Category: Uncategorized

Breastfeeding openly in public isn’t considered too scandalous these days. Even Pope Francis encouraged moms to openly nurse in the chapel a few years back, after a long history of forcing them into the bathroom to feed their little ones.

But it wasn’t always like that. It used to be pretty common for moms to be shamed for breastfeeding if they weren’t fully covered up. Several years ago, after a few high-profile incidents where mothers were asked to leave a public space while breastfeeding, the City of Toronto launched a campaign to let people know that breastfeeding is a human right, and it made a big difference.

Still, despite the growing awareness of breastfeeding and chestfeeding, and a growing openness to the fact that babies need to eat, whether by bottle or breast, it’s not always easy for parents to find a comfortable spot to feed their babies or pump milk away from home. For students, who often don’t have the same opportunities to stay home on parental leave with their infants, comfortable places to feed their babies or pump milk can be especially important.

The University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM) campus is working to address this gap. It recently became the second post-secondary institution in Canada (after Toronto’s Humber College) to offer a Mamava lactation pod to its students.

You may have seen a lactation pod before, maybe in an airport or a retail store. They’re freestanding spaces that provide a clean, comfortable and private option to breastfeed or pump.

While U of T already offers a number of identified spots for feeding and pumping on all three campuses, the options aren’t always inviting or accessible. Often, the suggested locations are tied to 9-5 office hours, so they are not helpful for many students, including those attending evening classes. For parents who are pumping milk, doing so in public may feel a bit more awkward, requiring equipment and an electrical outlet.

“Pre-COVID, we had a pressing request to find resources almost immediately for a student, because we didn’t have any spaces available in the evening,” says Kaye Francis, manager of the Family Care Office, in a recent article on the University’s website. “We started looking for new options.” The pod is open to students, staff and even those visiting campus for workshops or meetings.

The installation of the Mamava pod is another step forward in UTM’s commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all. Of course, one pod in one location is just a start, says Jennifer Hartman, of the office of communications at UTM. “As students have been gradually returning to campus since February 2022, this year will provide us with more information about reactions to the pod and frequency of pod use,” she says. “The need for additional pods (at UTM or one of the other two campuses) will be determined based on use of this pod and feedback from the university community.”

The Mamava pod aims to be comfortable, and it offers full privacy, is wheelchair accessible, and features two benches, electrical outlets, a mirror, lighting, shelves, a Bluetooth SmartLock and a charging station. Access is free and is controlled by the Mamava app, available on the App Store or Google Play, which means it is designed for autonomous access. No appointment is necessary, and access is on a first-come, first-served basis, with notifications via the app letting you know when the unit becomes available.

Breastfeeding and chestfeeding parents should be allowed to feed their babies or pump milk whenever and wherever they want, but everyone is different and some still prefer complete privacy. Pods like UTM’s give parents more options and more flexibility. Post-secondary schools across Canada, take note!

The post Schools are finally starting to install lactation pods and we love it appeared first on Today’s Parent.

After my first was born in 2019, I experienced the typical “baby blues” that up to 80 percent of moms struggle with. I’d find myself randomly crying during episodes of The Price is Right. So when I got pregnant with my second, I was prepared for the same experience—although I hoped for better, feeling confident about knowing what was coming this time around.

After a challenging pregnancy, I was relieved to go into labour at 41 weeks and had a positive birth experience. In fact, so positive that we checked out of the hospital only eight hours after the baby was born and went out for breakfast at the local diner. I was feeling great and high on life.

On my third day postpartum, however, a thought randomly popped into my mind, seemingly out of nowhere: “You’re not capable of handling this.” From that moment on, I spiralled mentally into the darkest and most difficult time of my life. By day five, I reluctantly confessed to my partner that I had not only thoughts but an actual plan to take my own life. An hour later, I was in the hospital, being cared for by nurses and the emergency psychiatric team. Throughout it all, I just kept thinking to myself, “How did this happen”?

Over the next few weeks, I struggled greatly to see light at the end of the tunnel, to find any possible way out of the terrifyingly dark thoughts that consumed every moment of the day and made sleeping nearly impossible. Yet today, at four months postpartum, I can confidently share that I am happier than I’ve been in years and very much enjoying this new journey and stage of motherhood.

If you’re in a dark place, I promise there’s a path out of it. Here’s what I would tell any parent in the depths of postpartum depression—because these are things that helped me survive.

