are all about give and take, and nowhere is that more true than in the parenting relationship. If there’s something you feel strongly about—bedtime by 7:30 pm, no matter what—then be willing to compromise on another issue in return for your partner’s support. Because, don’t forget that you need to …

7. Stand togetherIn two-parent families,

parenting is a shared adventure. Try not to undermine your partner’s efforts, by reversing decisions he/she has made, or by criticizing or contradicting him/her in front of your children.

8. Parenting as a processYour family will change

over time, and your parenting likely will too. Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate your parenting approaches, and to re-negotiate your parenting plan with your partner.

And the good news? According to some experts, most mothers and fathers really don’t parent in particularly different ways. In fact, many couples tend to over time, develop a shared parenting style. And even if you and your partner never parent in exactly the same way, or even remotely the same way, that’s

okay too. Parenting differences are actually good for kids. Kids who grow up with one Parent A and one Parent B will learn to adapt to each parent’s unique style—and that flexibility will be useful throughout their lives.

So, rather than trying to parent exactly the same way, try instead to be supportive and respectful of your partner’s different approach. He/she has likely has strengths and gifts in areas that you are weaker in, and by joining forces in a true collaboration, your children and your whole family will benefit.

Despite your differences, you both want what’s best

for your family. So the next time you and your partner lock horns over a parenting issue, remember to relax, communicate, and keep in mind that your kids need you both. Parenting together will help you and your partner make the most of your shared child-rearing responsibilities, and raise happy, healthy, resilient children. ]

Marilee Peters is the communications director at BC Council for Families, a provincial non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting families. Find out more about the Council’s programs, initiatives, and resources for families at bccf.bc.ca.

No more Mom vs. Dad: Building a parenting partnership


have high expectations when it comes to their baby. They want him/her to be healthy and it is absolutely normal for parents to feel overwhelmed and sad when they find out their baby has Down syndrome, says Dawn McKenna, executive director of the Down Syndrome Research Foundation in Vancouver. “Grief is a normal part of the process of moving forward,” McKenna explains. Parents may experience guilt and anger too, she says, and while it may take a while to accept the situation, most parents will make peace with themselves and will start looking for resources in order to help their child. And, she suggests, expectant parents or parents of newborn babies with Down syndrome should go see a genetic counselor. While providing accurate information about the syndrome, genetic counselors will help parents see the other, brighter, sides of it too. As the parent of a child with Down syndrome, Taggart admits that talking to the genetic counselor helped a lot.

It is extremely important for the parents of children with Down syndrome, McKenna advises, to get rid of the old way of looking at Down syndrome and secondly, look for supportive people. Most new parents will become part of a network of parents of children with Down syndrome, and that’s for the best, since they will have many questions that the health professionals might not have answers for since they involve the everyday

life details that only a parent can provide. At first, Taggart says, she was the one calling and asking questions. “The amount of support you get from other parents is really amazing,” she says. Now she is one of the parents providing answers and the guidance new parents need from the more experienced parents. For parents who want to connect with others there are Parent Group Meetings held every first Thursday of the month at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and there are also educational programs that focus on academics, speech and language development, social and emotional development and optimum health.

And next. While the family doctor and the child’s pediatrician will be the most important people, medically speaking, in the child’s life, they will also be encouraged to participate in early developmental programs that will stimulate them and provide the environment they need for building social skills. It is recommended that children with Down syndrome participate in early developmental programs such as Infant Developmental Program (IDP) offered in Vancouver through BC Developmental Disabilities Association. Through these programs, funded thorough the Ministry of Children and Family Development, children can receive home visits by trained professionals, and

they and their family will also become part of the larger network of families who participate in group activities. IDP consultants will also refer the child to other practitioners such as physiotherapists and language and speech pathologists. It is important for parents to assume the coordinator role though, Taggart explains. “The parents have to be in charge

of what’s happening to the child,” she says. A child with Down syndrome depends on a lot of people in order to be the best he/she can be. While most professionals are great with children with Down syndrome, there could be the odd situation where the parents feel that the child is not treated well or he does not receive the best treatment. If you are not happy with one of the professionals, whether the speech pathologist, the physiotherapist or any other person involved in your child’s life, don’t waste any time— look for someone else, Taggart advises. It is important for parents of children with special needs to be informed about the care available for their children, and also become their best advocate.

School years. Children with Down syndrome attend regular schools where they mingle with their peers just like the rest of the children. “People are more educated nowadays about what Down syndrome means,” explains McKenna. Indeed, BC Ministry of Education expects teachers to know about Down syndrome, from knowing these children’s limitations to knowing how to stimulate

them in order to help them achieve their full potential. While many parents of children with DS expect their children to attend school with an aide, in McKenna’s opinion, it is not always recommended, since it helps them more in the long run to be more independent and self sufficient, to be able to integrate themselves in the school community and interact more freely with their peers. As for their education, there was a time when society had very low expectations of children with Down syndrome, but that has changed over the last three decades. These children show that they are curious to learn about things just like any other child, and they should have the same educational and other opportunities as other children.

Should parents worry about

When your baby is diagnosed with Down syndromecont’d from page 23

The reality is that all parents have high expectations when it comes to their baby. They want him/her to be healthy and it is absolutely normal for parents to feel overwhelmed and sad when they find out their baby has Down syndrome.


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Children today wouldn’t have cheered Terry Fox across Canada on

his ‘Marathon of Hope’ on TV daily or grieved when he finally lost his battle with cancer, but that doesn’t make Canada’s greatest hero any less relevant to our youngest generation.

The power of Terry’s story gives most adults goose-bumps as they reflect on how an 18-year-old lost his right leg to cancer, endured 14 months of chemotherapy and then was so inspired by patients that he had met, that he set about running across Canada just three years later, to make

a difference for others fighting cancer. As impressive as the facts are, what is incredibly powerful for children is the hope, the imagination, the caring and the determination that is revealed throughout Terry’s short life. Children love superheroes and Terry is as close as we get to a superhero in real life.

Today, school children across Canada continue to fundraise for The Terry Fox Foundation and give millions of dollars to cancer research, but less known is the fact that over 100 daycares and pre-schools are also holding Terry

Teaching your preschoolers about Terry Fox


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pregnant woman has to first destroy any associations between pain and childbirth. One of Lamaze’s strong convictions was that education, harmony and enthusiasm can help women achieve the goal of a painless birth.

Later on, American obstetrician Robert Bradley believed that women should have the privilege to give birth naturally and with as little pain as possible through healthy nutrition, relaxation and natural abdominal breathing.

Read’s work as a strong advocate for natural childbirth inspired Marie Mongan, an American award-winning hypnotherapist to create hypnobirthing, a method that teaches expectant parents that pain is not a natural accompaniment of labour unless tension and fear are present. Contrary to what people may think, hypnobirthing does not mean that the mother-to-be is in a trance. While they are present in the moment, it is the fear of pain that is missing. “Breathing gives us the gift of feeling loose and limp, allowing

the tissues to expand without feeling tight,” Welter-Nichols explains.

It is very important to a woman, Welter-Nichols suggests, to feel empowered when giving birth to her child. In the end, she says, it is all about beliefs. “What you believe you will make real,” she explains, in perfect agreement with the pioneers of pain-free and natural childbirth, who warned that stories that dramatize birth and emphasize pain create prejudice towards childbirth and fear. In Welter-Nichols’s opinion, it is sad that the rate of cesarean section operations today reaches an alarming 40 percent, and even sadder that many times, women are made to believe that their bodies cannot go through childbirth alone and need medication and serious medical intervention.

As for epidurals, they may seem like the perfect solution for a painless birth but they can slow down labour, which calls for oxytocin to be administered intravenously. Oxytocin, the hormone that is responsible for the uterine contractions during

childbirth, is released at a steady pace by the body’s regulatory mechanisms. When the hormone is added through an oxytocin drip, the body can experience stress, Welter-Nichols says, because that extra amount will disrupt the normal flow of birth. But, she clarifies, medical intervention is necessary should the baby or the mother be in any danger at any moment during labour.

Whether it is hypnotherapy, Lamaze or Bradley, it is possible to have a natural, painless birth by learning about the transformation of the human

body during pregnancy and childbirth. It may not be easy to shake the old beliefs that childbirth and pain go hand in hand, but the good news is that it is up to every woman to design her own empowering experience. And just like we teach our little ones over and over again, gentle does it. Welcoming babies into the world in the gentlest way is by all means the best beginning of a beautiful journey. ]

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Fox events and, importantly, sharing Terry’s story with toddlers too. Terry’s story captures the imagination of kids of all ages and excites them in a way that only the very best of fairytales do.

Keep on tryingTerry had to rely on his

own perseverance time after time—learning to walk again on one leg, persuading people about his crazy dream to run across Canada, trying to raise the funds to make it happen, and when he was out on the road, running daily marathons, one telephone pole at a time. Maxine Trottier’s book, A Story

of Hope does a great job of bringing Terry’s determined character to life for younger children and it’s a powerful message for parents to use.

“I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made if people try.”

Parents know how powerful that kind of messaging can be; from potty-training to getting kids sleeping in their own bed, encouraging kids to keep trying is a big help. Kids learn that things aren’t always easy, but when we persevere, we can achieve.

