Welcome to the Monster Jam Tour, an incredible family-friendly experience starring the biggest performers on four wheels: Monster Jam monster trucks. These twelve-feet-tall, ten-thousand-pound machines will bring you to your feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over - OR smash through. Monster Jam provides a massive night’s entertainment tailored perfectly for your family’s budget, and these colourful, larger-than-life beasts are sure to capture the hearts of both young and old.

We are giving away 4 tickets to Monster Jam for the January 16th opening show!  Enter for your chance to win here a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are  pleased to offer Life With A Baby members a very special opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to Disney on Ice ‘DARE TO DREAM’ and save up to 35% off the regular Ticketmaster ticket prices. 

 

Performance dates, show times and special ticket prices are outlined below.

 

 

 

To purchase tickets at the discounted ticket prices, please click on the link below:

 

https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/rogerscentre/EN/link/promotion/home/a7956675b9aa39b34fd76ac63666e2aaec328e40   

Promo Code:  DOI15

 

Please note:

*  Children two years and older require a ticket.

*  Ticket prices include all applicable fees excluding $3.00 processing fee.

*  Opening Night Performance Special Offer:  All Price Level 3 and 4 tickets ONLY $29.50.          

* To watch a video clip of the show, please click on this link … http://disney.com.au/disney-on-ice/dare-to-dream/video.html

 

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at lori.parker@rogerscentre.rogers.com or 416-341-3147.

We are giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to Disney On Ice on December 18th.  Enter here for your chance to win a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the show: 

Classic meets contemporary in Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream! Join your favourite Disney Princesses in a celebration of 75 years of Disney Princess stories, including two-modern day princesses, Rapunzel and Tiana; the always elegant Cinderella; and the princess who started it all, Snow White. Laugh at Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled, as Rapunzel; her unlikely companion, Flynn; and Maximus, the Captain of the Guard’s determined horse; embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Travel to the enchanted forest with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Snow White escapes from the Evil Queen in her search for her one true love. Watch as fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. And boogie to the beat of the bayou in a magical, musical journey that celebrates the story of The Princess and the Frog with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. All your favourite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime! Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!

I HAD POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND I NEVER – NOT EVER WANTED TO HARM MY CHILD.

Yes, that’s what I said – read it again! I had postpartum depression and I NEVER – NOT EVER wanted to harm my child.

Lately with the recent tragedy of Lisa Gibson Postpartum depression has been in the news a lot.  Unfortunately, the facts about this illness are not being reported properly.  The fact is Postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum psychosis (PPP) are not the same.  I have met many parents who experienced PPP, who spoke up, asked for help receive treatment and have taken excellent care of their children.

I’ve had calls from moms and dads worried because they saw somewhere that this is common, that most people with a PPD will harm their child, that this is average.

FACT:  the majority of people with a post-partum mood disorder does NOT have thoughts of harming their child.   We sometimes have irrational thoughts and some of those include fearful thoughts of something happening to their child and taking that child away. However, rarely are the thoughts that we would actually do something.

For example, when my daughter was about 4 months, I fell on the stairs the night before.  I immediately started thinking about what if Katelyn was in my hands, what if I had fallen on her, what if… this irrational fear that my daughter who I love and cherish  could be have gotten hurt played out in my mind in many ways.  It led to irrational thoughts where I could picture myself falling down the stairs with her in my arms.  This resulted in me spending a whole day on the main floor of our house until my husband got home because I did not want to be alone – in case I really did fall with her in my hand.

Do you see the difference? It’s not that I wanted to hurt her, it’s that my anxiety that something could happen to her led to irrational behaviour.

I fell in love with my daughter the moment I saw her – with this love came a fear that I had never experience before. The realization that this was real responsibility was overwhelming. The fact that I was responsible for keeping this child alive was overwhelming; the loneliness of not having any peers around that I could connect with was overwhelming. The anxiety that I could lose the most precious thing I have EVER had was overwhelming and all of this contributed to me developing postpartum depression and anxiety.

Guess what, before you comment or report on what a postpartum mood disorder mean, learn the facts!