1. Tell someone

The hardest moment for me was recognizing that I wasn’t just thinking about ending my life, but was planning it. Because I work in the mental health field, I knew how serious this was, so I pushed myself to tell my partner and parents, as hard as it was to admit it. Whether you have thoughts or a plan, tell someone.

2. Accept help

I took pride in doing it all on my own. However, I needed to completely let go of this pride and accept any and all help from family and friends. It left me feeling guilty and vulnerable, but I knew it was the best thing for my family and recovery.

3. Ask for help

While some people may instinctively recognize what you need, most want to help but don’t know how. It took a lot of courage and vulnerability for me to reach out to friends and family for help, but I know I would’ve done the same for them and pushed myself to let go of this guilt.

4. Be open to various treatment options

Everyone has their different levels of comfort with the treatment options for postpartum depression and the idea of medication while breastfeeding made me nervous. Ultimately, I decided that I needed it as a part of my treatment plan and I am grateful for that decision. Medication is not for everyone, but I believe it was important for me to be open to it and remove the stigma attached to it.

5. Journal

One of the key treatments for postpartum depression is sleep, but I found myself lying awake at night with a thousand thoughts rolling through my mind. Before going to sleep each night, I would journal and write down every thought in my mind without judgment or hesitancy. Writing these down, helped to externalize the thoughts rather than let them fester inside.

6. Take some time alone

I remember regularly feeling like I had lost myself. It helped to have small moments where I was on my own, outside of being a mother, even if that meant a five-minute walk with our dog.

7. Know the symptoms

When we have a cough and stuffy nose, we recognize these as symptoms of a cold and don’t assume these are everlasting. The same goes for postpartum depression. Thoughts such as I need to run away, I am a terrible mother or I will never get better are symptoms of postpartum depression, not facts.

8. Take it one moment at a time

I’m a planner and love to think weeks and months ahead, but in the depths of my PPD, that simply wasn’t possible. I found it difficult to even plan tasks for later that day. I started focusing on one moment at a time: “I’m going to get out of bed,” “I’m going to change my clothes,” “I’m going to wash my face.” This allowed me to go through the day without mental spiralling.

9. Try positive self-talk

When those dark thoughts would rear their ugly head and tell me I was incapable, I would say to myself out loud a hundred times a day, “you can do this”.

10. Exercise in the daylight

Initially, the idea of exercise felt extremely far-fetched. Even leaving my dark room felt impossible. However, the endorphins we can get from a short walk and daylight are extremely helpful. I started with simply sitting in a room that had daylight, and ultimately set the goal of going outside for a short walk each day.

11. Celebrate small wins

While a win with my first baby was going for my first five-kilometre walk, wins with my second were things like showering, eating and genuine laughing. Celebrate those, as the small wins ultimately become big ones.

12. Know that this too shall pass

You will get through this and better days are ahead. It’s essential to believe that, even if every fibre of your being is telling you it’s not true. I would rate each day out of a ten, most days being a 0 or 1, but ultimately that 1 became a 2 and that 2 a 3, until I found myself feeling like “me” again. I also reminded myself that postpartum depression aside, having a newborn is tough, and I deserve some grace, and so do you. You are doing a great job.

The post Postpartum depression almost killed me. Here’s how I survived appeared first on Today’s Parent.

Becoming a parent can be a big and scary adjustment even when labour and delivery go smoothly, and it’s made all the more difficult for parents of babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (or NICU). Having spent time there herself, Sarah Pulley is trying to make the lives of NICU parents just a little easier by pampering them at her hospital hair salon.

That’s right, Riley Children’s Health in Indiana has launched a “beauty bar” in one of the hospital’s two family rooms, offering hair services to the parents of NICU babies. Pulley, who owns the local salon Three Seventeen Hair Design, jumped at the opportunity to spearhead the initiative. Along with volunteering her own hairstyling skills, she donated a chair from her salon and got her distributor to donate more than $150 USD in hair care products.

“We are very familiar with those walls,” the 34-year-old told Today Parents when talking about her own experience at Riley, where her daughter Amelia was transferred after contracting a virus as a newborn—spending a total of four months between two different NICUs.