Caring and compassion

Terry is also a shining example of caring and compassion. He put the needs of others before his own and showed a selflessness that it is rare and wonderful to provide to children as a role model. The book, Run (by Eric Walters), which is about a fictional boy who spends time with Terry on the Marathon of Hope, is another great read for older school children. This book captures the essence of Terry—showing his drive to help others, but also illustrating him as a very real person, who argued with his friend at times and joked around like any child

does. He is a role model that children can relate to.

While the positive messages are probably of most interest to parents, don’t be surprised if your little one is most interested about Terry’s missing leg and his prosthesis. Terry’s story often draws questions and presents an opportunity to start conversations about disability and differences between people in a positive way. It’s also a neat excuse to visit the library in Port Coquitlam to check out Terry’s original prosthesis and his ‘special

Teaching your preschoolers about Terry Fox

cont’d on page 34



feature

by Daniela Ginta

Tamara Taggart is as optimistic about her children as any other

mom. One of Taggart’s convictions is that each person has something special to offer and whether a baby is born with any chromosomal defect or any other genetic problems should make no difference. Taggart’s son, Becket, who is almost two, has Down syndrome. “I want my son to grow into a respectful, caring person,” Taggart says. When her son was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after being born, Taggart admits feeling overwhelmed during the first few days after the diagnosis. But, she points out, it was not sadness that overwhelmed her. She was scared because she did not know anything about Down syndrome and did not know what to expect. Feeling sorry for her son or letting people around him feel that way was not going to help, she adds. Today, almost two years later, Taggart says that both her and her husband could not imagine life without their son, “He is such a loving and lovable little boys; he truly is the light of our lives,” she confesses.

Much has changed in the way we as a society perceive Down syndrome and all issues related to it. Down syndrome is a genetic condition resulting from a defect in the way genetic material is distributed between cells during the process of cell division. The embryo ends up with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two. There are three types of genetic defects leading to Down syndrome, the most common, almost in

95 percent of the children with Down syndrome, being trisomy 21 (where the baby has three copies of the chromosome 21). Translocation (where there is a portion of chromosome 21 found on a different chromosome), and mosaicism ( where some cells have the right number of chromosomes, 46, and other have 47) are the other two types of genetic abnormalities present in children with Down syndrome. There are also several

health problems commonly present in children with Down syndrome such as hypotonia, or low muscular tone, heart problems in approximately half the children, and vision and hearing problems. Most children with heart abnormalities usually have surgery to correct the problem before entering school.

First steps. Many families find out during pregnancy, via prenatal testing, that their child will be born with Down syndrome. While everybody admits that caring for a child with a genetic abnormality might be challenging at times, it is still sad that nowadays many doctors will choose to talk to parents mostly about the challenges rather than the rewards of raising a child with Down syndrome. What new parents need to hear is that the little person whom they are about to meet is going to fill their lives with love and while there will be challenges along the way, there is also help and support. And most of all, they need to hear that the child comes first and not the disability.

The reality is that all parents

When your babyis diagnosed with

Down syndromeCTV’s weathercaster Tamara Taggart and her son Beckett, who has Down syndrome.Photo credit: Joy Photography

CTV’s Tamara Taggart shares her experience as amother of a Down syndrome child, and experts tell you whatto expect and where to go for help and support.

cont’d on page 28


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Twins are everywhere these days. On television and in magazines, we

constantly see images of more and more celebrity-born twins, from JLo and Marc Anthony to Brad and Angelina. And outside Hollywood, in the ‘real world,’ the incidence of twin births is, in a word, ‘multiplying.’ Why? Partly because more couples are using fertility treatments to conceive. According to Health Canada, 35 percent of multiple births in Canada are as a result of fertility treatments. Another reason is the fact that women are choosing to put off getting pregnant until their 30s. A 2006 Dutch study found that there was an increase in fraternal twin births in women over the age of 30 because women in this age group release more eggs per cycle.

While the media tends to glamourize celebrity-birthed twins (gossip magazines clamour for the rights to photograph and ‘present’ the first peeks of the already-famous twosomes), there is little emphasis on the practicalities of double bundles of joy. In People magazine, Angelina Jolie is effortlessly radiant in her pajamas as she looks upon her twins, but talk to any ‘regular’ new mother of twins, and you’ll find that looking radiant is the furthest thing from her mind when she is trying to manage two newborns.

When a couple discovers they will be having twins, it is both exciting and shocking.

Numerous questions go through their minds as the due date approaches. Parents-to-be can get very anxious about what life will be like after the babies are born—physically, emotionally, and financially.

If you’re expecting twins, here are some realistic ways to help you manage in the early days.

Find an obstetricianBecause a multiple

pregnancy is considered high-risk, it is highly recommended that an obstetrician look after you and baby during your pregnancy and at birth.

According to Dr. Mark Rosengarten, a Vancouver obstetrician, in a multiple pregnancy, there is a greater risk of preterm labour, preterm birth, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and the cervix opening. He adds that these things are less likely to occur in taller women as their bodies have more room to carry two babies. In the case of identical twins, he says, there is a risk of shearing of the placenta as well as the possibility of twin-to-twin transfusion. With fraternal twins, there is the possibility of a ‘crowding effect.’ There is also a higher incidence of emergency c-section and operative delivery methods. Furthermore (in accordance with the Standards of Practice Policy of the College of Midwives of British Columbia), because twins are considered high-risk, a midwife may provide a supporting role in prenatal care but the delivery

feature

by Kyrani Kanavaros

Managing twin babies


Here’s a fun game to play with your spouse. I call it “Guess the

Parent Stereotype.”Scenario 1: Parent A is

taking the kids on an outing. The weather report predicts a 30 percent chance of showers, so Parent A has packed rain jackets, umbrellas, AND sun hats and sunscreen, just to be on the safe side. The kids’ backpacks are pre-packed for them in the morning with lunch, snacks (carrot sticks and fruit), water, and with toys and books to keep them occupied during the car ride. Everything, including the sanitizer handwipes, the dog leash, and a printout of the driving directions, is lined up neatly in the hall by the front door, ready to go.

Scenario 2: Parent B has spent the day at home with the kids. By the end of the afternoon, dirty dishes from both breakfast and lunch are scattered across the table, the beds are unmade, one kid is still wearing pajamas and the other has accessorized a bathing suit with cowboy boots and multiple temporary tattoos. The living room is littered with cushions from a massive kids-against-the-grownup pillowfight and the children and parent are now sprawled together, sweaty and cranky, amidst the wreckage, eating cookies straight from the package and watching cartoons.

Your challenge (should you choose to accept it): identify

which parent is the Mom, and which one is the Dad.

Figured it out yet?The truth is, for most of us,

it’s not much of a challenge at all. We can all recognize the stereotypes at work here —Parent A is the classic Ultra-Organized Mom, while Parent B is the archetypal Laidback Dad.

Now, while stereotypes this extreme certainly aren’t the norm in most households (it’s hard to imagine what would have brought Parent A and Parent B together in the first place), what is unquestionably true is that we’ve all got our own parenting styles. And differences in parenting styles can, and pretty much inevitably do, lead to conflict between parents. What happens, for instance, when Parent A walks in the door and finds the house torn apart, the kids jazzed on junk food, and banned cartoons blaring from the television?

Often, our first reaction when faced with the evidence of our partner’s different parenting style is frustration; “I would never do this!” But approaching a parenting disagreement with this kind of black-and-white “it’s my way or the highway” attitude can merely lead to more and more conflict in your relationship, and in your family.

There’s no question about it: resolving a significant difference in your parenting styles is one of the biggest,

and most important, challenges parents can face. Both partners need to nurture their relationship to keep it vital: as adults sharing the responsibilities of raising happy, healthy children, both parents have to learn to compromise, communicate, and above all else, support one another.

When parents have a healthy relationship, children benefit. In a 2007 article, Dr. James McHale, director of University of South Florida’s Family Study Center, writes that “well-coordinated co-parenting during the child’s first year of life has been found to predict better child adjustment in later years, while distressed co-parenting predicts later child problems.” Parents who are able to accommodate their spouse’s different parenting strategies and find ways to work well together are more likely to have well-adjusted children—kids who are less anxious, more patient, and who have an easier time establishing friendships and negotiating social relations with their peers.

And don’t think that just because you and your partner may disagree about parenting, your relationship and your children’s healthy development

are doomed. All parents, even highly compatible couples, can find themselves in conflict when it comes to parenting beliefs, styles, or techniques. It’s when those disagreements are allowed to go unresolved or to escalate into full-blown battles that partner relationships and parent-child relationships can suffer.

So what can you do to ensure that, whether you’re Ultra-Organized or Laidback, you’re parenting as effectively and harmoniously as possible with your partner?

Making it WorkHerewith, the top tips to

building a successful parenting partnership and maintaining a healthy relationship with your spouse.

1. Sharing is goodJust why is it that you

parent the way you do? Does your partner know the reasons behind your parenting decisions? Maybe if he/she understood that staying in pajamas all weekend was a cherished part of your childhood, he/she would be less opposed to your relaxed attitude about getting dressed on Saturdays. Which leads us to …

2. Listen and learnWow—your partner is

No more Mom vs. Dad: Building a parenting partnership parenting

by Marilee Peters

All parents, even highly compatible couples, can find themselves in conflict when it comes to parenting beliefs, styles, or techniques.


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Managing twin babies

will be done by an obstetrician.Limit visitorsRosengarten suggests

limiting visitors. If you do have visitors, do not feel you must act as hostess. Your guests will have to help you while you have a shower, eat, or sleep.

Get outRosengarten stresses the

importance of getting out of the house every day to avoid cabin fever and depression. There are higher incidences of postpartum depression and marital discord among mothers of twins.

