Nurture Narratives

I chatted with Sustainable Home and Wardrobe Consultant Brittany Webster about how to celebrate the holidays with less overwhelm and clutter.

We talked about:

🎄 Multi-functional spaces that adults and children can enjoy

🎄How to tune out social media pressure and celebrate in a way that feels authentic to you

🎄 Protecting your energy for the things that matter most

🎄 Choosing connection over consumer items

🎄 How to handle unwanted gifts and how to let go of items in a responsible eco-friendly way

🎄 Using the new year to kickstart decluttering

And more! Thanks for tuning in 💚

You can find Brittany on Instagram @consciouslycuratedhome or visit her website www.consciouslycuratedhome.com

I chatted with certified breastfeeding counsellor and birth educator Luka Zigic on the need for breastfeeding/chestfeeding education and support.

We discuss:

💚 the current gaps in care when we become parents

💚 why we need to be educated on the ways our bodies change from pregnancy to postpartum, including the stages of lactation

💚 the loss of ancestral knowledge and community support for breastfeeding

💚 why it's important to understand chestfeeding before giving birth

💚 the physical and mental benefits of breastfeeding for parents

And more! Thanks for tuning in!

You can find Luka on Instagram at @babysnectar or visit her website www.babysnectar.ca.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sharana Ali about her experience as a single mother. We discuss:

🌿 how she is bringing so-called taboo topics to the table through her collective BOSS the six edition

🌿 the importance of living life outside of the labels and identities that society gives us

🌿 her journey through divorce and single motherhood

🌿 rejecting stigma and shame in order to live authentically

🌿 living in a home with 3 generations of her family and the unique benefits and challenges of this situation

🌿 parenting differently to how she was raised

🌿 why she values open and honest conversation with her daughter

You can connect with Sharana on Instagram @bossthesixedition

We mention @coloursofmama in this episode which is an amazing resource for parents seeking open dialogues and community support.

Bernadeth Betchi is a communicator, activist and mother who does things her own way. I spoke with Bernadeth about how she has navigated motherhood while following her instincts. We discussed:

🌿 Giving birth at home during the pandemic surrounded by family and love

🌿 the effects of colonization on traditional homebirth and breastfeeding practices

🌿 her fourth trimester realities and why she shares openly about this period

🌿 The loss of community support for parents in general and during the pandemic

🌿 society's fixation on baby milestones

🌿 bed sharing (❗for safe bedsharing information please visit: www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/sleep-bedshare/)

🌿 breastfeeding and the shaming of parents who nurse children past infancy

🌿 the additional challenges black breastfeeding parents face

🌿 the freedom of going with the flow as a parent

You can find Bernadeth on instagram @bernadethbetchi. For more information on her consulting group website is sankofaconsultantsgroup.ca.

I spoke with health coach Mikaela Davis about the importance of mindsets and routines. Specifically I wanted to talk about how these are affected when we are experiencing uncertainty in our lives. This is a timely discussion for anyone who wants to nurture their own well-being including parents.

Mikaela and I discuss:

🌿 how to find a routine that works for you even if you don't want to wake up at 5 a.m. and drink lemon water or make your bed every day 😆

🌿 why consistency is more important than intensity

🌿 how to start small and start again

🌿 the importance of self compassion

🌿 her practice of looking for 'small joys'

🌿 how to avoid the pitfalls of toxic positivity

You can find Mikaela on instagram @mikaeladavis_ or visit her website mikaelajdavis.com.

CW: miscarriage

Aniya Emtage Legnaro is a visual storyteller and mother of four. She shared with me her journey from raising her first two children as a single mother to having a baby and toddler with her husband Matteo. Her story is one of growth, loss and wisdom gained through experience. We chatted about many aspects of motherhood as well as her work as a photographer including:

🌿 her project to capture the importance of sports for teen girls

🌿 her personal struggle with miscarriages and why she is passionate about destigmatizing this topic

🌿 the importance of relinquishing control when raising kids in partnership

🌿 why she loves documenting the beauty of the everyday so-called 'mundane' moments

🌿 the aspects of Bajan and West Indian culture she wants to pass down to her kids and those she would like to see change including why it's time to stop saying "children should be seen but not heard"

🌿 why mothers need to invest in themselves

You can view Aniya's photography work on instagram @aniyaemtagephotography and reach out to her at [email protected].

Mr. Chazz is an educational specialist who has worked with thousands of young children. I invited Mr. Chazz to talk about his views on discipline, and the cultural narratives that inform how we view and interact with our kids.

We discuss: 🌱

Why children deserve to be seen and treated as equals in our society 🌱 Why we need to learn to regulate our emotions if we want our children to do the same thing

🌱 Why the true meaning of discipline isn’t punishment and the problems with corporal punishment and forced isolation/timeouts 🌱 Why forced apologies don’t teach empathy and what to do instead 🌱 Why obedience shouldn't be our ultimate goal as parents or teachers.

You can find Mr. Chazz’s parenting and teaching resources at:

www.patreon.com/Mrchazz

www.getvokl.com/mrchazz

www.tiktok.co/@mrchazzmrchazz

www.facebook.com/MrChazz-MrChazz-1715416325189162

You can also find Mr. Chazz’s Leadership, Parenting and Teaching Podcast on podcast platforms.

I spoke with world-renowned breastfeeding expert, Dr. Newman about common breastfeeding and chestfeeding myths that can interrupt the breastfeeding relationship including:

🗓 You shouldn’t breastfeed after a certain period whether that is 6 month or a year

🍷🌿 Parents who breastfeed shouldn't eat certain foods, drink alcohol, or take prescription medication. Dr. Newman also offered his advice on whether it is okay to use cannabis while breastfeeding.

🍼 Expressing and bottlefeeding is a good way to determine milk supply.

🦷 Nursing at night causes cavities

🤱🏽 You should only nurse on one side at a time to ensure your baby is getting enough hindmilk.

We also talked about how we would like to see the culture around breastfeeding change with good support, early intervention for problems, and acceptance of public breastfeeding.

If you are looking for reliable breastfeeding information check out www.ibconline.ca for general information or to submit a question. You can also follow Dr. Newman on Facebook at Facebook.com/DrJackNewman

I spoke with Megan Kelly of Adventure Report about becoming a mother, and how her love of the outdoors supported this transition.

We discuss:

🥾 Her blog and hiking challenge

🏕 How the Adventure Report gear lending library is helping make camping more accessible

🌱 the benefits of spending time outdoors for herself and her family

🤳 The polarizing images of motherhood portrayed online

💕 How her perception of motherhood changed when she became a parent

💞 How relying on her support system benefits both her and her daughter

You can find Adventure Report at www.adventurereport.ca.

Dr. Jodi Pawluski is a neuroscientist who studies the neuroscience of motherhood, maternal mental illness and antidepressant medications. She is also a therapist and the podcaster behind @mommybrain.revisted a podcast about scientific research in the neuroscience of parenting. I spoke to Jodi about her research and the findings of others in her field.

We cover:

🧠 the scientific methods of studying the brain and how her work in animal models translates to humans

🧠 the "fine tuning" process our brains go through to help us care for our children

🧠 Jodi's research on the affects of antidepressant medications on mothers and their children

🧠 the mental health implications of a culture that values the newborn baby above the mother

🧠 research on paternal brain changes

This episode gives a glimpse into the neuroscience of parenting, and shows us how much is still left to learn to help us understand the transition to parenthood. To learn more about Jodi's work visit her website www.jodipawluski.com.