After becoming intimately aware of the stress and hardships that parents with NICU children face, Sarah became a volunteer in the hospital’s Ronald McDonald House Family Room last year, where she helped to open the Beauty Bar this past September.

Hospital family rooms are one of three programs that Ronald McDonald House Charities has in place to help families with sick children. They also provide mobile health services that visit communities directly, and housing facilities for families that are located near hospitals.

At Riley, the Beauty Bar gives parents of high-risk babies some well-deserved rest in a nap pod, a chance to decompress in a HydroMassage chair, and lots of fresh fruit and granola bars to snack on.

And a few times a month, Pulley gives a little extra self-care to postpartum moms and their partners. “We shampoo, blow dry and give scalp massages on the second Wednesday of each month,” she said, explaining that in the NICU “you completely lose all sense of yourself.” So having a little space where you can take care of yourself and even get a little pampered goes a long way.

“There’s something about the connection between moms and the power of touch,” Pulley added, explaining that her time at the Beauty Bar is just as special for her as it is for the parents she helps.

She also believes that sharing her story can give comfort to parents who are struggling. “There is hope in my story because my daughter is thriving,” she explained, offering other parents with kids in the NICU a few words of encouragement: “You’ve got this.”

The post This hospital hair salon is pampering NICU parents in the sweetest way appeared first on Today’s Parent.

An unavoidable quirk of modern parenting is the nonstop stream of research and “findings” that make their way into our parent group chats and news feeds. That’s why Today’s Parent is compiling monthly roundups of the studies we think are worthy of your limited—and therefore precious—attention.

Mother of Modern Dress-Up: Girls who role played as trailblazing physicist Marie Curie maintained a significantly longer interest in a STEM “sink-or-float” activity than their female peers who were merely exposed, or had zero exposure, to the story of the woman whose discoveries led to the development of radiology. Researchers used methods like asking the female role players, “What’s your prediction, Dr. Marie?” and found those participants spent twice as long engaged in the activity as their “civilian” peers. (Psychological Science)

Executive Malfunction: We know, we know. Another day, another screen-time shame spiral. Now researchers are saying toddlers who spent less than 60 minutes a day with screens AND had daily physical activity were significantly better at “executive function” a term that describes a number of cognitive characteristics, among them, memory and concentration, goal-setting and achieving, and behavioural regulation. Someone should make an app for that! (Journal of Pediatrics)

They are what you eat: Wonder why your toddler only wants plain macaroni with butter? Was that, perhaps, a pregnancy craving of yours? One study advanced the existing hypothesis that babies develop tastes for certain foods while in the womb by watching, via 4D ultrasounds, the facial expressions of fetuses being “fed” certain foods. Kale babies made distinctive cry faces; carrot babies showed a kind of delight. The researchers now hope to study whether repeated exposure to the “yucky” food changes over time, or if parents will be stuck eternally staring across the table at that stink-face. (Psychological Science)

Trust your gut: Researchers see a link between antibiotics administered to newborns and lasting gastrointestinal complications and disorders later in life. Antibiotics are frequently given to neonates, particularly preemies or those with a low birth weight, not just to fight infection but to prevent it, too. Testing on neonate mice, the scientists found that by 6 weeks (early adulthood for mice), the antibiotics had caused an imbalance to the gut biome, which “increased susceptibility to various diseases including allergy, obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases later in life.” (Journal of Physiology)

The post Will a “Marie Curie” Halloween costume make your daughter a master of STEM? appeared first on Today’s Parent.

Created for

Setting up a nursery or playroom? Think beyond the crib and the toy storage and consider the kind of environment you want to create. The Montessori approach encourages play-based learning in organized spaces with simple, minimal decor. Create a Montessori playroom at home by following these simple guidelines. 

What is the Montessori philosophy?

The Montessori method focuses on self-direction, hands-on learning and collaborative play. “Montessori is a child-centred philosophy of education,” says Valery Brown, a Toronto-based Montessori teacher. “We believe that children learn best through engaging all five senses as well as providing outlets for gross motor movement while they learn. Arguably, the most important aspect of a Montessori education is gaining independence with practical life skills through repeating real tasks.”

