Returning to Work/School as a Breastfeeding Mom

Breastfeeding is important for you and your baby. Breastfeeding is possible when you return to work or school. The longer you continue to give your baby breast milk the more protection you both get. The recommendation is to breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding after the introduction of foods to 2 […]

Breast Milk Storage

Are you pumping‪‎‬ your milk for your baby? Maybe you are heading out once in a while for an exercise class or a family member would like to help with the occasional feeding. Do you have low milk supply and are needing to increase it, or are having some breastfeeding challenges which are requiring supplements? […]

Should I Exercise While Pregnant?

According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), most women can exercise moderately in pregnancy doing aerobic or strength conditioning exercises. Exercise does NOT increase risks of bad outcomes in the healthy pregnancy. Are there risks if I don’t exercise? Yes, there are risks to consider if NOT exercising.  These include: loss […]

It hurts “down there” – Postpartum Wound Care and Healing

Congrats you had your baby, but no one told you that things might be a little swollen and sore in your vagina or vulva – ok maybe a LOT sore.  Every few days you should notice that the pain is slowly improving, but it may take several weeks to feel better. Here are some suggestions […]

Immunizations – when does my baby get their shots?

This is a common question we hear from our patients at Monarch. The routine publicly funded (free) Ontario vaccine schedule starts at 2 months of age for healthy newborns. Your baby’s doctor visits up to 18 months are mostly schedule around the immunizations which occur at 2, 4, 6, 12, 15 and 18 months. They […]

Importance of Tummy Time

  To help lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a healthy baby should be placed on his back to sleep. HOWEVER it is also very important for a baby to have time while awake on his tummy. Tummy time is important for your baby’s healthy development. You can put your baby on […]

The Sunshine Vitamin – Vitamin D

Our skin makes Vitamin D from the sun; hence, why it is often nicknamed the “Sunshine Vitamin”. We also get it from certain foods and by supplementation. However, in Canada we have very low levels of Vitamin D for two reasons. The first is due to lack of exposure to the sun given our northern […]