Get extra helpThe adjustment to

parenthood is overwhelming with two new babies. Your new busier life will take its toll on you and on your relationship with your spouse. If you have friends and family who are willing to help, say yes. If you don’t have family or friends to lend a hand, there are alternatives, such as a postpartum doula, who will help you take care of your baby as well as yourself day and night. The constant feeding and lack of sleep will take all your energy, leaving little for everything else that needs to be done—an extra pair of expert hands can help lighten the load.

Feeding twins

Breastfeeding twins is possible. Women can successfully produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed their infants. La Leche League International’s website recommends

breastfeeding as soon as you are able. If you are unable to start breastfeeding after the birth, you can still pump to stimulate lactation. Pumping will help trigger your body to begin the process of producing milk—expressing milk will help establish a good milk supply. A high-quality double pump will help.

In the first few days after your babies’ birth, you will need a little help before your milk comes in. Because you have not one, but two mouths to feed, you won’t have enough milk right away to feed them. Dr. Rosengarten says, “You need help and you will have to supplement with either donor milk or formula until your milk comes in.”

Pomy Billan, director of services at Vancouver Post Partum Doulas, has worked to provide support for many twin families. Whether or not you choose to hire outside help, Billan suggests that parents maintain a record of all feedings, diaper changes and anything else you feel is important. This not only helps you track your babies’ feedings and diaper changes, but also gives other

cont’d on page 34


their child’s interaction with peers at school? Taggart admits she does, but at the same time, she hopes that by raising him to be a loving and generous person, things will most likely work out in terms of social integration too.

What the future holds. It is every parent’s dream to see their children manage well in the future. Parents want their children to be happy, to have a loving family and close friends, to have jobs that will provide them financial stability and professional fulfillment. For children with Down syndrome, the situation is no different, McKenna says. The Foundation offers Planning for the Future workshop series, where parents are informed about saving plans, trusts

and support groups, and they learn about personal support available for people with Down syndrome in British Columbia. Parents need to learn about how their children can become self-sufficient as they get older, because many of them can and do. It all starts with these children being provided the best care when they are young. Starting with the love they receive from their family to play sessions later on where they are encouraged to achieve things independently, every step counts.

Bottom line. There is approximately one child with Down syndrome born in every 700 to 900 live births, Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome now averages 56 years of age,

thanks to advances in medical care available for babies and children with Down syndrome. Children are integrated into regular schools and are later encouraged to become as independent and self-sufficient as possible. While it is crucial that the parents of children with Down syndrome help them to achieve their best potential, the whole society around them has to do it too, starting with people knowing more about this condition. Taggart says she would like people to ask more questions about something like Down syndrome, rather than look sideways because that is what they think polite people do. Educating people about such a complex issue can only lead to a more open and accepting

community, more eager to reach out, more than previous generations who were told that it makes people uncomfortable if you look and ask questions. Sure, we have come a long way, but there is still work to be done. Which is why McKenna’s preferred quote, “There is a difference between accepting disability and respecting disability,” says it all. In other words, the child comes first.

Resources• Down Syndrome Research

Foundation: dsrf.org/home/• Canadian Down Syndrome

Society: cdss.ca/ ]

When your baby is diagnosed with Down syndromecont’d from page 23

On announcing the news that her son has Down syndrome, Tamara Taggart says, “We chose to send a massive group email (a lot of people I know have done this)…it gets the correct information out, allows people time to digest the news and you get to avoid hearing people awkwardly say, “I’m sorry.”

If you’re not sure how to tell your friends and family, here is an excerpt of the email Taggart and husband Dave sent out. It may help you in your own announcement.

Hello Friends,

I’m sorry for the group email and that

I’m not able to speak to each of you in

person. The news I’m about to share is

very new to Dave and me...we just found

out yesterday that Beckett has Trisomy 21

(Down syndrome).

Beckett is unbelievably sweet and

gorgeous, he’s special and he has chosen

us to be his parents. We feel like any new

parents: lucky. We want to give you time

to adjust to the news, so you wouldn’t feel

the need to have an immediate response.

We hope you will feel the same as we do,

we’re happy and proud. We’d like you

to see him as we do—a beautiful baby

boy. We also want you to treat him just

like any other baby. Congratulate us. We

have a baby and we’re a family now. This

is not a sad moment, PLEASE do not

apologize; we aren’t sorry. We are still

gathering information on Down syndrome

and probably won’t be able to answer

any questions for a while; this is definitely

going to be a learning experience for us

and the greatest challenge of our lives.

The support we have received so far

from our family and the friends that we

have had the chance to talk to has been

amazing; our doctors have been pillars

of support. Obviously we have been

blindsided, our lives are now heading in a

different direction. The support and love

of our friends and family have never been

needed more.

We would like to encourage you to

call us—it’s better than email—and we

would love for you to come and meet

Beckett. He sleeps, eats, cries and dirties

diapers—just like every other baby. He just

has an extra chromosome.

- Tamara & Dave

breakingthe news


Tamara Taggart on career, marriage & motherhoodcelebritymommy

by Emma Lee

ubt: How would you describe yourself as a parent?

TT: I’m a very calm parent, which is surprising because I’m not always a very calm person! There are a lot of hugs and kisses in our house and we’re constantly telling Beckett and Zoë that we love them.

ubt: What have you learned

about yourself now that you’re a mom?

TT: How much love I really have in my heart...I love my kids. They hold my heart and give me so much joy and happiness, more than I knew was possible.

ubt: Your son Beckett has

Down syndrome. Describe what it was like for you and your husband when doctors began implying there may be something wrong? What was going through your mind? How

did you cope? How do you move forward?

TT: Wow, that’s a big question. Beckett was diagnosed with Down syndrome when he was five days old; it was determined through a blood test in the hospital. It was a surprise and because we didn’t know anything about Down syndrome, we were very scared. After a few tears, we gathered our family and friends, shared our news and started our journey. The first thing we did was read everything we could (books, not the Internet) about Down syndrome and we talked to as many other parents as we could. [My husband] Dave and I are now experts on Down syndrome and we have built a really good team of experts and advocates for our son. Beckett is such a

sweet, loving, funny boy—and that’s not because he has Down syndrome; it’s because that’s who he is. We can’t imagine our lives without him in it—every day he surprises us. So many of our friends stop by the house to visit Beckett. They don’t want to see us, just Beckett—he’s a very popular guy! I could go on and on here about how perfect he is...

ubt: With two babies

under the age of two, you are definitely busy. What is your biggest challenge with your two children right now?

TT: Sleep and organization are definitely my challenges! Beckett and Zoë are great sleepers—they get 11 hours each a night. I don’t! My memory isn’t what it used to be...I seem to forget everything, therefore being extremely organized is a must. Finding

the time to be organized is tough. I’m chasing my tail a lot!

ubt: Because you are a

public figure in Vancouver, do you feel self-conscious when you’re in public with your babies? Like you have to be a “perfect” mom when you’re out with them?

TT: Not really. People talk to me and our kids all the time when we’re out and it’s nice. I learn a lot from other women who are on the same path as me. We’re all in the same boat so it’s great to bounce ideas off of each other. I never feel like I have to be perfect—as far as I can tell, there’s no such thing.

ubt: What is Beckett’s and

Zoe’s favourite things in the world right now?

TT: Well Zoë loves whatever Beckett has and Beckett loves whatever Zoë has! They both

As CTV’s local weathercaster, Tamara Taggart is a familiar face to most Vancouverites—delivering the forecast on-location or from the studio every weekday. As if that’s not enough, on top of her full-time job, she has also found time to have hosted of HGTV’s “Love It or Lose It” series, to appear in feature films and TV series, to be a business owner as well as a mommy blogger. Oh, and did we mention she is also mother of two toddlers with her musician-husband Dave Genn (with band 54-40)? How does she do it all? We recently asked Vancouver’s favourite girl nextdoor about how she balances her busy life with family and career.

Clockwise from left: Tamara, son Beckett (l) and daughter Zoë (r); Zoë; Beckett and Zoë. (Photo credit: Joy Photography)


Tamara Taggart on career, marriage & motherhoodlike cups—they like to stack them and toss them. Reading is also a favourite and of course, everything comes to a screeching halt when In the Night Garden comes on!

ubt: What is a perfect family

day for you?TT: We love to go

swimming. Beckett and Zoë are both becoming great little swimmers! Walking in our neighbourhood is so much fun—a walk and a snack is a good time in our family.

ubt: How would you want

your children to complete this sentence when they’re older: “The most best thing about my mom is…”

TT: ...that she loves us so much, encourages us to follow our dreams and puts our happiness first.

ubt: You seem to have

bounced right back into pre-pregnancy shape. How’d you do it?

TT: Oh you are very sweet but I’m not back to my pre-pregnancy shape. It is so hard to find the time to exercise and eat—not eat properly, just to eat at all—when you are so tired! I try to get to Pilates three times a week. I’m lucky if I get there once. We go for walks, but the reality is that I need to run not walk. Being on TV every day is motivation to lose weight but sometimes, well most of the time, I choose sleep over exercise.

ubt: What is one thing you do, as a parent, that you are a little embarrassed to admit?

TT: I have recorded Barney on our PVR and I put it on when Beckett won’t eat. When that purple dinosaur is around, he’ll eat anything!

ubt: How do you and your husband stay connected, keep your marriage strong? Many couples with very young children experience turbulent times when their kids are young, due to stress, lack of sleep...