Just because a mom or a dad has a postpartum mood disorder it does not mean that:

1. They do not love their child
2. They have thoughts of harming their child
3. They have attachment issues with that child

I included dads who are often left out of this discussion because the fact is 1 in 10 men in Canada will experience a postpartum mood disorder www.lifewithnewbaby.ca

Most often  it is the LOVE for that child that pulls us through Postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. It is our goal to be a better parent, a protector, a good role model that pulls us through.  It is the fact that in the void that becomes our world our child is the ONLY good thing, and we hold on to that and cherish that.  We experience the love that our baby gives us, we hold onto it,  and we try each day to be better and do better for that child.

I cannot give you someone else’s story – I can only share mine.  While I was in the deepest pit of sadness, loneliness, isolation, fear and anxiety it was my love for my little girl that made me reach out and find out what was wrong. It was the love for her that made me go see my doctor; It was the love for her that made me seek counselling.  It was my LOVE for her that inspired me to create Life With A Baby www.lifewithababy.com I created this peer support network because finding peers is what saved me. Peers was what I needed in my situation.  After learning that peers support reduces depression by 50% I knew that I wanted to do something that would prevent others from having to go through what I did.

I get extremely frustrated with the News, and the media in general for reporting only the bad!  Postpartum depression does not come up unless something negative happens.   The Media does not share the positive stories of what experiencing a postpartum mood disorder sometimes accomplish.

The fact that the media and News only speaks about postpartum depression when something bad happens contributes to the freaking stigma that parents who are experience this illness have to live with!  And to make matters worse – often time the information that is reported about the illness is wrong!  Is it because people are more likely to read about a negative, scary story? I don’t know.

I’m curious as to why the conversations are happening only after a tragic story?  Why is this?

If we want to paint an accurate view of what postpartum mood disorder is like, we need to share the GOOD and the bad, just like everything else in life.

Guess what, it was a horrible experience – it was despair at its worst.  Yet, if I could go back – I would not change it.  If I changed that experience there are other things that would change, the life I have today would be different.  I have two wonderful, healthy, happy children.  I am truly content with my parenting and I feel blessed.  My postpartum journey led me to here – I would not change that.

This is what the Best Start Maternal Newborn Centre had to say:

some parents experience irrational thoughts and may see repetitive pictures of harm in their minds eye, even without any other symptoms of a postpartum mood disorder. Apparently this happens to about 40% of new parents (dads included) mostly during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first few weeks or months postpartum. The theoretical thinking behind this is that parents need to adapt their protective system to protecting themselves only to now being responsible for a little life as well. A lot of things can happen and these thought flash into their minds. Sometimes it is linked to common tasks or circumstances (what if I dropped my baby in the bath, what if I dropped my baby when I am carrying her/him downstairs?) Sometimes the thoughts get more irrational, for example while cutting vegetables for supper, they may see a knife hurting the baby. Often the more they struggle against these thoughts, the more often they appear seemingly unprovoked and out of nowhere. How do we know it is a “normal” parenting response? I don’t think we can ever be completely complacent. A good assessment by a skilled professional would be very helpful here. In the meantime, getting someone to talk about these thoughts and images is very powerful. It does a couple of things. 1) it makes the parent realize that the thought, picture is irrational and they often confirm that they would never act on this. 2) it makes the parent realize that this happens to others as well. It has been shown that after parents talk about these thoughts and images there experience of them will lessen. That all being said, a good assessment by a skilled professional is probably a good idea. 

Guess what? When we talk about postpartum challenges only after a tragedy it leads to creation of negative stigma, it increases fear in new parents, it makes the mom or dad who was going to ask for help think twice about it.

And remember, we all LOVE our children and want the best for them – even the moms and dads who are having a difficult transition to parenting.

Hugs
-Claire

Founder of Healthy Start, Healthy Future and the Life With A Baby program.

Lastly, November is CPR month - with 70 per cent of cardiac arrests happening at home, taking a CPR course is a simple action that could help save a loved one’s life. The Canadian Red Cross is urging Ontarians to learn CPR or refresh their skills by taking a course - be sure to check out one of the many free LWAB workshops offered through our partnership with the Canadian Red Cross.
Learn more about CPR and test your knowledge for a chance to win a family first aid kit at www.redcross.ca/firstaid. Get the Facts!

