Halton Breastfeeding Connection needs Volunteers

My breastfeeding introduction with my second child was a huge shock. After an easy nursing relationship with #1, I was stunned to find not all babies approached feeding the same way. I had given birth to a 10 pound suction machine whom attacked me with every feeding. I was a puddle of tears with each feeding, trying to bare it, until I finally got myself to a lactation consultant to help the “veteran” learn how to breastfeed.


During those murky weeks is when we as new moms try to learn (or re-learn!) how to breastfeed. We fumble with nursing bras and breast pads. We roll our eyes at spraying breasts or cry over low milk supply. We may curl our toes with a rough latch or sigh in relief when an engorged breast is finally no longer.


There are so many possibilities of how a nursing relationship can end up between any mother and baby pair. Most probable? There will be questions. Will you have someone to ask those questions to when you need to? Not everyone will seek out a Lactation consultant or a forum like momstown to post a question. Not every mom has a support network of nursing mom friends to brainstorm solutions.


How can momstown help more Halton moms make their breastfeeding experience positive? How do we help moms nurse longer than 6 months, which is the average time moms in Halton wean? Support, conversation, education, and more support, support, support.

The Halton Breastfeeding Connection is a wonderful peer to peer telephone support program for nursing moms to reach out to other nursing moms. I was a volunteer in 2006 & 2007 and it was gratifying to talk to other moms and help navigate their feeding relationship with their child.

The Breastfeeding Connection needs more volunteers. All that is required is a couple of short phone calls a week. In the past our community minded momstown moms have been a volunteer force for the region and we’d like to encourage reaching out and helping again. This is what momstown is all about – moms connecting other moms in the neighbourhood.


Volunteers do not need to be active nursing mothers, but with nursing experience of at least 6 months. The Halton Health provides training. All details are here and you can email if you’d like to help make Halton a more breastfeeding friendly region.


Call 905-825-6000 x311 or email Michaelle at michelle.griffin@halton.ca to Volunteer.


As an additional resource - local Oakville breastfeeding help/advice is available:

1. Baby & Parent Telephone Info Line 905-825-6000 x311 to speak to a Public Health Nurse for Breastfeeding Support
2. La Leche League - Oakville has an online support group
3. Breastfeeding Drop In by La Leche League, Mondays 10-12 at St Aidan's Anglican Church, 318 Queen Mary Dr, Oakville 416-483-3368
4. Baby Wearing & Breastfeeding Drop in: 2nd Monday of the month 930-1130am at Dynamic Health & Performance 12-1660 North Service rd, Oakville with Doula Ashely Pickett ashley@haltondoulagroup.com
5. Breastfeeding Cafe with Lactation Consultant Jean Kouba with HaltonBreastfeeding.com the 2nd and 4th Fridays at Oakville Parent & Child Centre 461 North Service rd, Oakville. 10am-noon 416-407-8552
6. momstown Oakville :) We're full of peer to peer support and many moms with breastfeeding experience (although we're not trained beyond our own experiences!)
   

Music Pups!

Our momstown kids had a great time with Suzanne Brown at a music pups demo class! Suzanne is a music teacher with Music For Young Children.



We were moving and shaking to so many different beats, and every child was smiling, and singing right along.

Suzanne did an amazing job of integrating our moms and allowing us to participate in the music class with our kids. It's what we like to do best, join right in on the fun!


The class was for kids ages 0-4 years, and we really tested Suzanne. We had kids as young as a few months old, right up to 4. She had music and movement to include them all!
The class was varied and really kept our kids engaged.


We sang about such a variety of things that interested the kids. Giraffes, which fit right in with our momstown theme this month "all about the zoo". We sang about dump trucks and cranes which really had a few of our toddlers attention. We also got up and moved alot. Kids were dancing, and swinging scarves.


Suzanne Brown is opening her new studio and is currently accepting students. She has a wide variety of programs to offer anyone interested.
You can email directly suzanne@suzannebrown.com
For more information, please check out her websites: www.suzannebrown.com or www.suziesunshine.ca or call Suzanne directly 416-822-5500 OR 905-842-8793
Want to join in the momstown fun? email Sarah for a 2 week free trial sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca and find out what we're all about. We will be joining Suzanne at CJ's cafe in Bronte this month. She will be performing for our kids, while our moms enjoy a coffee. Hope to see you there!

Visit momstown at Oakville Mom trade shows this weekend!

What a busy weekend is lined up for momstown Oakville! Two trade shows back to back all geared for moms and mompreneurs - fun and exciting!

We hope you will join us and seek us out and all the other terrific vendors.

Family Birth and Baby Show
Saturday, September 24, 1-5pm
St Paul's United Church, Rebecca St, Oakville (just east of 4th line)
Bring a food drive donation and get in for free.

What to expect at the show?