TT: We’re both super-busy people with very different schedules...we spend our mornings together and we’re both home every night to put our kids to bed (Dave then goes back to the studio). We try to schedule “dates” and little getaways. Right now, we stay strong together by drinking a lot of coffee together!

ubt: When both the kids are

asleep for the night or when you have some time to yourself, what’s the first thing you want to do?

TT: Read. I love to read and there’s not a lot of opportunity to do that with two babies in the house, so as soon as they are sawing logs I’m opening a book or magazine!

ubt: Do you ever feel

overwhelmed as a parent? TT: Of course I feel

overwhelmed. It’s really hard

to keep all the balls in the air. I’m learning to live by the words “good enough”—everything doesn’t need to be perfect and sometimes it’s just good enough. Life is so much easier!

ubt: What was your labour

and delivery like?TT: I had a c-section with

Beckett and because my babies were so close together I had to have a c-section with Zoë too. I have a wonderful GP (Dr. Donna McLachlan) and obstetrician (Dr. Rob Anderson) so I was in very good hands. My doctors and the women in the maternity ward at St. Paul’s Hospital took very good care of us.

ubt: How did you do with

breastfeeding?TT: I couldn’t breastfeed. I

used the Dr. Brown’s bottles and Good Start formula. Amazing how much grief I got from some women about formula-feeding my babies. I couldn’t breastfeed...way to make me feel crappier!

ubt: What would make your

top three “must-haves” when it comes to baby gear (could be anything) that you think every parent should have?

TT: I love our video baby monitors: we can watch the kids sleeping and know when they wake-up—it’s the best. My new Bumbleride Twin stroller is a dream—so easy to turn and it fits through doorways (available at EiO)! The face cloths from

Ikea ($7 a pack!) are great; we use them for everything.

ubt: How do you maintain

balance between working full-time, mothering full-time, being a wife, and finding time for yourself?

TT: That’s what I’m trying to figure out, every single day I do my best to keep it all together. Boy, is it hard. Working at CTV is great. I love my job and when I’m at the station I need to be at my best—it doesn’t matter that I woke up with Beckett at 5:15 am and I’m dead-tired. Coffee is my new best friend. I opened up EiO a Kid’s Store (at 18th and Cambie) with two friends. It’s a dream come true and I’d love to do more and be there more but it just doesn’t work out that way most days. Thank goodness for my business partner Marc and our great staff at the store. I rarely get to the gym or to my Pilates class—I want to, but so many other things pop up. I never remember to eat and when I do it’s because I have a headache! This is a work in progress. It’s a beautiful challenge that I’m happy to take on. My kids and husband are first, and always will be. Nothing trumps my family. If the laundry doesn’t get done and the lawn doesn’t get cut, it will be okay! ]

Follow Tamara Taggart on her Modern Mommy Blog at www.ctvbc.ca.


Your little girl can take home with her no matter where she goes with this Danish-designed Wool House Storage Bag. She can store just about anything that will fit! Comes with handle and sturdy zipper and lining, and is made of 100% New Zealand sheep’s wool that has been coloured with eco-friendly dyes. Available in yellow or blue. Retails for $74. Find it at lavishandlime.com

purse sweet purse

Stuff we love this fall from mom to totgreatgoodsby Emma Lee

Your favourite baby and toddler booties now come with liners, for those colder fall and winter days. BC’s own Stonz Wear has designed Stonz Linerz that can be inserted into a Stonz Bootie for extra warmth. Linerz are made of fleece sherpa, are skid-resistant, are extra tall for warm under pants, and are machine-washable. A great way to make Stonz Booties even better. Linerz retail for $17.95. Booties (which come in many fun designs) retail for $46.95. stonzwear.com

toasty tootsiesWe love this colourfully stripey jersey blanket for babe. Made of stretchy jersey and sized at a generous 34” x 34” for easy swaddling, this double-sided blanket will keep your boy or girl cozy. Stripe colours: green, red, pale blue, orange, pink, chocolate and turquoise. Retails for $49.95. Find it at local retailers including Jack & Lola (North Vancouver) as well as online at westcoastbaby.com

stripey swaddle

Finally, a beautiful bra for the breastfeeding mom. Say goodbye to your stretched-out, dull, marginally supportive nursing bras that create the “uni-boob” and purr hello to sexy, functional lingerie for your working breasts. Honeymilk nursing bras feature strong elasticized fabric; wide straps (for support); cup openings that don’t compress your breast tissue; molded foam cups that cover enlarged nipples, breast pads and small leaks; underwire support; extra adjustability as you go down in band size and as your milk supply decreases; one-handed clasps; and realistic sizing (up to H cup). We especially love the double-lined lace band on the bra—very sexy. You can even buy matching boy-cut panties that feature a slimming lace-arrow insert. Gorgeous! The bra retails for $125. Visit www.honeymilkdesigns.com for a list of retailers that carry the bra.

sexy support

This is as close to lying on a cloud as baby can get. The Honeydumplings Buckwheat Baby Mat offers a comfortable, cushiony place for your little one to rest. It features a removable organic buckwheat hull quilt and soft bamboo cover. Why bamboo hull (which is grown and processed according to organic farming methods)? Because it molds to your baby’s body, alleviating pressure on his/her body. It’s also hypoallergenic and free of chemicals and dyes. Size: 25” x 30”. It will become one of your must-have baby products! Retails for $88. Available at honeydumplings.com.

buckwheat baby matThis neoprene (the same as wetsuit material) reusable lunch tote and back pack will keep your preschooler’s lunch or snacks cold or hot for hours without the use of bad-for-you chemicals. Both the lunch tote and back pack are machine washable, stain resistant, roll up for easy storage, and feature cushioned handles and inside mesh pockets. And they both stand upright for easy access. The back pack also features cushioned flexible straps that adjust from the inside (read: no dangling straps to trip over or drag!) and has an outside back pocket. The lunch tote retails for $38. The back pack retails for $52.50. Available at lavishandlime.com.

tot on the goJust in time for the start of preschool, these Blue Bear Aware wristbands are the perfect accessory for kids with allergies. With these wristbands, your child’s teachers or other caregivers will automatically know what he/she is allergic to. The adjustable nylon/polyester wristband is durable and comes with a secure clip. Can be worn during water activities or just out and about. The wristband retails for $13.50, and comes in four styles: peanut alert, dairy alert, egg alert and seafood alert. Available at bluebearaware.com.

allergy alert

Did you know that the average North American throws out more than 27 kg of clothing each year? If you can recycle plastic and paper, why not clothing? Vancouver-based Starshine EcoWear recycles vintage clothing and transforms them into fashionable dresses and pants for baby and toddler. Now that’s stylish sustainability! You can find these fashions at Kiddo Kids Consignment (Vancouver) as well as online at starshine-ecowear.com.

old becomes new


Your little girl can take home with her no matter where she goes with this Danish-designed Wool House Storage Bag. She can store just about anything that will fit! Comes with handle and sturdy zipper and lining, and is made of 100% New Zealand sheep’s wool that has been coloured with eco-friendly dyes. Available in yellow or blue. Retails for $74. Find it at lavishandlime.com

purse sweet purse

Stuff we love this fall from mom to totgreatgoodsby Emma Lee

Your favourite baby and toddler booties now come with liners, for those colder fall and winter days. BC’s own Stonz Wear has designed Stonz Linerz that can be inserted into a Stonz Bootie for extra warmth. Linerz are made of fleece sherpa, are skid-resistant, are extra tall for warm under pants, and are machine-washable. A great way to make Stonz Booties even better. Linerz retail for $17.95. Booties (which come in many fun designs) retail for $46.95. stonzwear.com

toasty tootsiesWe love this colourfully stripey jersey blanket for babe. Made of stretchy jersey and sized at a generous 34” x 34” for easy swaddling, this double-sided blanket will keep your boy or girl cozy. Stripe colours: green, red, pale blue, orange, pink, chocolate and turquoise. Retails for $49.95. Find it at local retailers including Jack & Lola (North Vancouver) as well as online at westcoastbaby.com

stripey swaddle

Finally, a beautiful bra for the breastfeeding mom. Say goodbye to your stretched-out, dull, marginally supportive nursing bras that create the “uni-boob” and purr hello to sexy, functional lingerie for your working breasts. Honeymilk nursing bras feature strong elasticized fabric; wide straps (for support); cup openings that don’t compress your breast tissue; molded foam cups that cover enlarged nipples, breast pads and small leaks; underwire support; extra adjustability as you go down in band size and as your milk supply decreases; one-handed clasps; and realistic sizing (up to H cup). We especially love the double-lined lace band on the bra—very sexy. You can even buy matching boy-cut panties that feature a slimming lace-arrow insert. Gorgeous! The bra retails for $125. Visit www.honeymilkdesigns.com for a list of retailers that carry the bra.

sexy support

This is as close to lying on a cloud as baby can get. The Honeydumplings Buckwheat Baby Mat offers a comfortable, cushiony place for your little one to rest. It features a removable organic buckwheat hull quilt and soft bamboo cover. Why bamboo hull (which is grown and processed according to organic farming methods)? Because it molds to your baby’s body, alleviating pressure on his/her body. It’s also hypoallergenic and free of chemicals and dyes. Size: 25” x 30”. It will become one of your must-have baby products! Retails for $88. Available at honeydumplings.com.

buckwheat baby matThis neoprene (the same as wetsuit material) reusable lunch tote and back pack will keep your preschooler’s lunch or snacks cold or hot for hours without the use of bad-for-you chemicals. Both the lunch tote and back pack are machine washable, stain resistant, roll up for easy storage, and feature cushioned handles and inside mesh pockets. And they both stand upright for easy access. The back pack also features cushioned flexible straps that adjust from the inside (read: no dangling straps to trip over or drag!) and has an outside back pocket. The lunch tote retails for $38. The back pack retails for $52.50. Available at lavishandlime.com.

tot on the goJust in time for the start of preschool, these Blue Bear Aware wristbands are the perfect accessory for kids with allergies. With these wristbands, your child’s teachers or other caregivers will automatically know what he/she is allergic to. The adjustable nylon/polyester wristband is durable and comes with a secure clip. Can be worn during water activities or just out and about. The wristband retails for $13.50, and comes in four styles: peanut alert, dairy alert, egg alert and seafood alert. Available at bluebearaware.com.

allergy alert

Did you know that the average North American throws out more than 27 kg of clothing each year? If you can recycle plastic and paper, why not clothing? Vancouver-based Starshine EcoWear recycles vintage clothing and transforms them into fashionable dresses and pants for baby and toddler. Now that’s stylish sustainability! You can find these fashions at Kiddo Kids Consignment (Vancouver) as well as online at starshine-ecowear.com.

old becomes new


sock,’ both of which are on permanent display there.