Seventy percent of cardiac arrests happen at home: Canadian Red Cross

November is CPR month: Know what to do.

Ontario, November 1, 2011 – With 70 per cent of cardiac arrests happening at home, taking a CPR course is a simple action that could help save a loved one’s life.

November is CPR month, and the Canadian Red Cross is urging Ontarians to learn CPR or refresh their skills by taking a course.

“Knowing how to help a person suffering from cardiac arrest can mean the difference between full recovery and permanent disability or even death,” says Lorraine Davies, Director, First Aid and Water Safety, Canadian Red Cross. “CPR training teaches people how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and how to act quickly and effectively in an emergency situation.”

 Over 50,000 Canadians die of coronary disease every year. In large urban centres, the average ambulance response time is nine minutes, yet permanent brain damage can occur four to six minutes after breathing stops. Effective bystander CPR, administered immediately following cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival.

 “For Canadians who have never been trained in first aid or CPR, now is the time to learn how to save a life,” said Davies. “CPR can be learned by most people in a four hour course.”

 Red Cross CPR courses cover the skills needed to recognize and respond to cardiovascular emergencies and choking, and also include training on the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Those trained in AED use can assess a person in cardiac arrest, determine whether defibrillation (a shock to the heart to restore normal beating) should be performed, and use an AED unit to deliver a shock to the ill person’s heart if required. AED units can now be found in many public places including community centres and airports.

 Learn more about CPR and test your knowledge for a chance to win a family first aid kit at www.redcross.ca/firstaid.

 For information on first aid, CPR or Automated External Defibrillation (AED) courses visit www.redcross.ca or call 1-877-356-3226.

 

November is CPR Month – Get the Facts!

CPR – Fact Sheet

 

 ♥       A human heart will cease beating within zero to four minutes after breathing stops.

 ♥       Permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes after breathing stops.

 ♥       The survival rates of individuals suffering of cardiac arrest decrease approximately 7% to 10% every minute that defibrillation is delayed.

 ♥       The use of an Automated External Defibrillator, introduced into a community or workplace emergency system, can save the lives of 30% or more of those who suffer cardiac arrest.

 ♥       More than a third of Canadians who die each year succumb to coronary disease, which makes it the leading cause of death in Canada.

 ♥       In most Canadian cities, the average ambulance response time is eight to twelve minutes.

 ♥       In Ontario alone, approximately 6,500 people suffer cardiac arrest each year and very few who experience an arrest outside the hospital survive.

 ♥       Defibrillation within five minutes of suffering cardiac arrest will minimize the potential of brain damage, and ensure the best chance of survival. 

 ♥       In 1997, AED training became part of a series of advanced Red Cross first aid courses.  Since then, more than 2,000 people have been trained to use an AED by the Red Cross. 

 ♥       The Canadian Red Cross trains over 260,000 Canadians in first aid and CPR each year, enabling them to prevent injuries and react appropriately in emergency situations.

 

Download this CPR – Fact Sheet.

A HUGE thank you to Gymalaya Vaughan for sponsoring our Halloween Party in Vaughan - we all had a fantastic time. We loved seeing the little ones (and some of the parents) in their costumes as they bounced around.

For our Halloween costume contest, here is the winner in her adorable outfit.

Our very own Life with a Baby founder, Claire Zlobin has given birth to a healthy baby boy! Baby Ethan was born on July 17 at 3:02 pm weighing 7.5 lbs. Both mom and baby are doing great. Dad is just super and big sister Katelyn is ecstatic!

Claire is once again a new mom and I'm sure you are all excited as we expect to see her in more LWAB mom & baby events.

Please feel free to congratulate Claire and send your best wishes by posting your messages here. Congratulations, Claire and family!