• How to enjoy your pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods
• Interactive Salsa Babies demonstration*
• 10 amazing tips that every new parent should know about how to ensure optimal neurological development for your children
• Car seat safety and installation**
• Family nutrition
• 7 Steps to Slumber: Sleep Expectations and Solutions for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Where does Dad fit into the breastfeeding relationship
• Babywearing 101

momstown's founder Ann-Marie Burton is included in the line-up of speakers Most of all she'll be giving tips on how to get involved with your child in town and meet other mothers.

On Sunday, momstown will be at the Oakville Mompreneur Showcase
Sunday, September 25th 11am-5pm
Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville

This event is a celebration of mompreneurs and an opportunity for people to shop and learn about the many local mompreneur businesses in our Oakville community.

momstown is a HUGE supporter and mentor of mompreneurs and consider ourselves ones as well. was named of the Top 50 Canadian Mompreneurs by MOMpreneur Magazine in 2010 and recently voted one of 2011's top 10 Finalists in the Mom Entreprener of the Year Award by SavvyMom.ca.

momstown joined Kellogg's for Breakfast in the Park

Momstown couldn't have asked for better weather today! Our momstown Kellogg's breakfast in the park was a perfect warm and sunny fall day. Great weather to layer a comfy pair of pajamas over your clothes - and that's exactly what so many of our kids and moms did today!

We were so excited to be able to present our momstown mamas and kids with so many delicious choices of Kellogg's cereal today! Many of our kids LOVED trying a few bites of several different cereals. Some of our moms were so surprised at the cereal their kids chose, and then so happy to learn they loved it! A few of our moms have never bought Raisin Bran before, but it will be on the next shopping list! What a great opportunity to try a new cereal. I know my kids found 2 new favorites: Corn Pops! and Mini-Wheats.


We also had a great selection of fruit, yogurt, and orange juice, coffee and tea.


Our goody bags were great! They had $25 worth of coupons for Kellogg's cereals. The perfect part is that each mom can go out and get the cereal that their kids liked the best!


momstown Oakville talked nutrition and convenience, and found out that every mom is looking for a fast and simple way to get breakfast on the table in the morning! Kellogg's cereal answers all the demands, and meets the nutritional needs of our growing kids. Moms also found it convenient to have the cereals on hand to check out the nutritional value for themselves.

We often don't have the time in the grocery store to read the labels as we often have 1,2 or more kids sitting in shopping carts with nothing to do. This breakfast provided the kids with a chance to sit down and try the food, and gave mom a moment to check out the labels.





We strategically planned our breakfast right beside the park. So, once bellies were full, everyone headed to the park for some fun! Some of our toddlers don't take much time to sit and eat (at home or at the park). We were able to fill a cup with their favorite cereal, we didn't add milk, and it was the perfect snack "to go"! What an easy and portable snack, and no sticky mess for mom to clean up.




I can't wait to hear from our moms about what the new cereal is in their cupboards!
This event was a great reminder for moms that Kellogg's cereal is a great breakfast for kids. It provides them the nutrition they need for busy days, and is an easy and convenient option for moms!

Congratulations to Carter and his mommy Amanda on winning the Kellogg's prize pack!

Kelloggs Breakfast in the Park

momstown Oakville and Kellogg's is hosting a breakfast in the park, and you won't want to miss the fun!
We are serving up breakfast for moms and the kids at Coronation Park. We'll have loads of great Kellogg's cereals for you and your kids to try - you never know, you might find a new favorite! We'll have coffee and tea, fruit and yogurt. You'll have lots of energy when it's all over to run and play!


We have a great prize pack to give away, and lots of great information for moms!
We have goody bags stuffed with great things for the first 25 families who sign up.

While we eat, we'll be discussing:

• How to make your morning routine easier.
• Tips for dealing with fussy eaters.
• The nutrition and value of serving cereal to your family in the morning.

We'd love to get you involved in the discussion!
For more info about this great event, contact sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca

Sharkey's Baby Playgroup

Our moms and babes had a great time at our baby playgroup today at Sharkeys!
This group was cancelled during the summer as many of our moms wanted to enjoy the parks and outdoors while the weather was warm. Well, with fall and winter weather just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to get this group going again!


We had a perfect mix of moms. Half the group are first time moms, and half the group are on baby #2,3, and 4. Great way to get some first hand advice, from an experienced mama!



Sharkey's has a wonderful room for the moms and babies. It's comfy to sit on the floor, and a bit of space for the babies to roll around and explore. My baby discovered this mirror, just the perfect height!







Our group is meeting at Sharkeys regularly, but also have big plans to get out around town. We are planning some trips to the movies, playdates at houses, restaurants, and lots more. We are always looking for new moms to join in the fun! To register for a free trial, and join us at our next baby playgroup, email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca

The Underpants Zoo!