Get activeTerry Fox events also

motivate kids to get active. A run, walk, toddle or crawl is the key to fundraising in many preschools and daycares, and it does help children to appreciate Terry’s athletic achievement, but events can also teach practical skills like counting (money or miles) and geography. Veith House Preschool in Nova Scotia has a penny parade and then maps out Terry’s route with pennies on a giant map of Canada.

Paddington Fine Arts Preschool in Richmond found that bringing a ‘Terry’ doll (creatively made with a sewn-up leg and a ‘chopsticks prosthesis’) into their morning circle time was a great way to introduce Terry.

While Spiderman and Elastigirl have their place as fictional heroes to your kids, be sure to introduce your children to the real-life superhero in Terry Fox. ]

caregivers (if you have them) the information they need to pick up where you left off. The record-keeping, Billan says will help parents and caregivers understand and see what changes have occurred since the last visit. She adds, “With these recordings, a very visible pattern is set and this can set a tone for a schedule.”

There are options when it comes to feeding. You can breastfeed (the World Health Organization recommends new mothers exclusively breastfeed their newborns up to at least six months of age), pump and bottle-feed, or formula-feed.

When it comes to the logistics of breastfeeding baby, new mothers can choose to breastfeed one baby at a time, allowing new mom to bond with each baby. Or, new mothers can choose to do tandem breastfeeding, which is feeding both babies at the same time. Tandem feeding will give you more time to catch up on some much-needed sleep since you’re feeding two at the same time.

“Tandem breastfeeding is always possible with a little support for the first few weeks,” says Billan. “Having someone help you latch the babies on will enable you to slowly become more comfortable doing it alone when you are ready to do so.”

She also says that babies feed well on a breastfeeding pillow—it’s more comfortable for the babies (brings them up to the breast) and more comfortable for Mom (babies are at nipple-level so Mom doesn’t have to bend forward),

so ensure you purchase one for twins.

Billan recommends pumping as a wonderful way to establish a routine and schedule. “As opposed to breastfeeding, pumping is more predictable and gives you more freedom to leave the babies with Dad while you go to the spa or run errands.” Pumping is also a great option when you are having trouble latching on.

You may want to try bottle-feeding your twins. Billan says that because you can actually see how much your babies are eating with a bottle, it can help establish a feeding schedule (e.g., if your babies ate five to six ounces of milk at 2 pm, they will likely feed again at 5 pm).

Adds Billan, “[Bottle-feeding] will allow you to give someone else an opportunity to feed your babies while you can sit back and relax.”

You may find that you need to supplement with formula. According to Billan, issues such as your babies’ weight gain, your breastfeeding difficulties or not having enough breast milk will mean you will have to supplement in order to satisfy your babies’ hunger. It is possible that you may not produce enough breast milk to satisfy twins, so don’t feel guilty or pressured. Billan stresses that breastfeeding should be a personal decision. The most important thing is how you and your babies feel, not what other people think. “You are the one who needs to be emotionally stable and strong for your babies and you have to do whatever it takes to be there

for them,” says Billan, stressing that you have to do what is right at the moment to keep your babies healthy. “Some babies can survive just fine from the colostrom and some cannot.” If the babies are underweight, she says it is okay to “formula feed until your milk supply comes in.”

SleepingSleeping through the night

tends to happen at around three months old. Before you can establish any sort of a feeding and sleep routine, it is important to keep in mind that babies generally need lots of sleep. Helen Sands, sleep consultant with Hushababy Consulting, emphasizes that babies who are one week old need eight hours of daytime sleep and eight-and-a-half hours of nighttime sleep. At one month old, they need seven hours of daytime sleep and eight-and-a-half hours of nighttime sleep. By the time they are three months old, they need five hours of daytime sleep and 10 hours of nighttime sleep.

Initially, however it may seem that the babies sleep more during the day. Sands says, “It is not that babies sleep so much during the day and not at night; they have a lot of growing to do.” By one month old, she says this should change with your direction. “It is important that in the first few weeks, babies start to learn the difference between day and night,” says Sands. “You can encourage this by ensuring that you have a solid bedtime in place each night and only

Managing twin babiescont’d from page 23

Teaching about Terrycont’d from page 19

Be part of the dream!• Terry Fox at Work Day Sept. 11, 2009• The Annual Terry Fox Run Sept. 13, 2009• National School Run Day Sept. 25, 2009For more information visit:• terryfoxrun.org• terryfoxclub.org• tfri.ca

terry fox events


allow your babies to sleep for set amounts at each daytime nap. During the day, you should wake your babies from naps and participate in activities that will stimulate them. If they wake at night, do not bring them out into the livingroom or any other community area of your house.” Instead, Helen suggests that you “focus on resettling them down to sleep.” Over time, she explains that they will start to learn that between the hours of 10 pm and 6:30 am, nothing happens.

Helen says that in order to establish good sleeping habits, start maintaining a feeding and sleeping schedule. By having a predictable routine, you can assess why your babies are crying. If you know how long it was since the last feed, or when the last diaper change took place, for example, you will know what is bothering your babies.

“If you keep on top of

this…you can go through the checklist in your mind about what a crying baby may need,” says Sands. She says that one of the best things to do when your babies are fussing is to swaddle them and to burp them after every feeding.

In terms of scheduling twins, Helen emphasizes that parents wake the second baby within a half-hour of the first waking. Doing so will allow you to synchronize both babies’ schedules so that they will feed and sleep at the same time.

Taking care of newborn twins is not an easy job, and it makes having one baby look easy. However following some good advice will ease you into this new adventure. Remember, it may be double trouble, but more importantly, it is double the love. ]

Kyrani Kanavaros is a Vancouver mother of twin boys, freelance writer, and professional photographer.

Managing twin babiescont’d from page 23

• Multiple Births Canada

multiplebirthscanada.org

This Canadian website is a

source for information on multiple

births in Canada. Find resources,

support networks, clothing sales,

links, recommended reading,

research and more.

• Twins, Triplets, & More

(by registered nurse

and multiples specialist

Linda Leonard) – www.

nursing.ubc.ca/PDFs/

TwinsTripletsAndMore.pdf

This downloadable pdf booklet

contains almost everything you

need to know, from employment

leave to websites on statistics,

from feeding and resources to

where you can get multiples

discounts.

• La Leche League

llli.org/FAQ/twins.html

• Multiples Support Group

www.vancouvertwins.ca

This is a great resource for

advice on twins and for buying/

selling baby gear and toys.

resources for parents of multiples

Breastfeeding Clinics and/or Support

Abbotsford Health Unit 104–34194 Marshall Rd, Abbotsford 604-864-3400 Drop-in breastfeeding clinics & breast milk depot for breast milk bank

BC Women’s Hospital Breastfeeding Classes 4500 Oak St, Vancouver 604-875-2282 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Burnaby Hospital 3935 Kincaid St, Bury; 604-434-4211 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Burnaby Region–Fraser Health Authority 604-918-7605 Drop-in breastfeeding services at two locations: • McGill Library, Program Room: Wed, 1–3 pm 4595 Albert St, Burnaby • Eastburn Community Centre: Thurs, 1–3 pm 7435 Edmonds, Burnaby

Cloverdale Public Health Unit 17536–58th Ave, Surrey 604-575-5100

Coquitlam Preventative Health Services 200–205 Newport Dr, Port Moody 604-949-7200 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Guildford Public Health Unit 10233–153rd St, Surrey 604-587-4750 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only (available Tues afternoons & Fri mornings)

La Leche League 604-520-4623 Serving the Lower Mainland www.lalecheleaguecanada.ca

Breastfeeding Clinics and/or Support cont’d

Langley Public Health Unit 22033 Fraser Hwy, Langley 604-532-2300 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Milk Bank at BC’s Children’s Hospital 4480 Oak St, Vancouver 604-875-2282 Donate or receive breast milk

Newborn Hotline 604-737-3737 Telephone info & referral service for questions about babies birth to age 2. Open 24 hours. Serves Richmond & Vancouver.