Montessori playroom basics

Montessori playrooms are organized, child-friendly, geared for learning and they promote independence. A simple tidy space allows kids to explore their activities deeper, helping with concentration and mastering skills. In general, a Montessori playroom:

has a limited number of toys/activities that promote engagement over entertainment
has everything displayed at the child’s level and a place for each item
includes open space, and
is a comfortable space your child enjoys

Keep it minimal

Instead of having all of your kids’ toys in the playroom, Brown recommends using a “toy library” where you rotate different toys every one to two weeks. She recommends displaying toys neatly on low shelves to keep everything within the child’s reach and encourages the use of natural materials, like wood, metal or even glass and ceramics in toys and decor. Brown suggests storing toys in baskets or on trays so they look nice and neat. “Show examples for caring for the environment and the things in it by using respect, care and caution when handling them.”

Look for open-ended Montessori toys

Seek out toys that are versatile and high quality. “An open-ended toy can be used in a variety of different ways through your child’s play depending on their imagination, creativity and interest,” Brown explains. Take Lily & River’s Little Matchables set that explores shapes, colours, memorization and fine motor skills. For young children, Brown recommends toys that focus on one skill at a time, for instance, stacking blocks for hand-eye coordination or a Pikler triangle climber for gross motor development. 

Play mats are key

Play mats are an essential tool in a Montessori room. “We believe children should not be confined to learning at a desk,” explains Brown. “They need movement to support their learning and activity mats allow them to sprawl, lay or sit cross-legged while they work.” Play mats also define work spaces from play spaces. “The play mat says: ‘This is my space, and this is how I respect and honour the activity I am using,’” she says. Check out Wee Gallery’s forest play mat.

Consider a climber

Climbing can help children with spatial awareness, muscle development, gross motor skills and academic enhancement in memory, higher levels of concentration and mood stability. Wooden climbers like Lily & River’s Little Dome or All Circles’ PlayBox Little Climber both offer compact indoor climbing fun. “Giving children the freedom to climb grows their bodies, their brains, their abilities, their problem-solving skills and even their social skills,” says Brown. “It’s one of the best ways to let kids use their energy.”

Promote self-sufficiency

Only include items that your child can use themselves so they don’t need to rely on your help. “For example, if you have craft supplies or art materials, don’t put things the child is not able to use and clean up on their own in their reach,” advises Brown. For example, All Circles’ Little Board + Cutter is perfect for kids to slice play-doh or slime independently or to help prepare food for snack time. 

Incorporating these aspects will help you create an interactive play and learning space in your home. Shop more playroom essentials, from Peeka & Co., a curated marketplace for modern parenting values.

Wee Gallery Canvas Growth Chart

Tiny Tales 12-piece Montessori Tools

Toki Mats Padded Play Mat

All Circles PlayArch – Wooden Climber and Rocker

 

The post How to set up a Montessori nursery appeared first on Today’s Parent.

Even if you didn’t know there were lyrics to Brahm’s lullaby—or just didn’t know the name of the song—you’ve definitely heard this recognizable melody. Maybe you’ve hummed it to coax your own baby to sleep.

Sometimes referred to as “Lullaby and Goodnight” or “Cradle Song,” Brahms’ lullaby is officially named “Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht,” Op. 49 No. 4, and was written by, well, Johannes Brahms (thus it’s widely known common name).

According to CBC, the German composer wrote the lullaby as a gift to “the one who got away”—former flame Bertha Faber—on the occasion of the birth of her second child (which she named Johannes). The composition is a kind of love letter, as it contains a counter-melody to a German folk song that Faber sang to Brahms on their long walks together while they were dating.

Since 1868, when it was first published, Brahams’ lullaby has been one of the most famous songs for children, and there’s no question why. The gentle rocking rhythm and soft melody is the perfect sleepytime tune and definitely one to add to your bedtime routine.

Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight,
With lilies o’er spread is baby’s wee bed.
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed.
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed.

Lullaby and good night, thy mother’s delight.
Bright angels beside my darling abide.
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast.
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast.

This article was originally published online in July 2013.

Related

Lyrics to Hush Little Baby

Lyrics to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Why you should sing to your kids even if your voice sucks

The post Lyrics to Brahms Lullaby appeared first on Today’s Parent.

Start singing the song “Do you Know the Muffin Man?” and it’s bound to lead to more questions. Like: Who is the Muffin Man? And where is Drury Lane?

The basis of memes, TikTok videos and the hilarious interrogation scene in the animated movie Shrek, “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” is unlikely to be — as some have claimed — a warning to kids about a 16th-century serial killer who lured children with a muffin tied to the end of a string. (What a creepy urban legend!) 

