Category: Pregnancy
Have A Safe Flight – Tips for Flying While Pregnant
Editor’s Note: Spring Break planning is in full swing and logging some travel time is on every family’s mind. But, when you are pregnant there are a few extra considerations if a flight to a fun destination is planned. I was chatting with the team at Cheapflights.ca about that very thing. They wrote a great [...]
Ask A Midwife – Breastfeeding Restrictions & Pregnancy Pains
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had four interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie [...]
Ask A Midwife – Caffeine, Heartburn, Fish Oil and Flu Shots
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had four interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie [...]
Ask A Midwife – Leg Cramps and Strep B Testing
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had two interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie [...]
Ask A Midwife – Empowered Parenting through Informed Choice
Editor’s Note: Yesterday, I took my 3-hour glucose test for gestational diabetes at the hospital. At 30-weeks pregnant, fasting for 14 hours, drinking a bottle of sugar water and having my blood drawn every hour was not my optimal way to start any Thursday. But, I knew it had to be done. Pushing 40, with [...]
The Ultimate Guide to Tracking Your Pregnancy
It seems like the longest 40 weeks of your life – that time from the moment you conceive until the day your beautiful baby is born. But, keeping track of all of the special, personal moments, logging all of the physical and emotional changes that go on and even finding those important bits of advice [...]
Birth Stories – Pushing 40 and Pregnant
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday. Deepa Upadhyaya is on site this morning with a birth story reflecting on how women who start their families a bit later in life cope with those stigmas, its challenges and its incredible joys. Here she is: Even though it is worded in a politically correct way, the term “advanced maternal [...]
Birth Stories – The Parallels Of Birth And Death
Editor’s Note: Good morning. Deepa Upadhyaya is here with a personal look at birth and death and similarities found between the two. As always, a story that will touch your heart and leave you thinking. Enjoy. In nursing school we had to gain experience in all fields of nursing. We tried our hands at obstetrics, orthopedics, pediatrics, [...]
Ask A Midwife – Circumcision, Depression And Water Birth
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had three interesting questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community, and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie Shannon, as [...]
Birth Stories – The Hands Of A Grandmother
Editor’s Note: If you missed out on all the information about Cumberland’s Empire Day celebrations, you can catch it all HERE. Now, here’s Deepa with a moving birth story for all the mamas out there. Enjoy. Sometimes you do things right and sometimes you live with regret for the rest of your life. We all [...]
A Peek into the Roll of a Doula
Editor’s Note: Good morning. Local doula Stephanie Janzen is on site explaining the role that doulas play during childbirth, as well as the benefits of professional labor support before, during and after the birth of your child. Our Big Earth is a sponsor of this year’s Bellies, Birth and Babies Fair hosted by the Comox [...]
Ask A Midwife – Hip Pain, Episiotimies, Yoga & More
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had four interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community, and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie [...]
The Forever Family – Private Adoption in B.C.
Editor’s Note: If you missed out on this morning’s post about the Robert Bateman Get To Know Contest, you can catch it HERE. Now, Robin Blackburn is on site with more on the adoption process in British Columbia. Today she has an intimate look into one family’s private adoption experience. Here she is: This week I have [...]
Birth Stories – Magic Comes in Threes
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! Deepa is on site with another fabulous birth story from her experience as a midwife. Enjoy. “Does anyone here want to take on triplets?” said the red-headed Sister Midwife of National Maternity Hospital’s Labor Ward in Dublin, Ireland. It was a place where 30 births could happen daily in one of [...]
Ask A Midwife – Back Pain, Swelling, Amnios & Hemorrhoids
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had four interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie [...]
The Forever Family – British Columbia's Waiting Children
Editor’s Note: Good morning. Comox Valley mom Robin Blackburn is back on site with more information and insight on adoption in British Columbia. Here she is: Where was I? Okay. Yes, In British Columbia, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) has “Waiting Children.” Why are they waiting? Well, the children are predominantly between six [...]
