babyREADY

Welcome to babyREADY. Offering bite sized pieces of childbirth preparation information, life with baby news and tips for keeping your infant, toddler and child safe. This is your one stop location to find out all about preparing your hearts and homes for a new baby. We are proud to boast that babyREADY is primarily an LGBTQ+ focused organization.

Sam, from babyREADY, describes some of the more common signs and symptoms of labour while also defining some of the differences between "real" and "false" labour. We also talk about how to move forward at the beginning of the process when it is still early and there is lots of labour yet to unfold.

Sam, from babyREADY, offers some of her thoughts about how to make labour the best experience possible for yourself; how to set yourself up for birthing happiness and success!

Sam, from babyREADY, talks about the early labour process and how things can unfold at the very VERY beginning of the journey. Remember, numbers are not carved in stone and every labour unfolds differently. Staying positive and optimistic that your experience will be as great as you anticipate goes a very long way towards helping you have the birth you dream of.

Sam, from babyREADY, outlines some of the physiological changes that take place in the body as it moves from Early Labour through Active Labour. There are ideas about when to contact your care team, simple techniques to cope and at what time you might want to ensure you are settled in your birthing spot.

Sam, from babyREADY, outlines what the final phase of the labour process can look like as well as some ideas about what may work to help cope at that time. There is also discussion about pushing and birthing the baby to your own body and the physiologic benefits to your baby when there is a period of skin-to-skin connection immediately following the birth.

In this longer-than-typical vlog post, Sam talks about the process of getting labour started with and without the help of your care provider. Talked about includes: at-home tips, the use of alternative care practitioners to facilitate the journey as well as the medical routes that obstetricians, family doctors and midwives might take.

While this topic is not one that anyone is excited to talk about, here Sam works to break down some of the basics surrounding the use of these instruments in labour to help alleviate worries and answer your questions. Still have questions? Reach out in the comments here, email us or visit our web site.

The focus of this post is to let you know some of the reasons expectant parents are told they will be having a caesarean birth as well as advising what you can expect throughout the surgery. No graphic images are used. Find power in being educated and informed so this can be the best birth experience ever!

It is always so hard to know exactly what you need to pack when you are birthing outside of your own home. In this episode Sam, from babyREADY, dives into what you need to pack for the birthing parent, non-birthing parent and baby. There is also a discussion about what is good to consider for a birth plan (birth wish list).

This episode is designed to make sure your home is truly babyREADY! From car seat safety, to safe sleep environments and finding childcare that works for your family, there are many tidbits of information in this episode. Don't forget to get onto your hands and knees to find all of the potential danger zones when your baby is moving and a guide to where you can find safe household products to use when you have a baby in residence.

Sam, from babyREADY, address some of the more common questions she is asked by new parents. Am I doing this right? What if the advice given to me doesn't feel right? How do I know if my baby is eating enough? Can I spoil my baby? Is my baby manipulating me? Why isn't my partner stepping up? Why did my baby stop sleeping through the night? And more. Do you have questions? Let us know what they are and we will address them with you!!

In this episode Sam, from babyREADY, addresses some of the pros and cons of using various medications for coping through the labour process. Discussed include: morphine, nitrous oxide and epidural.

With the help of some live demonstrators, Sam (from babyREADY) takes the time to talk about and show some of the techniques that might work well for helping you cope with labour. Remember, labour is as much a mental journey as it is physical so treat yourself with kindness, love and respect! Don't give your labour more attention than it deserves or needs from you!

In this episode Sam, from babyREADY, takes the time to outline the 10 MUST HAVE items for parents expecting a baby. This isn't to say that there aren't other great things that make life easier or more fun but these are the things to put on your registry or save your money for! You won't be disappointed. Truthfully, having a baby is fairly inexpensive.

Some parents use a crib for their baby. Other parents bedshare/co-sleep. Many find it helpful to employ a bassinet/playpen. Again there is the option of trying a box or hammock for baby to sleep in. At the end of the day, the only place that is RIGHT for YOUR baby to sleep is the place you research that results in all of the members of your family getting the best and safest sleep possible. Sam, from babyREADY, addresses safe ways to sleep your baby and to create a safe sleeping environment for your child. There is also a quick note about how countries around the world sleep their babies when you get out of North America.

When baby number 2 is on the way you begin to wonder how you will balance everything. What types of things might you want to consider? Are there books you can read? How will all of us cope with the change? Regardless of whether you are birthing this baby, adopting this baby or have a surrogate birthing for you, the reality is that the dynamics in the house change when your older child gets a sibling. In this episode Sam, from babyREADY, makes sure to offer some ideas that maybe you hadn't yet considered.

Many people do not think about how the words they use with and around young toddlers, children and even through the teen years into adulthood can affect the direction of the lives of these people as well as their own feelings of confidence and self-worth. In this episode Sam spends time talking about addressing the behaviour instead of labelling the child and the long term affects of the words we use. We always want to build our children up so that they can be proud to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.

Throughout the pregnancy we tend to spend a great deal of time thinking about and planning for the birth without giving much thought to the way our bodies will change once our baby (babies) is/are on the outside. In this episode Sam, from babyREADY, gives some tips and ideas for managing things like haemorrhoids, hair loss, post birth bleeding, sex drive, how milk changes and more once you have been through the birth.

Depression of any kind is a topic many people shy away from. Maybe that is because we don't understand it or that we can't see it. Regardless, we have made it a "taboo" topic and as such when people give birth and struggle after meeting their baby/babies, they don't feel that they are allowed to talk about their emotional health. In this episode Sam talks about the struggle she experienced with Postpartum Depression and gives some indicators as to what you and your partner might want to look out for if this is something you are concerned about.

Especially in light of our being in the midst of a global pandemic, it is critical for new parents to have access to a social network that builds them up, aides in times of need and alleviates typical new-parent questions. In this episode Sam talks about some of the reasons it can be so valuable to create a social group for yourself of peers who know you only as your baby's/babies' parent.

It feels as though everyone and their neighbour has an opinion about how our children should be raised. Most of us give it some peripheral thought but have you actually written down what you want your parenting journey to look? Has your partner? Are there considerations from your childhood that affect your thought processes in positive or negative ways? Who has been your biggest influence and why? In this episode we spend time looking at the things that help mould us into becoming the parents we want to be.