Simply Nourish

Lots of love being sent to you all!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a huge advocate for uninterrupted skin to skin after birth. When I worked as a Labour Delivery nurse, I dimmed the lights and snuggled parents in with their babies. Having a baby is not a hospital procedure; it’s birth, people. Birth is natural. You aren’t going in to get a gallbladder removed. You have every right to defend this precious time and I encourage you to do so! Vitamin K, weight checks and learning to swaddle can wait.

When talented friends take the time to take photos for you! We are loving our office space- Located in Maple Ridge. Feel free to book your free of charge 15min consult or a home/office appointment through www.simplynourish.ca

Im so excited share this news! Pam has joined Simply Nourish to offer exceptional care to parents and their babies in our communities. Here’s a message from her As long as I can remember I’ve held space for birth stories. Here’s the short version of my story. Following my lifelong interest, I trained as a labour and delivery nurse, and now have 10 years’ nursing experience at my local hospital. I am a certified prenatal educator and teach expectant families what to expect i...n labour and birth. Working with families in these ways led me to become certified as an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC for short) as I saw a need for support during the early days and months of newborn life. But perhaps my most relevant experiences are my own. I have 4 young people in my life who call me mom, a best friend who I call my husband, and we all have a beautiful shared story of a son and brother who did not make it earth side, but who dwells within us all. Walking alongside your family during the days and months surrounding your baby’s birth day is right up my alley. My heart has always been for birth and my experiences have led me here, where judgement free support for your journey is paramount. My goal is to help you reach your newborn feeding goals, and it’d be my pleasure to be invited into your story. See more

We discovered a new little play place that's only a few minutes from our house. (Aloha Life Co.) They just opened in October/November and only allow one household at a time right now with sanitizing in between. It's $15/hr which is a great deal if you have more than one kid, but my heart hurts for these small businesses because $15/hr doesn't pay the bills. The owner says she only has about 3 bookings a week right now. Local friends you should check this place out if you have bored toddlers and need a change of scenery or a birthday venue!

hope everyone had a snuggly and lovely Christmas! This is the face of a mom who took the kids to the mountain and then they refused to go tobogganing. Her hubby is going for a few runs though so that’s a win #honestlyitsfineidontmindhonestlyimfineiswear #boxingdayfun

Real life NYE. 2020 gave me loads of time with my crazy bunch and despite being tired, I’m so incredibly grateful for these amazing kids that call me Mom and a husband who walks along side me every step of the way. Plus, we’re healthy and happy! I’m also so excited for the changes coming in 2021. Simply Nourish is expanding so stay tuned for some awesome news! #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage #helpingfeedthebabies #familycentered #2021

Wishing you and your family a happy , healthy and memorable holiday season !

yep. Not all tongue ties need to be corrected but all babies should have a proper oral assessment and suck assessment to rule out any concerns! This needs to be done by a skilled IBCLC or by someone who has been trained in proper breastfeeding/oral anatomy.

Newborns need to nurse frequently to get enough milk and establish their parent’s milk. Using feeding schedules, regular use of top up supplementation, or a soother can really reduce your milk production. Have you ever been told your baby is lazy at the breast? We shouldn’t ever say this! It’s completely untrue. Babies are not lazy! They are responsive to milk flow and one way you can help keep baby happy and eager at the breast is to use frequent breast compressions! ... 1. Support your breast with one handthumb on one side, fingers on the other. Like the shape of the letter C or n or U 2. Wait while your baby breastfeeds actively, his jaw moving all the way to his ear. When he stops swallowing, compress your breast firmly to increase milk flow. The key is to keep it squeezed while your baby continues nursing actively then release your hand. Listen for those swallows! 3. Rotate your hand around the breast as you do this. You use about the same pressure you’d apply while squeezing an avocado to see if it’s ripe #breastcompression #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage See more

When latching hurts, something is preventing baby from breastfeeding optimally. Oral restrictions, positioning or thrush are some reason you could be experiencing a painful breastfeeding relationship with your baby. Nipples do not need to toughen up and you do not need to get used to it. When your feeding your baby at the breast only a slight tug should be felt, no amount of pain is normal! Lactation consultants are often private, so you pay out of pocket, but if that’s not an option connect with me and I will help you find some support through your local LLL group or clinic near by!