North Shore Health Region 604-983-6700 Serving North & West Vancouver

North Surrey Public Health Unit 220–10362 King George Hwy, Surrey 604-587-7900 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Pacific Spirit Community Health Centre 2110 West 43rd Ave, Vancouver 604-261-6366 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only; avail Wed am

Richmond Health Department 7000 Westminster Hwy, Richmond 604-233-3150 By appointment only, Weds, 1-3pm

South Delta-Ladner Public Health Unit 4470 Clarence Taylor Way, Ladner 604-952-3550 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Vancouver Breastfeeding Clinic 340–943 W Broadway, Vancouver 604-738-1912; www.breastfeedingclinic.com

White Rock Public Health Unit 1185 Centre St, White Rock 604-542-4000 Breastfeeding clinics by appt only

Child Care - Nannies

The Australian Nanny Co* The Australian Nanny Co. specializes in providing families with qualified, experienced and reliable au pairs and nannies from all around the world. No long waits or sponsorships involved. www.theaustraliannannyco.com 604-220-2104 See ad on page 23

Child Care Resource & Referral

Abbotsford Child Care Resource & Referral 103–32883 South Fraser Way, Abbtfd 604-850-7934/www.childcarechoices.ca

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR)* Your community’s best source of child care information & resources. Supporting families and child care providerees in BC. Toll-free: 1-888-338-6622 www.ccrr.bc.ca See ad on page 11

Child Care Options Resource & Referral 6878 King George Highway, Surrey 604-572-8032 [email protected] www.childcareoptions.ca Serving Surrey, White Rock & Delta

Langley Child Care Resource & Referral 20577 Fraser Hwy, Langley/604-533-4425

North Shore Child Care Resource & Ref 201–935 Marine Dr, North Van;604-985-7138

resource directory

• breastfeeding clinics and/or support ........................... 35

• child care - nannies ......... 35• child care resource &

referral ............................. 35• children’s programs......... 36• chiropractic care ............. 36• circumcision .................... 36• coaching ......................... 36• décor ............................... 36• diapers, diaper service .... 36• doulas ............................. 36• fitness.............................. 36• food - nutrition................. 36• gardening/landscaping ... 36• massage ......................... 36• midwives ......................... 36• parent-and-tot programs.. 36• parent-and-tot storytimes .. 37• photography .................... 38• prenatal classes .............. 38• public health services/

nurses ............................. 38• retailers - clothing, equipment,

accessories & gifts .......... 38• sleep consultants ............ 39• support services ............. 39• ultrasounds - 3D/4D ........ 39• vasectomy ....................... 39

*Denotes advertiser


Parent & Tot Programs cont’d

LADNER cont’d

South Delta Family Place, 604-946-6622

Semiahmoo Family Place, 604-535-6263

Whalley Family Place, 604-580-2344

LANGLEY

Douglas Recreation Centre 20550 Douglas Crescent, 604-514-2865

Langley Civic Centre 20699–29th Ave, Langley, 604-530-1323

WC Blair Recreation Centre 2220 Fraser Hwy, Langley, 604-533-6170

Walnut Grove Comm Ctr & Aquatic Ctr 8889 Walnut Grove Drive, 604-882-0408

NEW WESTMINSTER

Canada Games Pool & Fitness Centre 65 E 6th Ave, New Westminster, 604-526-4281

Centennial Community Centre & Fitness 65 E. 6th Ave, New Westminster 604-777-5100

Century House-Moody Park recCentre 620–8th St, New Westminster, 604-519-1066

Queensborough Community Centre 920 Ewen, New Westminster, 604-525-7388

NORTH VANCOUVER

Delbrook recCentre 600 Queens Rd, North Vancouver, 604-987-7529

Karen Magnusson recCentre 2300 Kirkstone Pl, North Vancouver 604-987-7529

Lynn Valley recCentre 3590 Mountain Hwy, North Vancouver 604-987-7529

Parkgate recCentre 3625 Banff Crt, North Vancouver, 604-987-7529

Ron Andrews recCentre 931 Lytton, North Vancouver, 604-987-7529

Seylynn recCentre 605 Mountain Hwy, North Vancouver 604-987-7529

William Griffith recCentre 851 W Queens Rd, North Vancouver 604-987-7529

W.V. Family Place Adventure Playground Bldg, Ambleside Park 604-925-7172

PORT COQUITLAM

Hyde Creek Recreation Centre 1379 Laurier, Port Coquitlam, 604-927-7946 www.portcoquitlam.ca

Port Coquitlam Recreation Ctr 2150 Wilson, P Coquitlam, 604-927-7970 www.portcoquitlam.ca

PORT MOODY

Kyle Recreation Centre 125 Kyle St, P Moody, 604-469-4561 ww.cityofportmoody.com

Port Moody Recreation Complex 300 Ioco Rd, P Moody, 604-469-4556 www.cityofportmoody.com

RICHMOND

Cambie Centre 4111 Jacombs, Richmond, 604-233-8399

City Centre/Lang Centre 140–8279 Saba, Richmond, 604-233-8910

Hamilton Centre 5140 Smith Dr, Richmond, 604-718-8055


RICHMOND cont’d

Minoru Aquatic Centre 7560 Minoru Gate, Richmond, 604-718-8020

Richmond Family Place 6560 Gilbert Rd, 604-278-4336

Sea Island Centre 7140 Miller, Richmond, 604-718-8000

South Arm Centre 8880 Williams, Richmond, 604-718-8060

Steveston Centre 4111 Moncton, Richmond, 604-718-8080

Thompson Centre 5151 Granville Ave, Richmond, 604-718-8422

West Richmond Centre 9180 No 1 Rd, Richmond, 604-718-8400

SURREY

Cloverdale Recreation Centre 6220–184 St, Surrery 604-502-6400

Fleetwood Recreation Centre 15996–84 Ave, Surrey, 604-401-5003

Guildford Recreation Centre 15105-105 Ave, Surrey, 604-502-6360

Newton Recreation Centre 7120-136B St, Surrey, 604-501-5040

South Surrey Recreation Centre 2199–148 St, Surrey, 604-502-6200

Surrey Sport & Leisure Co 16555 Fraser Hwy, Surrey, 604-501-5950

North Surrey Recreation Centre 10275–135 Street, Surrey, 604-502-6300

VANCOUVER

Britannia Community Centre 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, 604-718-5800

Britannia Pool 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, 604-718-5800

Champlain Heights 3350 Maquinna Dr, Vancouver, 604-718-6575

Coal Harbour Comm Centre 480 Broughton, Vancouver, 604-718-8222

Douglas Park Comm Centre 801 W 22nd Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8130

Dunbar Community Centre 4747 Dunbar, Vancouver, 604-222-6060

False Creek Community Centre 1318 Cartwright, Vancouver, 604-257-8195

Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House 2131 Renfrew St, Vancouver 604-251-1225 Every Fri, 1–3:30 pm. Cantonese Family Drop-in free for parents with kids 6 & under.

Hastings Community Centre 3096 E Hastings, Vancouver, 604-718-6200

Kensington Community Centre 5175 Dumfries, Vancouver, 604-718-6200

Kerrisdale Community Centre 5851 W Boulevard, Vancouver, 604-257-8100

Killarney Community Centre 6260 Killarney, Vancouver, 604-718-8200

Kitsilano Community Centre 2690 Larch St, Vancouver, 604-257-6976

Kitsilano Neighbourhood House Drop-in for paprents and their children 0-6 yrs. M-F, 9:30 - 11:30 am. 2325 W 7th Ave, ,Vanc 604-736-3588


VANCOUVER cont’d Kitsilano Neighbourhood House @ Acadia Pk Multicultural drop-in for parents and their children 0-4 yrs. M, W, F, 10 - 11:30 am. Acadia Park & Apartments, 2707 Tennis Crescent, UBC Campus, Vanc 604-736-3588

Marpole–Oakridge Community Centre 990 W 59th Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8180

Mount Pleasant Community Centre 3160 Ontario St, Vancouver, 604-713-1888

Movies for Mommies* Wednesdays, 12:30 pm The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway (at the Commercial Skytrain station), Vancouver (as of Oct 2009) www.moviesformommies.com See ad on page 27

Renfrew Park Community Centre 2929 E 22nd Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8388

Riley Park Community Centre 50 E 30th Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8545

Roundhouse Community Centre 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, 604-713-1800

Strathcona Community Centre 601 Keefer St, Vancouver, 604-713-1838

Sunset Pool 404 E 51st Ave, Vancouver, 604-718-6505

Trout Lake Community Centre 3350 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, 604-257-6955

Vancouver Aquatic Centre 1050 Beach Ave, Vancouver, 604-665-3424

West End Community Centre 870 Denman St, Vancouver, 604-257-8333

West Point Grey Community Centre 4397 W 2nd Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8140

WEST VANCOUVER

West Vancouver Community Centre 780–22nd, West Vancouver, 604-925-7270

West Vancouver Family Place Drop-in for parents/caregivers & preschool children (infant to 6 yrs), 604-925-7172

Gleneagles Community Centre 5575 Marine, West Vancouver, 604-921-2100

Parent & Tot Storytimes (FREE)

Call or visit each branch for details.