Traditional Chinese Medicine In Pregnancy
Editor’s Note: Good morning readers. Registered Acupuncturist and Herbalist Michelle Hughes is here discussing the use of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine during pregnancy. Here she is: Treating women during pregnancy is an area of Traditional Chinese medicine that is continuing to grow, as more and more women realize the benefits of including acupuncture and Chinese [...]
Birth Stories – Hope In the Presence of Love
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! Deepa Upadhyaya is back with another birth story. Here she is: “Taniqua*, yo hoochi fat.” You could feel her embarrassment, although her teenage face was too black to show blush. I am sure the touch of her cheeks could have started a fire. The crowd of Taniqua’s so-called friends and family [...]
Ask A Midwife – Breech, Sickness, Cycles & Loss
Editor’s Note: Good morning. The crew from Plum Midwifery is here this morning answering four very interesting and provocative questions about pregnancy and childbirth – all submitted by OBE readers (thanks to everyone for your fantastic questions). The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie Shannon, as well as the [...]
The Forever Family – Adopting Children from Near & Far
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Many of us have thought about adopting children at some point in our lives and I have always been a huge admirer of couples who choose to go that route. Today, Robin Blackburn introduces you to her story – about two beautiful children who found their forever family with Robin and [...]
Bumps – Finding Love In Rural Afghanistan
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! Deepa is here today with another wonderful birth story from far off Afghanistan, as well as a love story that gave her a sense of home, wherever she may be. Here she is: I was all geared up to write the story of the triplets I helped to deliver vaginally in Ireland, [...]
Ask a Midwife – HBAC, Weight Gain, Soft Cheese & Sleep
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s the first Friday of the month and that means it’s time for our Ask A Midwife column from Plum Midwifery. We had four interesting and provocative questions posed to this team of midwives from women throughout the OBE community and are excited to share their insightful response. The Plum Midwifery [...]
When Birth Becomes An Inspired Resistance Movement
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! This morning we have Deepa talking about the incredibly powerful and moving birth story that inspired her to become a midwife. Here she is: They say that a mark of happiness is whether you get any pleasure out of the question, “what do you do?” I often get asked why I became [...]
Ask A Midwife – Top 5 Questions From Pregnant Women
Editor’s Note: Good Morning! It is with the greatest of pleasure that we launch the new Ask A Midwife column here on OBE with the midwives of Plum Midwifery joining us monthly to answer your questions about pregnancy and childbirth. I’m honored to introduce you to Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie Shannon, [...]
Birth Stories – Conscientious Observation of Labor
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Ah, life, how it evolves. Deepa’s column is evolving too. Today, we start the first of many amazing birth stories told through the experiences of Deepa. I’m looking forward to this change of pace, as we are set to launch a whole bunch of goodness around pregnancy and childbirth in early [...]
BUMPS – The Role Of A Father During Labor
Editor’s Note: Happy Thursday! This morning we have Deepa on site discussing the function a father has (or doesn’t have) during child birth. Here she is: Do you know who Dr. Michel Odent is? He is truly a God amongst men in the medical world when it comes to natural childbirth. He is French trained [...]
BUMPS – The Mystery of Being Born In The Caul
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! This morning we have Deepa Upadhyaya bewitching us with tales of being born in the caul. Here she is: Halloween month is upon us and within me several emotions are brewing. This witch’s cauldron has a heavy ladle for all the chunky matter that comes along with Winter’s upcoming arrival. To me [...]
Push It – The Second Stage of Labor
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday Morning! Through her extensive work as a nurse and a midwife, Deepa Upadhyaya has witnessed many beautiful birth stories. Today she’s discussing the second stage of labor – pushing - plus, the first of many international birth stories. Here she is: For the longest time, whenever I was in the second stage of labor (pushing [...]