When parents listen to their own intuition, amazing things happen. I often am invited to assist parents to dig deep, feel vulnerable and work through past and present trauma. While they are learning to feed their littles, they heal in incredible ways. The strength and perseverance you show me always blows my mind! #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage #parentinglife #breastfeeding #parentstruggles #strength

Not all health care providers are trained to identify ties. Just like not all health care providers are qualified to insert an IV or prescribe medication. The appearance of a tongue tie doesn’t give us a full understanding of a baby’s suck ability. A full sucking assessment and observing a full feed at the breast, is necessary to gain a full understanding regarding the baby’s sucking functionality. Please reach out if you are concerned (even if you’ve been told there isn’t a... tie Some signs of a tongue-tie: Breastfeeding challenges. Poor coordination in suck swallow breathe Poor milk transfer/slow weight gain Continuous feeding cycle Frustration at the breast or withdrawal Nipple damage/bruising/pain Possible poor weight gain Bloating, gas, reflux Poor airway protection A curved C looking arched body when the baby is laying down Reoccurring blocked ducts, blebs and mastitis.

Parenthood can cause so much inner conflict in us. All the baby books and experts can cause us to feel constantly frustrated by the amount of opposing opinions about everything. You just want to do the right thing, and everyone has a different opinion about what the "right thing" is. This is why I love the work I get to do with families. They invite me into their world, and there, we create plans together to reach their parenting and feeding goals. #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage

One of the things I love most about meeting parents is being given the opportunity to hear all about what they’ve been learning about their baby. Things like, what position their baby likes to be held in, what makes them content or happiest. How they cope through fussy periods or entertain their toddler while nursing! Parents are incredibly resilient and intuitive. We live in a world where we can sometimes feel like information is overriding our ability to parent. The I Sho...uld lists become way too long! I promise to always encourage you to listen to your heart and parent from that place that only you and your baby know about. That place in the middle of the night when the world quiets and the advice stops. When the the calm surrounds you and everything settles into a simple rhythm. Trust yourself. if you need support or clarification, I’m more than happy to offer help. #ittakesavillage #ibclc See more

From your Aunt Maggie to the cashier at the grocery story when it comes to breastfeeding, everyone will want to share something you could be doing to do better. Some of this wisdom will prove helpful but a lot of it will likely leave you feeling like a failure or confused. As mammals, we are designed to breastfeed but breastfeeding is tricky and demanding. Every baby is different, and the effort involved can be substantial. This is why hiring a IBCLC is so critical! We ensure you are getting to make decisions for your family based on factual evidence and not opinions. Breastfeeding is important work and being told to just formula feed when you are dealing with low supply or painful nipples is not okay. Advocate and reach out to get the support you and your baby need to reach your feeding goals!

Some people think that a Lactation Consultant only helps parents breast/chest-feed but nope! We can be incredibly helpful when you are formula feeding, bottling, starting solids and weaning! Family meal time always involves parent/child relationships and I’m a big fan of supporting those! Education allows you to make informed decisions and informed decisions allow you to feel happy/encouraged. Connect with me through email, phone call or text (number on my website)

Covid restrictions causing you to feel anxious about how you will figure out this whole feeding thing? I got you covered literally with a ) #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage

When you take care of the parent, you take care of the child. #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

Happy Halloween Hope it was Covid friendly and full of candy filled fun! #2020halloween #miraculousladybug #miraculouscatnoir #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

Today involved a chocolate reward for weaning! #4yearsold #exclusivelynursed #itwashardandbeautifulandohsorewarding

Why would a Lactation Consultant need a stethoscope you might ask? I place a stethoscope over the baby’s neck or chin during feeding to allow for more in depth assessment of their suck:swallow:breathe coordination during feeding. Hard to hear swallowing sounds become increasingly loud, allowing me to determine if milk transfer is happening well. When necessary this can be very helpful in figuring out how to help parents overcome the challenges they be having with their little ones. This is just one of the tools I bring to my visits to help me complete a full assessment.

Celebrating our 15th and an early birthday for this amazing guy. Oh how I have fallen for him over and over again. Our dreams are now reality and I’m so proud of everything we have accomplished and created together.

