The outside world recedes and you are left with your thoughts and four walls. The excellent care provided by Sunnybrook’s Women and Babies team is reassuring, but doesn’t help with the feelings of powerlessness, anxiety and stress felt by mums trying to get through the next day, the next week to enable their babies to grow stronger.

With this in mind, a knitting and crochet program has started in Sunnybrook’s Centre for Resources & Information: Birth, Babies & Beyond (CRIB) to help pass the time. Knitting has been shown to lower blood pressure and give a much-needed sense of calm in a stressful situation.

On any given day you may find first-time mothers, experienced mothers, mothers with babies in the NICU,  joined by a common thread. They are here to weave their thoughts and prayers for their babies into beautiful blankets, tiny hats and sweaters, one stitch at a time. We talk about what they are making, how they are feeling, and learn each other’s names. There are dropped stitches, tea and laughter. There is companionship and a circle of support.

Jasmine, pregnant with identical twin girls, said, “I learned how to do a row and make a blanket. We ended up talking and time passed so fast. I was so excited to continue on my blanket in the hopes of getting two done. My days started to get better when I started crocheting, I began to have a more positive outlook on my situation during a very hard time. Every time I picked up the wool and started crocheting I felt good knowing that one day this would keep my babies warm.”

At a time when you have so much time on your hands and yet so little between pumping milk, checking on your baby, lying with a monitor strapped to your belly, you can choose to do this; make something for your baby, yourself, your older children. This garment will be proof that you got through this challenging time.

The CRIB is located on M5 102 and is open from Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We gratefully accept donations of wool, needles and crochet hooks.

The post Crocheting helps high-risk & NICU moms overcome challenging times appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Once a month, a small group of grandparents-to-be gather at Sunnybrook’s Baby Care for Grandparents Workshop, filling the room with a buzz of excitement, curiosity and many eager questions.

Below are a few of the most common questions grandparents come equipped to class with – and my answers to them:

Why do we need to attend a grandparent class?  Our kids survived!

This may be true – but not all babies of past generations did survive.

For example, we have drastically reduced sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) through new Back to Sleep guidelines, car seat safety, and other safety guidelines that are important to know!

I was told to put my babies on their sides or tummies – Can’t my grandchild choke if she’s on her back?

We know that it’s important for babies to be on their backs to keep their airways open. Their heads are usually to one side, so it is not a problem if they spit up. In fact, studies show that laying babies on their backs is the safest position.

Won’t the baby be spoiled if she is picked up every time she cries? We were taught that as long as the baby is fed, clean and comfortable, we should let them cry it out.

It is true that the above approach to “disciplining” very young children and babies used to be recommended, but we now know that leaving a baby to cry it out is very stressful for him/her. In the medium-to-long term you will build a child’s confidence by always attending to his/her needs.

All of my babies were formula fed and did just fine.  My daughter-in-law feels strongly about breastfeeding, but I think my son should also have an opportunity to bond with the baby.  What’s the harm in him bottle-feeding the baby a few feeds a day?

It’s important to know that your daughter-in-law is making the choice she thinks is best for her baby. We know more and more about the benefits of breastfeeding, and information on the topic has changed from the time you first had children. You made the best choices for your babies at the time, and she is doing the same based on current information.  There are many other ways your son can bond with his baby, including bathing, soothing and burping the baby.

All my babies were swaddled tightly to help them feel more secure.  My son said this is no longer encouraged.  What’s with that?

We do loosely wrap babies to keep them warm, but no longer swaddle them with their arms down.  Babies need access to their hands to trigger the rooting reflex and to have the Moro reflex.  It is important for babies’ well-being, and for breastfeeding, that they are able to move their arms and hands.

What can we do to best support our daughter during the birth and afterwards?

There are plenty of things you can do both before, during and after the birth to help your daughter during this time in her life.  Helping prepare meals, take care of pets and communicate with other family members are all useful.  Assisting with household tasks and giving the couple the time and space to learn their baby is also helpful.

When your daughter is in labour, it is important to respect the couple’s boundaries, and only arrive at the hospital when asked. This relieves the parents of having to worry about you waiting for hours on end for baby’s arrival.

The post Calling all grandparents — things have changed! appeared first on Your Health Matters.