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Every year, the ninth day of the ninth month is a time to acknowledge and educate about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This disorder is a very real and irreversible imbalance for many children and adults. Often under diagnosed and mistaken for other behavior disorders, such as Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD/ADD), FASD has a [...]
Seafood to Avoid During Pregnancy
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday (I am sooooo happy). It’s date night at the 30-day Food Challenge HQ and we are off for an evening of adult conversation and some good food. The Great Escape, Bisque, Locals and Anderton Bistro-Pub are all hosting a great Friday night of local delights. So, make a reservation, round up [...]
Using Anti-Depression Meds in Pregnancy
I know the last few cool days of rain in the Valley are lovely, but the continuous sunshine just seems to be infecting us all with joy. It is the start of the season of moist plums, laughter at the water park, sandy toes, breezy fragrant endless evenings, and picking out corn kernels from your [...]
Dr. Amy Wells – Overcoming Male Infertility
Good morning, OBE readers. I thought I’d begin my column today by addressing some of the comments regarding my last article on female fertility. I must admit I’m (pleasantly) surprised with all the attention Natural Fertility Management received. I agree – it is a shame that we aren’t taught more about this in school, as [...]
Overcome Infertility with Chinese Medicine
Infertility rates have increased dramatically in the last decade with one in six North American couples experiencing difficulties conceiving. This is an extremely difficult time for most couples, a roller coaster of emotions, frustration, anger, sadness and regret. Traditional Chinese medicine has been treating infertility for over two thousand years and has recently been gaining [...]
Dr. Amy Wells – Taking Charge of Our Fertility
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Dr. Amy Wells is here this morning talking about a hot topic in our house right now – fertility. Plugging in to your body cues is an amazing way to feel empowered when working on getting pregnant. On a couple of other notes, I posed the question over on our Facebook [...]
BUMPS – It's Spring, Time to Nest
The space I have carved out for myself in this house is the spare room. This is where I write. Since my daughters share a room, this one is mine…well kind of. I guess I share the space with the ironing board, the pack-n-play (for our baby guests to snooze), broken and obsolete electronic equipment, [...]
Get Organized – Planning Out A Nursery
Editor’s Note: Today the lovely and ever-organized Arran Kerrigan drops by to give us the scoop on getting the nursery organized. I sure could have used this advice the first time around. I’m still looking for that pair of Canucks Robeez that disappeared about six weeks after the tiny person was born. Organization is something [...]
All Maternity Leave Is Not Created Equal
Sometimes I think people who stay in one place for long periods of time are the smartest people I know. There is wisdom to just being happy where you are. I have been bouncing around the world over the past decade and although we are broke and exhausted, there were some advantages. You gain some [...]
Fit Pregnancy is Possible (and fun!)
How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Did you manage to start eating healthy, exercise daily, be good to your family, and meditate all while living in the NOW? We all know how hard it is to keep promises to ourselves. It can be even more difficult to set goals and achieve them while you [...]
Friendship is Key to Managing Stress in Pregnancy
Editor’s Note: I have the most wonderful friends. Seriously, I couldn’t ask for better. They have enormous hearts and are entirely some of the most generous women I have ever known. But, when I need them the most (ah, it’s the Cancer crab in me…or some serious issues, I’m sticking with astrology) in times of [...]
Empowering Birth while C-Section Rates Soar
Editor’s Note: Since Deepa brought the documentary “The Business of Being Born” to my attention, I’ve found myself a bit changed by it all. We tried, very hard, to have as natural a birth as possible with our daughter and ended up with a very medical one that, while I believe necessary due to the [...]
Time-Honoured Motherhood – The Blessing Way
Editor’s Note: It is with a serious dose of excitement that I introduce Deepa Upadhyaya as she debuts her monthly column BUMPS – Birth, Unity, Motherhood, Pregnancy, Stories. When talking pregnancy, there’s so much more than the process. As women it binds us, resonates to our very core, back countless generations and forward so many [...]
