Family Matters

Say goodbye to your sex life. Sneezing and peeing, laughing and peeing, running and peeing – they now go hand-in-hand. These are all things we are told to expect after having a baby. But should we live with it? No! Mary Wood is the clinical director at Cura Physical Therapies, specializing in postpartum health. She joins us with a simple test for moms. And in the race to bounce back after baby, we take a look at how your workout routine may be doing more harm than good. Kaye Burrows is the owner of Core Love, a fitness company that helps new moms. She shares some exercise do’s and don’ts.

Plus, the photographers behind the portrait series ‘A Mother’s Beauty’ joins us with an update seven years after capturing their first postpartum mom. To see the photos or to apply, check-out Hobbs Photography.

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Shaming isn’t just for moms. A new poll found more than half of dads say they have been criticized for their parenting decisions. They say moms are behind most of the comments. The University of Michigan’s Dr. Sarah Clark is the co-director of the study and joins host Erin Chalmers with her biggest takeaways. Why are moms so hard on dads? We threw that question at Calgary psychologist Dr. Caroline Buzanko who says it’s a mix of instinct and worry. You can find out more about Buzanko by clicking here. And we get David Bacque’s take on the numbers. He’s a father of two and well-known blogger behind #Lifewithbenjamin.

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More and more Canadian couples are calling it quits later in life. Of the 11 million people over 55 in Canada, 1.1 million are separated or divorced.  Family lawyers, like Diana Isaac, say these divorces have different challenges than those who breakup younger in life. Isaac is with Shulman Law Firm in Toronto and joins us to talk about the trend and offers some advice for baby boomers considering divorce.

Plus, the new interim host of Family Matters, Erin Chalmers, shares her vision for the segment and previews some of the stories she is working on.

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Meet the stepfamily coach! Ali Wilks is helping blended families navigate their new normal. She is on a mission to debunk the myth of the evil stepmother and warns step-parents it could take on average seven years before they feel like a cohesive unit. Wilks is our guest this week on Family Matters. You can connect with her by clicking here.

Plus, drop your weapons, even the ones with foam bullets. University of Alberta eye specialist, Dr. Matthew Tennant, is warning parents about the dangers of Nerf guns.

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Sexting among teens continues to light up smartphones, but what are the risks associated? A new study out of the University of Calgary is linking teen sexting with risky behavior, anxiety, depression and substance use. The lead author of the study, Dr. Sheri Madigan joins us to talk about the findings and why she believes more education needs to happen at home and in schools.

Plus – from grades to gender and even friendships, what goes into building class lists.

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“You've got to go. You're not part of it.” Those were the words an Alberta mother says she heard as her surrogate was wheeled into the operating room. She would have to wait over two hours before holding her baby. The surrogate would later tell Sara she was offered to breastfeed the baby and do skin to skin contact. We hear Sara’s story and concerns. Plus Sara Cohen, a fertility law expert, weighs in. She admits there are surrogate-friendly hospitals in Canada. Cohen is on Twitter and you can also find out more through her website.

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So you’ve caught your child watching porn online. Now what?  Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts is the author of the book ‘Kids, Sex & Screens’ she offers up some advice on what to say and what not to say to your children. Plus, we hear from two moms who share how easy and quick it was for their young children to find and view inappropriate content.

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45 minutes. That’s how long the average C-section takes in Canada. Doctors are performing more of these surgeries than ever. In 2018, C-sections accounted for 28.8 per cent of births in Canada. Why? Dr. Sarah Munro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, believes it has to do with repeat deliveries. Mothers who have had one C-section opt to have another the next time around. Dr. Munro joins us to talk about the trend and why there needs to be more information provided about VBACS.  You can find out more about Sarah Munro by clicking here.

 Global News Edmonton anchor Carole Anne Devaney has delivered three babies by both C-section and VBAC She opens up about the reasons behind each delivery and some of the advice she received along the way. Carole Anne is on maternity leave, but is sharing her journey of motherhood on Instagram and her blog CADevaney.com

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For a growing number of expecting mothers, their due date coincides with a travel date. There is no maternal care in their First Nation communities so they are sent to hospitals in larger centres to give birth.  A few days later they are sent back home. The federal government covers the costs of travel and hotel, but could we be doing more to support these new moms? Carole Couchie says ‘yes’. She is the co-chair of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives and joins us to talk about investing in indigenous midwifery.

We also hear from Nadia Houle. She is a doula in Alberta and talks about her role in a mother’s journey and incorporating indigenous knowledge and tradition into the birthing experience.

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Surprise! You are having twins. It’s the news more than 10 thousand couples in Canada received last year. But for at least 2 families, it wasn’t the first time they heard it. The Armstrongs in Red Deer welcomed its third set of fraternal twins in April. All three were conceived naturally. Around the same time, an Edmonton family brought home its second set of twins. Mom Megan joins us to talk about the adjustment.

Plus, how rare is it to welcome not one, but two sets of twins? Dr. Nancy J. Segal is a professor of  psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. She weighs in and helps us get to the bottom of some common twin misconceptions. You can connect Dr. Segal through her website of by following her on twitter.

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