Rather, this classic nursery rhyme, which was first recorded in a British manuscript in 1820, is most likely about the 19th-century bakers who went door-to-door selling English muffins, much like how milkmen used to deliver bottles of milk. Drury Lane, where the Muffin Man lives, is a thoroughfare bordering Covent Garden in downtown London.

When you sing “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” with your kids, sing together or try a call-and-response format where you sing the first four lines and they respond by singing the second set of four lines. Now that you know who the Muffin Man is, you can sing truthfully and honestly when you respond to the question, “Do you know the muffin man?”

O do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man.
O do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

O yes I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
O yes I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.

This article was originally published online in July 2013.

Related:

Lyrics to I’m a Little Teapot

Lyrics to Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Lyrics to Brahms Lullaby

The post Do You Know The Muffin Man lyrics appeared first on Today’s Parent.

You’ve tried the shush, the swaddle, the soother and the stroller, and all the other various S’s to get your inconsolable newborn to settle down, but nothing seems to work. Now scientists are saying there’s a quick fix for a crying baby that’s much, much easier than you think. 

A new study published in Current Biology presents a method for soothing crying babies to sleep and — equally important — ensuring they stay asleep once you put them down.

The “walk then sit” method

The process, which can be applied to both naps and bedtimes, is astonishingly simple — and cost-effective! The steps are:

Holding your crying baby in your arms, walk them around for five minutes to soothe them into sleep.
Sit down and hold your sleeping baby for another five-to-eight minutes.
Put your baby in the crib.

That’s it. That’s the method.

The rationale

The inspiration behind the first step, the carrying part, comes straight from the wild. Picture in your head a mother lion carrying her baby in her mouth. The relaxed posture and docile nature of the lion cub is the result of something called the “transport response,” a calming effect that comes from being carried. Transport response, which occurs in many altricial mammals — that is, mammals whose young are born in that underdeveloped “fourth trimester” stage — is associated with a reduction in heart rate and voluntary movement. 

Principal investigator Kumi Kuroda and her fellow researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan wanted to know if the same response could be triggered as part of a process to guide human babies into a deep sleep.

“For many, we intuitively parent and listen to other people’s advice on parenting without testing the methods with rigorous science,” Kuroda told ScienceDaily. “But we need science to understand a baby’s behaviors, because they’re much more complex and diverse than we thought.”

The study

To assess this, researchers observed 21 babies between the ages of one and seven months, comparing their behaviour, movements and heart rates in response to four different scenarios: being held by their seated moms, being held by their walking moms, being placed in a “mobile cot” (i.e., a rocking cradle or a stroller) and being laid in a crib alone. 

The results showed that the crying infants were most effectively and consistently soothed by being walked by their moms or by the mobile cots. They also found that crying infants were best soothed to sleep after at least five minutes of walking, even in the daytime when they were previously alert. 

The next step was getting them into the crib. Sleeping babies were much more likely to stay asleep if their mother held them, while seated, for five to eight minutes before putting them down. In cases where they were put down before the five minutes were up, the babies were more likely to wake up and and cry. Researchers also tried different positions and speeds for laying the baby down, but found that only the seated hold had any significant effect.

“Even as a mother of four, I was very surprised to see the result,” said Kuroda, who told ScienceDaily that she had assumed whether a baby woke during the “laydown” was at least partly influenced by their positioning or how gently they were placed.

Based on these observations, the researchers concluded, “infant transport robustly reduces cry and potentially promotes sleep.”

The caveat

It’s important to note that the study, like all studies, has its limitations, having observed only babies and their moms — no dads or other non-maternal caregivers were involved. Furthermore, the suggested method is not meant to be a long-term sleep training strategy, as stated within the report: “This protocol instead provides an immediate calming of infant cry and may be useful especially on special occasions when the regular sleep routines, breastfeeding, or pacifiers are not effective or available.”

However, if you’re an exhausted parent looking for a little reprieve so you can survive another day — and would you be here if you weren’t? — you’ve got nothing to lose giving this simple trick a shot. 

The post There’s a new way to get a crying baby to sleep appeared first on Today’s Parent.

