Belly Buttons - Childbirth Classes, Strollerfit & So Much More!

Belly Buttons…the innies and outies of childbirth opened in early 2001 with childbirth classes for both midwifery and OB clients in Waterloo Region. Belly Buttons has been growing every year and has enjoyed teaching hundreds of families over the past 10 years. Our Childbirth Classes and Natural Pain Management Workshops are based on the most up-to-date and relevant information for families seeking non-biased information in a cozy smaller class setting. We teach you all the possible options regarding prenatal care, labour, birth, and early postpartum so you can go on to make informed decisions. The classes are interactive and are taught by childbirth educators who take their job very seriously, but in a super fun way! We are pretty sure you will have a great time learning everything you need to know before you welcome your sweet baby into the family.

 Are you looking for something fun to do with baby during the day which involves, sunshine, strollers, and socializing? Do you want to be a buff mama and fit into your pre-baby jeans? Stroller Fit gives you all that and more! Tone your body, build muscle, improve your cardio, and stretch those achy tight baby-carrying muscles. Stroller Fit meets 3 mornings a week 9:30am for an hour of toning, cardio, and flexibility. This is a great physical and social activity to do with your baby and it runs year round either in Waterloo Park or on the track at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.  Stroller fit gives you a reason to put on your track pants,  come out to meet other new moms, and get a workout in while your baby naps or charms the rest of us in his or her stroller. All fitness levels are welcome and any stroller will do. Stroller fit with Belly Buttons offers you lots of flexibility. You can start anytime –your pass starts when you do and you have 3 months to use it up. You can buy an 8 week pass to come once per week; many moms choose to come either twice or three times per week to see results faster.  Your first class is FREE so come and check us out!

If you are looking for alternatives to starting baby on solids with rice cereal and jarred baby foods then you must check out our Baby FoodWorkshop. As Registered Holistic Nutritionists, we focus on eating fresh, real, whole foods and avoiding heavily processed “fortified” foods with long lists of ingredients we can’t pronounce. In our Baby Food workshop, we cover the workings of the baby’s digestive and immune systems, why to wait for 6 months, and how to introduce nutritious whole foods to baby and improve the nutrition for the rest of your family as well. Find out which foods make the best first foods for baby.  Super foods, essential fatty acids, and the benefits of probiotics are discussed as well as eating locally and organically when possible. We will answer your questions and give you many tips about the digestive health of baby including possible food intolerances. Our Baby Food Workshop is brought to you by both Belly Buttons and Wildberry Nutrition and Allergy Solutions (www.wildberrynutrition.com). Look for our new Toddler Nutrition Workshop coming in early summer 2012! 

Giving your baby the wonderful gift of loving touch not only benefits baby but yourself as well! Our Baby Massage Workshop will teach you all you need to know to share this soothing healing art with your beautiful baby. It is an amazing way to bond and communicate with your child and help with digestive issues. He or she will love the attention and the fabulous massage strokes you will learn with us. Lisa Dawson, our friendly neighbourhood Lactation Consultant, will visit this workshop for some breastfeeding support at the end of class so bring your questions! Connect with other new parents while learning this valuable technique and increase your circle of support. 

Belly Buttons has recently paired with experts in the fields of breastfeeding and also infant safety. For our Breastfeeding Workshop, we have Lisa Dawson who is a Registered Nurse and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). We firmly believe you will want to learn as much as you can prenatally to prevent problems from occurring once baby is here. Lisa focuses on prevention of breastfeeding problems so you and baby can get off to the best start possible. She will cover all the essentials of getting a good latch, pumping and storing milk, boosting your milk supply, and baby wearing. Breastfeeding challenges are particularly stressful on a new family so we hope you can take the time to learn more about the art and science of breastfeeding. Lisa not only offers this fabulous workshop for you before baby, but also offers private one-on-one breastfeeding support in your home. For less than the price of a massage, you can have Lisa come to your home and increase your success at breastfeeding – it is FAR more affordable than having to supplement or switch to formula! Keep her in mind as you go forward in your pregnancy and early days of parenting.