When clients are also family I get to snuggle and not wear a mask #nephewlove #lovemyjob #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

Overactive letdown is when your breast milk comes out too fast and often forceful at letdown. It often looks like baby is fussy or irritated at the breast, they can refuse to latch or might cough/gag while nursing. Learning how to spot it can help you find support to handle this frustrating issue. Tips to help? *************************************> try an antigravity position, such as side lying or laid back approach. > scissor hands on the areo...la can help slow down the milk flow. How do you do it? Remember the game Rock, Paper, Scissors? Use the scissors hand pose and squeeze down hard on your areola. This will slow the flow coming out of your milk ducts. Do this just during let downs or when baby is struggling with flow. > try spraying off the forceful milk in a towel or receiving blanket. Once letdown is complete, re-latch baby and nurse again. > Please do not try block feeding unless you’ve been assessed by a breastfeeding specialist (it can drastically lower your supply quickly) Also always ensure a proper oral assessment has been done to rule out restrictions such as tongue ties and Torticollis. >Bottom line, don’t give up, get help! See more

Moving day is tomorrow! You know what that means? Office visits will be returning very soon in my brand new office in maple ridge! Stay tuned for updates! I will still travel pretty much anywhere in the lower mainland/Vancouver area. #ibclc #ittakesavillage

Scratch woman and write parent Happy Sunday followers! Hope your weekend was full of quality time and laughable moments #ittakesavillage #ibclc

Norms and reminders

We need more real and raw parents to enlighten society with the beautiful and messy parts of parenthood.

Biggest reminder! You do not need to be non functioning to want or need help. High functioning anxiety is often ignored or not seen because the person suffering doesn’t appear to be hurting or having difficulty. But what if you could feel better? Not feel the need to clean everything. Not get snippy and irritated over reasonable things. Take a deep breath? Feel free to connect and I’ll help you get the support you deserve #ittakesavillage #ibclc

Watch this experiment and learn about babies' preferences

A weight check was done today to help determine if a feeding plan was needed for baby A. I love when goals to exclusively breastfeed (or any type of feeding goals!) are reached! #ittakesavillage #ibclc

Joshua age 3.5 mommy, goats love boobie too!

Toddler nursing...And so, one more day turned into one more week. Weeks morphed into months and months merged into years-raising good #breastfeedingbeyondinfancy @jumpingbeanphotography

BIG NEWS!!! Chris Rensch Counselling becomes TREEHOUSE TRAUMA CENTREBIG NEWS!!! Chris Rensch Counselling becomes TREEHOUSE TRAUMA CENTRE

Success Story Alert! When this mama called me her babe was over 2 months old and not nursing at all. She exclusively pumped and was giving her milk to babe in a bottle. This is a beautiful success story, after a tongue and lip tie revision and lots and lots of baby mooning/skin to skin. Such a patient and responsive parent. I am so happy to have been a part of her star moment. Biggest tip for a non latching baby? I recommend bouncing on an exercise ball or swaying/bouncing while standing while attempting to nurse. I find it almost always, helps!

Such an important thing to recognize

Need a primary health care provider?? Nurse practitioners are here accepting patients

Happy Breastfeeding & Chestfeeding with Disabilities Day! Share your story with the tag #bfwdd . The disability community is seriously underrepresented and und...erserved in support and education in lactation. The intersectionality with the disability & other marginalized groups means that this community has some of the lowest rates of support and competence in care. The lack of resources makes getting information that is specific to a person’s experience really difficult. We aim to change that! #nationalbreastfeedingmonth #bfwdd #disabilityawareness #worldbreastfeedingweek See more

Your breastmilk is always evolving and changing to support your baby’s specific immunity, development and physical needs. Photo shared with permission. I’m so thankful for clients who allow me to share such amazing pictures with the world.

Placing your baby in tummy time helps to strengthen the neck, structures, and muscles that support effective sucking. Practice a few times a day for 5-20 minutes. A good time is after each diaper change. Babies who have struggled with latch and feeding often have other structural issues like torticollis and plagiocephaly(flat head) , which can affect sucking so connect with an IBCLC to help with any challenges you may be having

Informed choices. This makes my heart happy

In my last post, I wrote about some of the issues that I see from clients of mine who are repeatedly using the Haakaa in a way that causes them problems. I prob...ably should have predicted it, but this has led to a lot of people totally flipping out about using one at all, and presuming that using one is going to unequivocally give them a low weight gain, coughing and gagging, breast refusing baby. Oops. I had figured that there were enough articles that discussed how to use them and how wonderfully handy they CAN be, when used correctly, that it wasn’t necessary for me to write my own version But apparently that’s actually not the case! So here I am! I spoke to a mama today with a 15 day old baby, and I recommended she use the Haakaa. A few days ago, I spoke to a mama with a 7 week old baby, and I also recommended she try one out. Then there was the mama with a 3 month old, a 6 month old, and a 2.5 year old, and all with different situations, I recommended this as a tool that may help. In my article below, in the comments, I’ll break down each of these scenarios with mentioned above, as I think each shows a different, effective way to use this tool.