For many Canadian families, summer includes activities such as boating and swimming. But each year, tragic and avoidable water-related fatalities occur across Canada.  A Canadian Red Cross report examining these fatalities over 10 years revealed many common factors:
•    Young children ages 1 to 4 and men ages 15 to 44 are at the greatest risk of drowning.
•    Drowning is one of the leading causes of un¬intentional death for Canadian children ages one to four.
•    A small child can disappear in seconds and can drown in only a few centimetres of wa¬terundefinedenough to cover the mouth and nose. Typically these drownings occur in backyard pools, toddler pools, the bathtub, or at the beach.
•    Small children are also the most vulnerable group for near drownings. For every death,

there are an estimated four to five additional
near-drowning incidents, which require hospi¬talization and often result in varying degrees of brain damage.
• Infants and toddlers drowned mainly in bath¬tubs and pools, whereas older children and youth drowned mainly in large bodies of water.
• Other factors for adults in water-related fatalities included current and alcohol consumption.

Water Safety in addition to Skills

Though important, swimming skills alone aren’t always enough to save a life. Many drowning incidents involve other factors that swimming skills alone cannot prepare an individual for. Learning water safetyundefinedsuch as how to prepare for an emergency, and what to do if one should occurundefinedis key to preventing an emergency in or on the water. It’s swimming skills combined with safety knowledge and skills that saves lives.
 
The Red Cross Swim program teaches both swimming skills and water safety. The infant and preschool program, Red Cross Swim Preschool, teaches caregivers strategies on how to ef¬fectively supervise children around water and teaches preschoolers not to go near the water without an adult.

Prevention

Active supervision
•    The absence of adult supervision is a factor in most child drownings.
•    Whether it’s a pool, the bathtub, a water park, or the beach, always watch children actively around waterundefinedeven if they can swim.
•    Consider requiring all non-swimmers to wear a lifejacket to keep them at the surface to assist you while supervising

Backyard pools
• Backyard pools are especially dangerous for small children. Ensure adequate barri¬ers are in place such as four-sided fencing along with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
• Empty portable toddler pools after each use.

Bathing children
•    When bathing infants or toddlers, an adult should remain with the child at all timesundefined children should never be relied upon to supervise other children in the bath.
•    When a child is in the bathtub, never leave to answer the phone or for any other momentary distraction.

Diving
• Diving headfirst into water should be
avoided unless the individual is properly trained and is sure that the water is deep enough.
• Avoid diving in home pools and always enter the water feet-first.

Open water
• Never underestimate the power of current. Swimmers or waders can be swept away in an instant, particularly if non-swimmers or weak swimmers get caught by current in rivers or out of their depth in abrupt drop-offs.
• Be cautious about swimming in currents, and know what to do if caught in a current.

Canadian Red Cross
1-877-356-3226 | www.redcross.ca/swim

Download this article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, March 4, 2011

 

LIFE WITH A BABY AND THE CANADIAN RED CROSS PARTNER TO OFFER
FREE BABY/CHILD SAFETY WORKSHOPS

 

The Canadian Red Cross and Life With A Baby are partnering to provide FREE Baby/Child safety, water safety and injury prevention workshops.

 

Workshops will be provided in a number of languages and will be available to all parents and caregivers free of cost.  The goal of these workshops is to reduce the nervousness and anxiety that many parents face at home with a new baby and equip them with lifesaving skills.

Life With A Baby is excited to work with The Canadian Red Cross on a provincial level to bring these workshops to new families.  Currently the free workshops are available in York Region, Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor with more areas becoming available in the fall of 2011.

Interested participants can register on www.lifewithababy.com.  

 

About Life With A Baby

Healthy Start, Healthy Future is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to provide ongoing, practical and emotional peer-based support for new and expecting parents, and parents of children up to the age of six. Healthy Start, Healthy Future created and runs the Life With A Baby Program. LWAB offers informational seminars and programs, open forums, and fun social events.  For more information visit www.lifewithababy.com.

 

About Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross is Canada’s leading humanitarian organization that keeps people safe, informed and engaged through its ever-expanding expertise in disaster management, injury, violence and abuse prevention, community health services and humanitarian issues promotion. With the generous support of Canadians, we assist vulnerable people in Canada and also around the world as a respected member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For more information visit www.redcross.ca.

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