Our expert in the field of safety for the family is Brent Grein from First Aid Force.  Together we offer CPR Training for new and expectant parents as well as anyone else looking to learn these lifesaving skills.  What else can I say other than this is an essential course for all Canadians, but especially parents of young children. Brent runs an excellent and engaging program for an unbeatable price; this is a Red Cross Level C CPR certification in which you will cover infant, child, and adult CPR, choking, and defibrillation. There is a huge hands-on component and you will definitely leave with a lot more confidence that you will know what to do in an emergency situation. You will certainly gain peace of mind with these skills under your belt and a family to care for! Belly Buttons is thrilled to have Brent on board to get as many of you trained in CPR as possible.

Trish Unger, the owner of Belly Buttons, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, is a Certified Childbirth Educator, a Personal Trainer Specialist, and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. She has also enjoyed many years as a birth doula and infant massage instructor. With her many years of education and experience she helps families in our community have a fabulous birth and the happiest and healthiest family possible. You will be glad you joined the Belly Buttons family.  We can’t wait to meet you!

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child & Support a Mom

A story of loss and support from Guest Blogger, Angie

When you are expecting, it is supposed to be the best most exciting time in your life.  Your family and friends help you prepare for the arrival of your bundle of joy.  But what happens when less than a month to your due date, your baby is no longer viable while still in utero?

When someone dies, there is an abundance of support and love provided.    A funeral and memorial are held, and people say things about the person that passed.  When it is a baby, things work a lot different.  

Friends and acquaintances often don't know what to say or how to offer support.  I found that we did have a lot of support from strangers, family and friends.   People were always checking in, and sending us packages.   

Without these people I would have gave in to the depression.  I felt like I really needed to find comfort in knowing I was not alone.   Instead of going to fun activities with my daughter, I suddenly found myself going to grief sessions talking about my loss.

Someone once said it takes a village to raise a child, but this can also be said about losing a child.   It was very important for me to be able to grieve openly, and to be honest with my feelings.  You really get to know who your true friends are during a time like this.

It took me months to be able to get out of bed and face the world.  Then a few days after our six month anniversary of losing our daughter, my mom died.   This was like a double blow to my gut, and I thought for sure I would be destroyed. 

Again the same people who had supported me were there in full force.  Not to mention all the people who knew my mom they were there for me in ways I never even knew I needed support.

I found comfort in continuing with my blog, and joining as many online support forums as possible.  Connecting with people who were also grieving was very important.  To know I wasn’t alone, and that none of this was my fault, was also important.    Strangers became close friends, close friends became best friends. 

When people who write to me, and tell me that they were happy I was speaking out this saddened me. Why weren’t more people speaking out?  Why was it I had to be the spokesperson for loss and support?  I encourage anyone who is going through any type of loss to speak out.  Talk to someone, anyone!  Yell, cry, scream, laugh, and show emotions.   Don’t pretend you’re fine, if you aren’t.   In the Waterloo area there are many support systems , I urge you to seek these out and get help.

momstown Kitchener-Waterloo offers a monthly support group for momstown members facing challenges of pregnancy loss, depression, anxiety and postpartum depression.   

**Thank you to Angie for sharing her story and for having the courage to scream for help and survive with all the support she sought out.  You can find more from Angie on her blog http://www.letterstoleia.ca/

Celebrate Earth Day at Steckle Heritage Farms!

Did you know that Earth Day has a birthday just like all of us?  It does! Earth day was born on April 22, 1970, in San Francisco, California. Every year, America and over 100 different countries join together in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22^nd.   Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide. On Earth Day, we remember to appreciate nature and learn ways to protect our environment. And we want to teach our kids how to protect their environment for their future right?

Check out this great event at Steckle Heritage Farms this Sunday April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day! 

For the Kids:  They can plant their own seeds and participate in a Recycling Challenge game. 