BURNABY

Bob Prittle Metrotown Branch 6100 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, 604-436-5420

Cameron Branch 9523 Cameron, Burnaby, 604-421-5454

McGill Branch 4595 Albert, Burnaby, 604-299-8955

COQUITLAM

Poirier St Branch 575 Poirier, Coquitlam, 604-937-4144

City Centre Branch 3001 Burlington Dr, Coquitlam, 604-927-3561

NEW WESTMINSTER

New Westminster Public Library 716–6th Ave, New West, 604-527-4660

NORTH VANCOUVER

Lynn Valley Main Library 1280 E 27th St, North Vanc, 604-984-0286

Capilano Branch 3045 Highland Blvd, North Vancouver 604-987-4471

Parent & Tot Storytimes (FREE) cont’d

NORTH VANCOUVER cont’d

Parkgate Branch 3675 Banff Crt, North Vancouver, 604-929-3727

RICHMOND

Brighouse–Main Branch 100–7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, 604-231-6401

Cambie Branch Cambie Shopping Plaza (SW corner) 150–11590 Cambie Road, Richmond 604-273-ABCD (2223)

Ironwood Branch 8200–11688 Steveston Hwy, Richmond 604-231-6468

Steveston Branch 4111 Moncton, Richmond, 604-274-2012

SURREY

Cloverdale Branch 5642–176A St, Surrey, 604-576-1384

Fleetwood Branch 15996–84 Ave, Surrey, 604-572-5922

Guildford Branch 15105–105 Ave, Surrey, 604-588-5015

Newton Branch 13795–70 Ave, Surrey, 604-596-7401

Ocean Park Branch 12854–17 Ave, Surrey, 604-502-6304

Port Kells Branch 18885–88 Ave, Surrey, 604-882-0733

Strawberry Hill Branch 7399–122 St, Surrey, 604-501-5836

Whalley Branch 10347–135 St, Surrey, 604-588-5951

VANCOUVER

Britannia VPL Branch 1661 Napier, Vancouver, 604-665-2222

Central Library VPL 350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, 604-331-3663

Champlain Heights VPL 7110 Kerr St, Vancouver, 604-665-3955

Collingwood VPL Branch 2985 Kingsway, Vancouver, 604-665-3953

Dunbar VPL Branch 4515 Dunbar, Vancouver, 604-665-3968

Firehall Library 1455 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, 604-665-3970

Fraserview VPL 1950 Argyle Dr, Vancouver, 604-665-3957

Hastings VPL 2674 E Hastings, Vancouver, 604-665-3959

Joe Fortes VPL 870 Denman, Vancouver, 604-665-3972

Kerridale VPL 2112 W 42nd Ave, Vancouver, 604-665-3974

Kensington VPL 1428 Cedar Cottage Mews, Vancouver, 604-665-3961

Kitsilano VPL 2425 MacDonald, Vancouver, 604-665-3976

Marpole VPL 8386 Granville St, Vancouver, 604-665-3978

Mount Pleasant VPL 370 E Broadway, Vancouver, 604-665-3962

Oakridge VPL 101–650 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, 604-665-3980

Renfrew VPL 2969 E 22nd Ave, Vancouver, 604-257-8705


Parent & Tot Storytimes (FREE) cont’d

VANCOUVER cont’d

Riley Park VPL 3981 Main St, Vancouver, 604-665-3964

South Hill VPL 6076 Fraser, Vancouver, 604-665-3965

Strathcona Community Library 592 Pender St, Vancouver, 604-665-3967

West Point Grey VPL 4480 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, 604-665-3982

WEST VANCOUVER

West Vancouver Memorial Library 1950 Marine, West Vancouver, 604-925-7400

Photography

Bopomo Pictures* Bopomo offers a modern and fresh approach to studio photography combining convenience, fun and affordability with high-quality photography. Session fees only $29.95! 2631 W Broadway, Vanc 604-678-1411 www.bopomo.ca See ad on page 8

Diesner Photography* For all your family photography needs: Maternity-Infant-Children-Family-Weddings Based in Cloverdale, we provide studio or location sessions. Gift certificates available. Steve Diesner 778-838-2294 diesnerphotography.ca See ad on page 18

Eclipse Photography* Award-winning, with 20 years of experience, photographer Kimberly Mara, owner of Eclipse Photography, specializes in maternity, newborns & family portraiture. B/W and colour. Open 6 days a week. In studio or on location. Her North Vancouver Studio is 600 sq ft with all the amenities available including makeup, change room / baby room, fridge, microwave & washroom.604-984-7427; [email protected] gallery: www.eclipsephotography.ca See ad on page 6

Forever Still Studio* Baby announcements & baby photography right at your home or at the hospital! Capture your baby’s first moments & announce his/her birth with our unique & stylish cards. http://foreverstill.com [email protected] 778-865-7363 See ad on page 16

Jane Photo* The hottest photo studio in Vancouver! When parents want maternity and newborn art, they turn to Jane Photo. Find out why everyone is talking. In-studio, on-location, or at your home. Fresh, fun, fabulous. www.janephoto.ca See ad on page 7

Kia Porter Photography* Capturing fun, capturing chaos...capturing life! Candid portraiture in colour or black & white. On location or in the comfort of your own home. Digital negatives always included! www.kiaporter.com 604-787-4236 See ad on page 17

Klik Photographic* Specializing in children’s portraiture, Klik Photographic strives to capture and immortalize the personality of your little ones. Rates begin at $400 and always include your digital negatives. 604-808-6642 www.klikphotographic.com See ad on page 5

Photography cont’d

Nomayne McIntosh Photography* A fresh and modern approach to portraits for you and your family. www.nomayne.com 604-868-8687 [email protected] See ad on page 19

Sherri Koop Photography* Sherri’s passion is to create emotionally rich images that capture life’s moments. She specializes in pregnancy, newborn and family portraiture. Sherri is available either in studio or on location. 778-865-5248 www.sherrikoop.com See ad on page 14

Prenatal Classes

BC Women’s Hospital 604-875-2169

Belly to Baby Prenatal Education* Sarah Alexander, RN 604-469-2698 www.bellytobaby.ca [email protected] Belly to Baby is a comprehensive course that empowers and equips women and their birth partners with knowledge and confidence for their impending birth. Weekend and private courses are available. Canada’s 1st retailer for the Dunstan Baby Language (as seen on the Oprah Winfrey Show). Obstetrical TENS machine rentals (decrease labour pain without using medication). See ad on page 12

Douglas College 604-527-5476 Serving Rmd, N Delta, Sry, & Langley

Lower Mainland Childbearing Society 604-878-1031/[email protected]

North Vancouver Health Department 604-983-6863

St. Paul’s Hospital 604-806-8298

Public Health Services/Nurses

Burnaby Preventive Health Services 300–4946 Canada Way, Burnaby 604-918-7605

Cloverdale Public Health Unit 17536–58th Ave, Surrey 604-575-5100

Coquitlam Preventive Health Srv 200–205 Newport, Port Moody 604-949-7200

Guildford Public Health Unit 100–10233-153 St, Surrey 604-587-4750

Langley Public Health Unit 20389 Fraser Hwy, Langley 604-539-2900

Maple Ridge Preventive Health Services 400-22470 Dewdney Trunk, Maple Ridge 604-476-7000

New Westminster Preventive Health Services 537 Carnarvon, New Westminster 604-777-6740

Newton Public Health Unit 200–7337–137 St, Surrey 604-592-2000

North Delta Public Health Unit 11245–84 Ave, Delta 604-507-5400

Public Health Services/Nurses cont’d

North Surrey Public Health Unit 220–10362 King George Hwy, Surrey 604-587-7900

Port Coq Preventive Health Services 2266 Wilson, Port Moody 604-777-8700

Port Moody Preventive Health Services 200–205 Newport, Port Moody 604-949-7200

North Shore Community Health Services Central Community Health Centre 5th floor, 132 W Esplanade, North Vancouver, 604-983-6700

Parkgate Community Health Centre 2 Fl, 3625 Banff Crt, North Vancouver 604-904-6450

West Comm Health Centre 990–22nd St, West Vanc; 604-904-6200

Richmond Health Department 7000 Westminster Hwy, Richmond 604-233-3150

S. Delta-Ladner Publ Health Unit 4470 Clarence Taylor Cr, Ladner 604-952-3550

Vancouver Community Health Services Evergreen Community Health Centre 3425 Crowley Dr, Vanc; 604-872-2511

North Community Health Office 200–1651 Commercial Dr, Vanc; 604-253-3575

Pac Spirit Community Health Centre 2110 W 43rd Ave, Vanc; 604-261-6366

Raven Song Community Health Centre 2450 Ontario St, Vancouver 604-709-6400

South Community Health Office 6405 Knight St, Vanc; 604-321-6151

Three Bridges Community Health Centre 1292 Hornby St, Vanc; 604-736-9844

White Rock Public Health Unit 1185 Centre St, White Rock 604-542-4000

Retailers–Clothing, Equipment, Accessories & Gifts (maternity & baby)

Along Comes A Baby* Along Comes A Baby is 6000 sq ft of moms’ paradise. We have what moms want! Bum Genius, Phil & Ted’s, Graco, Peg Perego, Ergo, Peanut Shell, Medela, Avent & more. Take exit 258 go east 1-1/2 blocks on L behind I-Hop. 436 W. Bakerview St., 104, Bellingham, WA www.alongcomesababy.com 360-671-5523 See ad on page 5

Baby On Board* Baby On Board sells strollers by Peg Perego, BOB, Maclaren, Mountain Buggy, Bugaboo, Baby Jogger, Valco Baby and Britax. We carry a carefully selected assortment of the finest baby products plus a complete assortment of care products. At Richmond Ctr Mall nr The Bay. 604-273-0884 or visit www.babyonboard.ca See ad on page 12

Retailers–Clothing, Equipment, Accessories & Gifts (maternity & baby) cont’d

Boomers and Echoes Kids & Maternity* The North Shore’s largest selection of new and quality consigned, newborn to size 8 and maternity and nursing wear. Furniture, carseats and strollers. Now renting breast pumps. Carseat technicians on staff. Organic mattresses in! 1985 Lonsdale, North Vancouver 604-984-6163 www.boomersandechoes.com See ad on page 10.