I created these people. They are also the ones who created me. #beautifulbabies

Awesome! Did you know breastfeeding can contribute to 50% less risk of SIDS if you are a exclusively breastfeeding parent?

responsibility with child meal time...

Haley Pez! Nominated by Natalie DeLuc !

Free of charge, prenatal breastfeeding class 1:1 with me in your home

Keep baby hydrated with frequent nursing sessions and keep YOUR consumption of water #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #ittakesavillage

Great group to deliver with!!!

Informed consent is important to me. You should never feel like a feeding plan is being done to you or your baby. Always ask me questions, always share your concerns and please feel safe to share your heart. #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

Absolutely love this suggestion... take what works and leave the rest when it comes to advice.

Little for a little while

Great sensory play idea!

Happy international home birth day! @avetamidwifery @alyssakellertphoto #joshuamicahbirth

Heading out for some home visits today with some amazing parents and their sweet babies #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant #covidkindness #newborns #normalizebreastfeeding

Before you say breastfeeding has nothing to do with racism let me just say YOU’RE WRONG. I’ve been silent. Afraid to say the wrong thing, the unsupportive racist thing. But remaining silent is just as brutal as being an outspoken racist, So I will say this, I am angry. I am embarrassed. I want to do better to be your ally. I am trying to be more aware of my own internal racist tendencies. I’m being reflective in how they impact the way my children relate and support to t...hose black and indigenous people around them. I’m reading, watching videos and I am wanting to do better for you. Black lives matter! I work in maternal health and black moms matter! I stand for justice. I have no idea what you go through but I want you to know I will no longer be silent. I am having conversations with my kids. I’m diving deep into your history. Racism and hate are in our present but do not need to be in our future Please donate to https://www.perinatalequity.org/ @perinatal_equity #blacklivesmatter #standtogether See more

Prenatal anyone? Awesome info and amazing providers

Lots of questions this week about is my baby allergic to my milk

Not everyone has the same goals in mind when it comes to feeding their baby and that’s completely okay! Sometimes circumstances force us to change goals or reevaluate them. Lactation consultants can help you bottle feed, supplement and can support you through any concerns you may have about feeding your little one. I’m always available to chat breastfeeding as well! #ittakesavillage #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

Expectations... oh how they can shape and hold us.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your feeding journey!

Why does my baby cry when I put him down? Because he feels most safe with you! You cannot spoil a baby, no matter how much love, attention and care you give them. #ittakesavillage

Heart wrenching and heart warming all in one.

Sore nipples... check out this informative video

Toddler nursing can feel demanding and manipulate but it’s not! Thank you for this awesome, supportive explanation Lucy!

Such an awesome glimpse into our midwives lives. We are so lucky to have amazing groups in our area and Pomegranate is one of the absolute best for providing evidence based support, individualize care and advocating for informed consent!

As a RN, I have always wanted to make a positive impact on your life, specifically in terms of creating positive birth experiences. I genuinely love watching babies and parents become a new unit together. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your story!

Thank you to all those selfless, hard working, relentless, empowering and awesome midwives I get to call friends/colleagues. It is an absolute privilege to work along side you, learning from you, laughing/crying with you and I have the uttermost respect for everything you offer the families you care for. You are most deserving of a day to celebrate the work you do and the people you are!

Often what we imagined becoming parents would look like can be very different than what we are actually living. Giving yourself and your child the space to grow together is so important. Cut yourself some slack! Be kind and gentle with yourself. This really is a learn as you go type of thing. In the early days this might mean limiting visitors and giving yourself space to figure it out. Your truths, values and experience should always be respected and heard. When the opinions and advice do not fit with your family, ask the world to politely shhhhh (or not so politely!) #ittakesavillage #ibclccertifiedlactationconsultant

These are wonderful midwives

Anyone need a small pick me up? These are delish! #ittakesavillage