For Parents: Learn how Easy a Backyard Garden can be and Check out some Hybrid cars.

Together:  We can learn about Carbon Foot Print, Discover Nature and Protect our Planet!

Plus, take advantage of the Steckle membership special for April... purchase a family membership and get a $10 credit towards a program or booking! 

Join momstown Kitchener-Waterloo momstown moms and their families at Steckle Heritage Farms this weekend!  Your farm in the city.

Wordless Wednesday: A Pretty Princess!

The Healing Power of Touch and Bonding with Your Baby

The benefits of a simple touch are felt the moment contact is made.  It relaxes, lowers the blood pressure, slows the heart rate, boosts the immune system and eases anxiety.  Close your eyes for a moment and remember what it is like to have someone stroke your hair or give you a genuine hug.  Those simple gestures can calm, comfort and express caring instantly and make a person immediately feel better – either physically or emotionally.  It is a form of communication that goes beyond what any words could.

For an infant who has been embraced within his mother’s womb for nine months, the power of touch is not only desired, but necessary for normal development. 

As a parent, you have the power at your fingertips to help your child!

Learning forms of healthy touch with your infant is an extension of the healing power you already possess and will help you to feel confident that your motions and movements are beneficial to your infant.

When my son was first born, two things motivated me to teach others about how natural, safe and effective Reflexology techniques can be for overcoming common infant discomforts.  First was the distress my 5 week old, exclusively breastfeed baby, was in as a result of gas and constipation.  The doctor suggested I give him prune juice (yes – 5 weeks, exclusively breastfed!) and although I did give him a little, it was then that the little light bulb popped up above my head and I started trying Reflexology with him.  The next morning, no more constipation!  I knew immediately that other new moms who were overwhelmed and feeling helpless needed to know more about the benefits of Reflexology.  Secondly, around the same time I heard of 25 infant who had died in China as a result of a teething medication.  When natural methods existed, I couldn’t imagine why such a tragedy had to occur!  After that, I began work on the Infant Reflexology workshop catered to new parents and others caring for young children.

Infant Reflexology is particularly powerful to help ease specific concerns because you are not working directly on the troublesome area.  You are working with the reflex points on the feet or hands and using the nervous system to convey messages of healing and relaxation.  While some infants may respond well to direct pressure on their abdomen when they are feeling the discomfort of gas, others may become very upset by the additional pain caused.  This is when learning how to ease pain through Reflexology becomes very empowering to the parent.  In addition, since young infants are not aware of their own limbs, Reflexology is a great way that you can teach your infant about themselves and establish a connection to those body parts.

A baby’s attention span is short so using small, short routines and doing them repeatedly throughout the day will help you to bond with your baby over and over.  It will create a positive state of balance for the body which will help maintain a pattern of good health and well-being.  This helps your baby to remain calm, feel loved and protected as well as relieve discomforts that may arise. 

Your infant is not the only one to benefit from this experience!  The sense of touch will be powerful to you as well.  It will relieve your stress and anxiety, lower your blood pressure and heart rate and create an overall sense of relaxation.  Since most of what we experience as a new parent is very overwhelming, seeing your infant respond positively to your touch can be very empowering. 

When working with an infant, especially one who is experiencing pain, being relaxed and at peace yourself is the best medicine you can provide.  Remember this is a positive time for both you and your baby.  There is no reason to feel rushed or pressured.  Go slow and work within your baby’s limitations. 

Do not force movements, but rather respond to your baby’s cues.  If now is not a good time, there will be another chance to try later.  Use your instincts and good judgment and rest assured that as long as you have positive intentions and use healthy touch, the simple fact that you are bonding with your baby will have powerful healing benefits!  Have fun with it and enjoy your baby!

About the author:

Tanya Goreing is a Reflexologist in Cambridge, ON with extra certification in Maternity and Baby/Child Reflexology.  Her practice, Soul Treatments, specializes in the optimal health of Woman and Children.  To schedule an appointment call 519-220-2887.