Easy DaysiesTM - Magnetic Schedules for Kids & More!* Get kids organized and into routine with Easy Daysies magnetic daily schedules for kids! Help kids put clothes away with ReStickables. Made by a local Canadian mom/teacher. Amazing gift idea for any family. Fundraising available. www.EasyDaysies.com See ad on page 7

EIO! - A Kid’s Store* EIO Kids! Everything for life with kids. Bumbleride Strollers, Ergo, Automoblox, Plan Toys, Tot-to-Go & Zolowear baby slings....and lots more. Come by and see us at 18th & Cambie. 604-873-4543 See ad on page 5.

My Little Green Shop* MyLittleGreenShop.com is an online lifestyle boutique specializing in socially responsible and environmentally sustainable products. We carry baby gear, clothing, toys, and more. 604-731-8404 www.mylittlegreenshop.com See ad on page 24

Po Po’s Ponchos* Po Po’s Ponchos are made with high-quality non-pill fleece. Easy to put on no-fuss ponchos your kids will love. Fits ages 0-6. New colours every month. Snaps at the arms for sleeves. Rain ponchos coming soon. Shop online at www.poposponchos.com 604-512-8886 See ad on page 14

Room for Two* Room for Two is your best pre and post birth resource centre. Along with maternity and nursing wear, breastfeeding items such as bras and pumps are our specialty. Owner, Lorena, is a 20-year experienced doula and childbirth educator. 1409 Commercial Dr, Vancouver 604-255-0508 See ad on page 18

Stonz Wear* Stonz, a Canadian company with made in Canada products. The original fleece-lined Booties & Linerz for inside them. And now introducing our own Hatz & Mitz. And XL sizes! From 0 - 4 years of age. All Stonz gear goes on easily, stays on & lasts for a long time. www.stonz.ca See ad on back cover

Wee Ones Reruns* With floor space of 2000 sq ft, Wee Ones Reruns is one of Vancouver’s leading consignment stores. We are located at 612 Kingsway. Store hours are 10 am–5 pm Tues to Thurs. Closed Sun & Mon. 612 Kingsway, Vancouver 604-708-0956 www.weeonesreruns.org See ad on page 25

YOU Pillows Designs Inc* The YOU Pillow provides moms and babies the comfort and support they deserve! Also great for: maternity body pillow, labour, general support, tummy time and relaxing. Visit our online store. www.YOUpillows.com [email protected] See ad on page 18


“As a mum, I always enjoy reading urbanbaby & toddler. As a first time advertiser, I was thrilled to receive an order as a result of the ad the same day the magazine hit the streets! Since then, we’ve had a continuous stream of enquiries and requests for samples of our ECO diapers. Thanks, urbanbaby & toddler!”

- Jennifer, ecobotts baby products ltd

“Thank you so much for all your support and insight. Our feature in your weekly newsletter was a huge success and drove a lot of new traffic to our site. It also generated almost 100 new subscribers in one day! Thank you so much, I look forward to working with you again.”

- Danielle Connelly, motherofadeal.com

“Your magazine has done wonders for my advertising. I get so many hits! Thanks!”

- Lara Hildebrandt, greysquare photographics

“I just wanted to say a big “THANK YOU’ to you. The response to our ad in urbanbaby & toddler has been tremendous. We have received numerous calls and emails already from customers eager to buy and retail stores wanting to carry Tip Toey Joeys!”

- Karen Pauga, Dragonfly Distributing

“I have been advertising in urbanbaby & toddler for a couple of years and have had great success. I receive a lot of response from my ad and enjoy the interaction with the readers. urbanbaby & toddler is doing a great job.”

- Barb Kemp, Recipes to the Rescue

“Having ads for Movies for Mommies in urbanbaby & toddler has been hugely successful. I know from the number of coupons brought in that new parents are seeing my ads, and the magazine’s distribution is putting my business directly in front of the parents I want to reach - expecting and new parents. And I love the editorial content. Keep up the good work, urbanbaby & toddler!

- Carla Shore, Movies for Mommies BC

what advertisers say about us

To advertise, call 604.420.8760 or email [email protected]

Sleep Consultants

Hushababy Consulting* Teach your baby/child to sleep through the night and take great naps! Professional and dedicated to providing the best, prompt service to your family. Baby sleeping manuals also available for your convenience. www.hushababy.com See ad on page 23

Sleep Sense* Teach your infant or toddler to sleep through the night. 604-506-9115; www.sleepsense.ca See ad on page 24

Support Services

BC Nurseline - 24 hours 1-866-215-4700 or 604-215-4700 www.bchealthguide.org

BC Women’s Hospital Nutrition counselling for pregnant women. Free service/no referral necessary 604-875-2330

Best Babies of the Langleys Supporting at-risk pregnant & postnatal women. 100–20689 Fraser Hwy, Langley 604-530-2772

Best Start Parenting Centre Parenting groups, seminars, tel counselling. 604-925-0831 (fees & registration)

Cherish Childbirth Care (formerly Vancouver Childbirth Services) Prenatal classes, birth and postpartum doula services. www.CherishChildbirth.com 604-626-1079

Coquitlam Pregnancy Concern Ctr 2512 Arundel Lane, Coquitlam 604-939-2633

Healthiest Babies Possible Free outreach programs for pregnant moms. Bby/New West: 604-659-2225 Abbotsford/Langley: 604-859-7681 Coq/Mpl Rdg/Pt Coq/Port Mdy: 604-777-8718 Sry/Delta/White Rock: 604-583-1017 Vancouver: 604-877-4672

Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of SACS 13629 - 108th Avenue, Surrey 604-584-2008

Langley Child Development Centre* Providing a range of services for children, birth - 19 years, with developmental delays or at risk for delays. Infant development, supported child development, child & youth and preschool programs available. www.langleycdc.com 604-534-1155 See ad on page 9

Maple Ridge Family Education & Support Ctr 604-467-6055

Multiple Births Canada www.multiplebirthscanada.org

New Westminster Family Place 101 - 93 Sixth St, New Westminster 604-520-3666

Newborn Hotline Open 24 hours. Serving Rmd & Vanc only. 604-737-3737

Pacific Post Partum Support Society 104–1416 Commercial Dr, Vanc 604-255-7999

Parent Support Services Parent Support Circles Program throughout BC. FREE service. 604-669-1616; 1-800-665-6880 www.parentssupportbc.ca

Support Services cont’d

South Community Birth Program 6405 Knight St, Vancouver; 604-321-6151

Surrey-Delta Parents of Multiples 604-626-4550 [email protected]

Vancouver Twins Club A family-focused group that provides practical, emotional and social support to multiple birth parents and their children. Meets monthly on the first Sunday of the month, 10am-12pm. Topics vary. Drop-in fees apply. www.vancouvertwins.ca

Vietnamese Baby Clinic Evergreen Community Health Centre 2:30-5:30 pm, Mons, by appt 3425 Crowley Dr, Vancouver 604-872-2511

Woman Care, BC Family Care 31-22374 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge 604-463-5513

YWCA Single Mothers’ Support Services 604-895-5789; www.ywsinglemoms.org

Ultrasounds–3D & 4D

3D BabyVision* Watch your unborn baby sucking a thumbing, making faces and even hiccupping in the womb! Enjoy bonding with your precious one in our state-of-the-art 3D/4D spa-like ultrasound studio. Share baby’s 1st moments with family and friends. #205-1545 W 8th Ave, Vancouver www.3Dbaby.ca See ad on page 4

3D Miracles* 3D Miracles has been providing the highest quality 3D/4D elective ultrasound services since 2005. Western Canada’s first state-of-the-art 3D/4D ultrasound facility has a warm and friendly family-oriented environment. Share your session with our Live Broadcast with family and friends anywhere in the world. Share baby’s heartbeat with a loved one with our Keepsake Teddy Bears’s recorded heartbeat. www.3dmiracles.com 604-882-1515 See ad on page 13

My 3D Ultrasound* (in association with Greig Associates) The ultrasound specialists at Greig Associates are proud to offer their expertise and care to the exciting field of 3D/4D ultrasound. Giving the opportunity to see your unborn baby the very first time. Visit www.my3dultrasound.com 604-267-3DUS (3387). See ad on page 11

Vasectomy

Dr. Barry Rich* Dr. Rich has performed over 15,000 no-scalpel vasectomies (NSV) in his more than 14 years of experience. Online registration saves you time: have a consultation and vasectomy in a single visit. The 10-minute office procedure is covered by BC Medical. www.nsv.ca 604-539-1915 See ad on page 12

Pollock Clinics* No-Scalpel/No-Needle Vasectomy. A simple and virtually painless, bloodless 7 minute procedure done through a tiny 2mm opening requiring no stitches to close, with a better than 99.9% success rate. The procedure is performed by Dr. Neil Pollock, M.D., a well-known expert on men’s contraceptive health. 604-717-6200 www.pollockclinics.com or call See ad on page 6. ]

Date post:	29-Mar-2016
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Urbanbaby & Toddler Magazine

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