At our crafty kids playgroup and new member meetup today momstown shared "The Underpants Zoo" during storytime. The kids loved hearing about all the animals and their silly underpants. Every child at our playgroup today loves animals, and the room was silent while the book was read.


This length of book is perfect for this toddler age group. They also loved that each page brought a new animal to the zoo with a different pair of underpants! A new animal is introduced on each page, and the kids were all giggling to hear what they would be wearing. They also loved the rhyming in the book, and made for an easy read too!



Congratulation to Carter who took this book home with him. These books are donated to momstown by Scholastic. I think we can all guess what Carters mommy will be reading at bedtime tonight:)
For more reviews and to check out an interview with the author go to our arts & crafts blog.
Want to join in on the next storytime, and your chance to win a Scholastic book? Join momstown Oakville for a free trial membership.

Crafty Kids Playgroup & New Member Meetup

Our momstown event today was all about the zoo! The toys, the book, the craft, and the kids LOVED it! We had a great time playing with all the little people. For many of the kids, this was their first chance to try out the Little People Zoo Talkers. It was a hit all around! I think a few kids went home to start their christmas lists!

To go along with our momstown education curriculum, our craft had a zoo animal theme. We made monkeys and snakes. The kids had a great time colouring, cutting, and working with pipe cleaners to create their animals. The part that i loved the most about this craft was that it could be adapted to suit a wide age range. With a little help from mom even the youngest kids were creating.



A little more playtime, snack, and a story, our morning was complete. We featured "The Underpants Zoo" as our Scholastic book at this event.

Some finished products that were created, these are the snakes. For detailed instructions on how you can make these at home, check out our momstown art & crafts blog.

The monkeys are also in the momstown art & crafts blog, with the template to print. This was a great example of how 1 craft can be adapted to suit a wide age range. A 2 year old made the monkey on the left. Mom did the cutting, and she did the coloring. She was able to help with attaching the arms and legs. A 5 year old did the other monkey. She was able to do this alone. She cut the monkey, and chose a template without a face, so that she could add her own expression. This allowed for a little more creativity.


Want to join in on the fun? email sarah.mclauglin@momstown.ca for a free 2 week trial membership!

momstown Halton Mom to Mom Sales

Love a good deal? Mom-to-mom Sales are a fabulous place to pick up gently used children's toys, clothes and baby equipment.

In our Halton momstown neighbourhood, our momstown sister chapters, momstown Milton and momstown Burlington are hosting their own mom-to-mom sales this fall. Both very popular sales with tons of sellers, shoppers and oodles of goodies at awesome prices.

Our fall sales will have fall & winter clothes, winter coats/snowsuits and even Hallowe'en costumes for children aged 0-6 years old. Arrive early for the best variety and / or shop late for the best deals!

Saturday, September 17th -- momstown Burlington MOM TO MOM SALE

* NEW Location * Angelic Treasures at 2054 Mountainside Dr, Burlington.
8:30 - 11:30am

We will have boys and girls clothing, as well as toys and accessories from high chairs to strollers and last year, we even had a bed! Make sure to get there early, as our best items sell quickly and we will only have goodie bags for the first 200 people to enter the sale!

The sale is open to everyone, and there is a $2 charge for those who are not momstown members

The sale is cash only and no strollers are allowed into the sale.

As always, our famous 1/2 price sale will take place from 11:00-11:30!

If you are looking to sell your gently used items at the sale, please email info.burlington@momstown.ca

If you are looking to put something into our goody bags and/or want to have a door prize at our sale, please contact info.burlington@momstown.ca for more information and pricing!

Sunday, October 2nd - momstown Milton's MOM TO MOM SALE
* NEW location * Cirque du Play 525 Main Street East, Milton
8am - 11am

It's the sale we all wait for!! Our momstown mom to mom sale where moms sell their gently used kids items at a great price, and you get to stock up your kids closets and toy chests without hurting your wallet ;-)

looking to sell? email sam.kassam@momstown.ca for details

Local business? Get in on our welcome bags to advertise. Contact sam.kassam@momstown.ca

CASH only

FREE admission for members

$2 Admission for non-members

WIN Backyardigans tickets!

Wanna WIN tickets to the Backyardigans LIVE show in Hamilton on Oct 20th?

All you need to do is visit the momstown Oakville Facebook Page and post a picture or comment of your kids loving Backyardigans. A picture of them dancing to their songs or telling you why they are their #1 fan.

Then come on back HERE and leave a COMMENT (this is your official ballot) and let me know you did so (please leave your Facebook name as well so we can easily find you)!

At the end of Monday the 5th we pick a winner between momstown Oakville & momstown Burlington.

Make sure you go check out the Koba Entertainment Facebook page and follow them on Twitter as well!