Making a baby registry or a pre-baby shopping list is no easy feat. There’s the decoding of things like sleep sacks versus swaddles, the deep-diving on every stroller model, the constant “Do I really need all this?” questioning. And even after all that, there’s that lingering feeling that maybe you’re simply unaware of some crucial items. Outside of biggies like a car seat or high chair, what are the lesser-considered game-changers that can make those early days (and beyond) way easier? We asked moms across Canada for the products they swear by. (A recurring response: “Wow, I didn’t realize I was so passionate about this!”)

Here, the baby registry must-haves they wish they’d thought of—and that they really, really want you to know about. You can add them to your list if you haven’t had a baby shower yet—or just treat yourself!

1. A *really* good mug

“After giving birth to my daughter, it took about two days of drinking cold coffee to convince me to get an insulated mug with a lid,” says Marissa, the mom of a two-year-old in Toronto. She swears by the Yeti for its double-walled insulation, minimalist design and easy-to-open magnet sliding lid. Want to level up? Ottawa-based mom-of-two Ashley vouches for the Ember Mug2 ($150, ca.ember.com), a battery-powered cup (with chargeable coaster). “You can set it to keep the exact temperature you like your coffee or tea at for 90 minutes,” she says. There’s even a phone app so you can adjust it when a certain someone has you stuck with coffee just out of arm’s reach.

Yeti Rambler 414 mL Mug in Nordic Purple, $40, yeti.ca

2. A quick-control nightlight

“For those middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper-changings, I found that my nightlight made my life so much easier, especially with the quick touch control—a few taps to turn on, dim or brighten,” says Kristina, a Montreal-based mom with a 19-month-old son and a baby on the way. With a quick tap, the MediAcous lamp she swears by emits a soft warm light for the ungodly hours or a brighter white light for bedtime reading. “I ended up buying one for my side of the bed, my husband’s and for the nursery,” says Kristina. “They’re also super easy to pack for trips. Honestly, a must-have!”

MediAcous Baby Night Light NL02, $30, amazon.ca

3. That Instagram-famous play gym

You’ve probably seen Montessori-inspired The Play Gym by Lovevery pop up in your social feed, along with its equally eye-catching price tag of US$140 (about $185 Canadian). But as Toronto mom Jennifer says, “not all baby toys are created equal.” She bought The Play Gym after trying and failing to thrill her then-three-month-old son Ozzy with several different play mats and educational toys. Even now eight months later, its five different learning sections and thoughtful accessories keep Ozzy engaged. “There are other perks, too, like how easy it is to put together and take apart to clean whenever your baby pukes on it, because they sure will,” she adds.

Lovevery The Play Gym, $184, lovevery.com

4. A weighted wet-wipe dispenser

We’re not talking about a wipe warmer, which is a surprisingly controversial product among parents. (Detractors, like the author of this story, say wipe warmers take up space, use electricity, and get your baby used to heated wipes, which you won’t have when you’re on the go.)

Here, we’re referring to a wipe dispenser. Breanna, the mom of a six-month-old in Peachland, B.C. swears by her wipes dispenser that features a weighted plate inside so that just one wipe comes out at a time. “Despite what you may have learned in your prenatal classes about changing a diaper, the whole game changes when you have a squirmy baby screaming like a banshee on the table,” she says. “And when you go to pull out a wet wipe and the entire package comes out with it, suddenly the baby isn’t the only one crying.” She describes her refillable weighted dispenser, which lets her grab a wipe with just one hand, as one of her “favourite baby purchases ever.”

Oxo Tot PerfectPull Wipes Dispenser in Gray, $29, amazon.ca

5. A cup holder for the stroller

Most strollers offer a cup holder attachment that you can purchase separately, and if not, you can opt for a generic model that attaches to almost all strollers. This item might sound like a nice-to-have, but it’s essential, says Eliza, the Toronto mom of a five-month-old. “Early wake-ups mean strolling around the neighbourhood until the earliest coffee shop opens, and the one-handed stroller push is harder than it looks,” she says. She loves her UPPAbaby’s plastic cup-holder attachment because it’s easy to remove and clean. If you’re looking for an option that doesn’t add width to your stroller, try a caddy that attaches to your handlebars, like the Jolly Jumper Deluxe Stroller Caddy, $27, babiesrus.ca. Eliza’s tip for avoiding hot spills while on a stroller walk (a very scary prospect, if you think about it): “Order your drink in a cup one size larger.”

UPPAbaby Cup Holder, $40, westcoastkids.ca

6. A nursery-ready humidifier

One of the very few items that Toronto mom Zoey put on her baby registry as she was planning for her second child? A humidifier. “I only learned this after having my first, but when babies are sick with a cold, there’s very little you can do for their symptoms,” she says. “A humidifier is something you can offer your babe for some relief from their congestion.” Even now that her kids are four and six, Zoey still leans on her humidifier as daycare and school bugs make their seemingly constant cycle through her home.

It’s worth noting that the Canadian Paediatric Society does not recommend humidifiers for a baby’s room, since both hot and cool mist humidifiers can breed mould and bacteria if they are not washed thoroughly every day, and hot mist humidifiers can be a burn hazard for small children. If you’d like one anyway, look for one with cool-mist settings to avoid burns and commit to cleaning it consistently. Consider Dyson’s asthma- and allergy-friendly model, which includes a UV light to kill off bacteria. (On that note: Never feel uncomfortable putting a big-ticket item on your registry! A group of your friends or family might like to go in on a larger gift.)

Dyson Humidifier AM10 in White/Silver, $600, dysoncanada.ca

7. Approximately a zillion tiny face cloths

Small but mighty, a generous stash of little 100 percent cotton face cloths is key to have on hand, says Jenna, a mom based in Charlottetown, PEI. “They’re the most used item I got from my baby shower and continue to use today, and my daughter is now three-and-a-half!” She uses them for everything from bathtime to post-meal cleanup to on-the-go messes. “They’re basically the wipe version of cloth diapers,” she says.

Kidiway KidiComfort 12 Supersoft Washcloths in Grey, $9, babiesrus.ca

8. The longest phone-charging cable imaginable

Whether you’re streaming a show while nursing or texting newborn questions to your group chat, your smartphone becomes (even more of) a lifeline during early parenthood. To make sure it always has enough power, Toronto mom-of-two Samantha recommends an “obscenely long” charging cable. We’re talking between six and ten feet long. “As a mom who was in and out of the hospital and on home bed rest for extended periods, I needed to charge electronics and stay connected with plugs in awkward spots,” she says. “I never had to worry about being out of touch during long snuggle sessions.”

Mophie USB-A Cable with Lightning Connector (3 m), $40, apple.com

9. A portable blackout curtain

“One of the best items I’ve discovered as a new mom is a portable blackout curtain,” says Michelle, the mom of a 14-month-old in Calgary. You can find options with holes to hang on a rod, but Michelle recommends getting one with suction cups so you can take it with you on the go. “Not only do we use it in our baby’s room on a daily basis, but it’s such a clutch item when travelling to Grandma’s house or the cottage.”

Amazon Basics Portable Window Blackout Curtain Shade with Suction Cups, $40, amazon.ca

10. A couple of manual breast pumps

If you plan to try body-feeding, it’s a good idea to have a non-electric pump or two. For collecting “let down” (the released milk) from the side you’re not using, Mary, mom to a 17-month-old in Picton, Ont., recommends the silicone suction of the Haakaa ($27, babiesrus.ca): “You can get up to three to four ounces per breast per feed, and can store that milk in the freezer for when your boobs need some alone time.” If you need a quick release when you’re out sans babe or are in weaning mode, try a hand-powered pump like the Medela Harmony Breast Pump, says Renée, a Hammond, Ont.-based toddler mom expecting her second. “I found it easier to use than setting up the electric pump,” she says. “It helped to avoid mastitis when my son was weaning.”

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump with PersonalFit Flex, $70, babiesrus.ca

11. A rolling cart

To make your sleep-deprived life a little easier, set yourself up with a mobile station that stores all your essentials for feeding and/or pumping, says Souzan, a Toronto-based mom of a one-year-old. “On the top shelf, I stored any nursing supplies I might need (pump parts, Haakaa, nipple cream, etc.); on another shelf I had a supply of snacks, tons of water, hand sanitizer, etc.; then on the bottom shelf, I kept my nursing pillow, phone charger and phone stand,” she says. Make sure the cart is fully stocked each night before you go to bed. (If you’re the one getting up at night and your partner isn’t, consider putting them in charge of keeping your cart filled.)

Bonus: As your child grows, you can repurpose the cart as an art station or a homework station!

Ikea Raskog Utility Cart in White, $50, ikea.com

12. Postpartum underwear

When focused on planning for all of the baby’s needs, it’s easy to forget your own, but birthing parents are quick to point out the need for down-there care (and there’s no reason to feel the least bit embarrassed requesting these items as part of your baby registry). Michelle, a mom to a five-year-old in Toronto, highly recommends period underwear. “I hated the feeling of the XL pads the hospital gave me to wear postpartum,” says Michelle, who recommends getting at least three pairs, and swears by Knix’s leakproof styles ($38 for high-rise, knix.ca). Another popular option is disposable undies from Frida Mom. “They’re soft, stretchy and seamless, moving with you while still holding everything in place, including overnight pads,” says Mishal, a mom to an eight-month-old in Toronto. “They come in a few different styles, including a high-waist version designed for C-sections, which I could wear comfortably without irritating my incision.”

Frida Mom Disposable C-Section Postpartum Underwear, $25 for eight pairs, chapters.indigo.ca

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Created for

Nurseries aren’t just rooms with a crib and a glider anymore, they’ve become designed spaces and hashtags with millions of views. Luckily, decorating with trends in mind doesn’t have to be a major undertaking—especially if you know where to shop. Enter Little Seeds, an innovative furniture line that is now available in Canada at Indigo.ca.

Follow these four decor trends identified by Carolyn Greathead of Ponder Design Co. and pair them with quality furniture that will see you through the toddler years for a kid’s room both you and baby will love.

Curved Lines

Doorway arches, round coffee tables and curved couches are front and centre in the design world. “Curved lines create softness in a space,” says Greathead, “and a nursery is a room you want to feel relaxing, warm and safe.” Look for the trend in beds and cribs with curved edges, and headboards. Little Seeds Monarch Hill Hawken Metal 3 in 1 Convertible Crib features a modern silhouette with arches that add softness. To up the ante on the cozy (and safe) factor, you need a mattress that you can rely on. The Little Seeds’ bestselling Little Seeds Moonglow 6” Reversible Bonnell Coil Twin Mattress is made in Canada and features eco-friendly recycled fibres, is GreenGuard Gold certified and is constructed with layers of support with an eye to support and comfort. 

Functional Spaces

“Nursery design has really honed in on creating a room that will grow with your child—instead of a room that they’ll grow out of quickly.” Purchasing pieces that are functional as well as beautiful means that they’ll be practical and useful for years to come, and Little Seeds offers high-quality children’s furniture that grows with your kids, like cribs that convert into toddler beds and change tables that turn into dressers. The Little Seeds Crawford Curved Post 3-in-1 Crib, for example, converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a day bed—the perfect investment for your little one right from birth. 

Mixing Wood Tones

While the matching bedroom set used to be the way to go, many parents are opting to be more intentional with their nursery purchases. “Now we’re seeing a more collected approach to furnishing a room,” says Greathead. The easiest way to embrace this is to incorporate different wood tones which can add dimension and visual interest to a space. This is especially helpful if you have an heirloom, vintage find or hand-me-down you love, but it’s a different wood tone than your chosen crib or dresser.

Pairing a darker wooden heirloom with the Little Seeds Sierra Ridge Ashton Changing Table is the perfect way to marry modern and quality furniture with a much-loved vintage piece. To ensure the space feels collected and cohesive (instead of collected in a rummage-sale kind of way), make sure you’re bringing these different tones and colours into other areas of the room. For example, if you have a darker wood rocking chair in a room that’s otherwise light oak, bring in darker wood picture frames, wooden toys that have a deeper tone or even a rug with darker brownish-red weaving or speckling.  

Turned wood

Turned wood is an ancient technique that helps to create shapes in wood—think intricate legs and spindles. Originally done on a lathe, it was popular in the Victorian era, and we’re seeing a resurgence of this traditional technique in the modern era. “Turned wood’s intricate and delicate design is a perfect addition to a nursery because it brings in an element of playfulness with its unique shapes, while still feeling elegant and upscale,” says Greathead. To keep this look modern, we’re seeing it a lot in lighter wood tones like oak, or even in painted wood pieces, like the Little Seeds Rowan Valley Arden 6 Drawer Dresser that features turned wood legs and side detailing on the soft white piece.

Shop Little Seeds, now online at Indigo.ca.

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