Bunky Bambino
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The Journal — Reflections & Knowledge

Bunky Families : Amelia, Lee Sullivan & Hilary Joy

24/1/2020

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Supporting you and your family into a balanced, strong, confident and joy-filled (life-long) parenting journey is our ultimate goal.

Amelia and Chris found us and put their cards on the table "we're having twins, we want support, what should it look like?". With their needs outlined and their lifestyle (twins!) we suggested starting with strong night shift support, an eventual weaning off slowly and then petering off into day shift support.

Outlining what was most important, good sleep, partnership nurturing and figuring out this tandem breastfeeding made the top of our list.
With pointed advice, local practitioner recommendations, and some hard-fought determination we got both babies from exclusive pumping/bottle-feeding combo to tandem feeding on the breast (with the addition of some formula to bring an element of balance - twin feeding ain't no joke)! No easy feat...

Amelia's elbow grease, long-term vision and strong support systems were the foundation of what got her babies feeding on her breast(s). The awesome inspiration boards with other badass twin moms & tandem feeding moms didn't hurt either ;-)

If we can glean anything from this hard-fought transition (those don't stop...), and purposefulness for what was right for their family - it's this. Find your support team and invest in them : tell them what you need, when and your plans in place. Find the holes and patch them up, with people, systems and care. You can get there, even if at the beginning of your climb it may seem like you will never get to the other side.
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Bunky Families : Kat, Kenji & Malia

22/1/2020

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Meeting Kat and Kenji you can't help but feel their connection, their big smiles and warm attitude bring you right into the fold. 

Sharing a meal, watching some hockey and getting to know each other we fell into comfort easily. With every day growing nearer to meeting little Malia.

Getting the call and swinging by in the dead of night, and giving the bad news of "not time yet, go back to bed and rest before working so hard...". I dropped off a TENS and headed for a nap as I had a sense things would turn a corner shortly...
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As dawn broke and I weaved through the commuter traffic, my knowing was confirmed. Things were rocking and a rolling for Kat. Kenji had to "holy shit!" look on his face of witnessing a powerful active labour and Kat was deep in labour land.

Getting her comfortable in her tub, and seeing if it would change her labour pattern - spoiler alert, she was going full steam ahead. I quickly made the call to Krysta (her cousin and photographer) and her midwives (the awesome team at Canopy). 
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Colleen rushed over and Krysta got into traffic herself, the team arriving as I was furiously blowing up the birth pool for Kat to get more comfortable in.

​With everyone realizing Kat was seeming like she was progressing steadily and rapidly, Colleen gave us the confirmation that we were close to being able to push. Transferring into the birth pool with more room, I gave Kat hip squeezes as she opened and roared powerfully. Kenji staying close by with cold compresses, and such loving words. And Krysta swiftly and so silently, photographing every phenomenal moment.
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With a loader and more guttural roar than before, me and Colleen gave each other a look - we know that sound. Kat's body started pushing and taking her over into the next phase. Her amniotic sac emerging, and repeated deep strength into her pushes. Making sure to lean back, and take her breaks when they came.
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After her sac stayed put - even with some poking and checking it out, Malia was determined to be born en caul! Thought to be good luck and happening in only 1 in 80,000 babies - Malia Lois proved to be the one.

Coming right up to Mom and an awe filled snuggle was head for the new family. She was finally here, with the dawn of a new day.

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If you are ever in need of a photographer, please do check out Krysta Shore - we absolutely love her! She melts into the background and still manages to get "the shot". Following your flow, energy and birth, what more could you want?
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Bunky Families : Laura, David & Peggy Daffodil

13/1/2020

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Connected by social media, Laura’s love of plants (landscape moms!) and a dear Bunky family (Seki and Matt!). We gathered sipping tea David expertly brewed, chatting the ins and out of life before and after you, and then we waited for a little Daffodil to join us all

As Peggy greeted us all, with her lush head of hair and chubby cheeks we reflect on the journey her family took to meet her.
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Days and days of intense work, met with unrelenting strength and patience. Visits to find Laura meditating, holding Peggy close all wrapped in a gorgeous quilt.

Day broke for the 4th day and the decision to go to the hospital was made. After a few midwife visits, a shower and a little snack off we went.

More hard work, a nap and hours of powerful pushing. Peggy's head craned at just at the wrong angle, making your parent’s last leg of the journey to meet you turn into an unexpected twist. Time was taken to grieve, chat, ask and work towards their final answer.

Under the bright lights we heard your cries and two people feel for you more deeply than words. Welcome darling Peggy!
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Mothers Are Unpaid Cognitive Labourers

12/1/2020

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Recently when visiting one of our Bunky families, we noticed that she had refit an old march sign from Betty Friedan in the 70s. She collaged in “Mothers are Unpaid Cognitive Labourers,” and it made us think of all the moms we serve and love. Especially during the holiday season that just passed, how much of an extra cognitive, emotional and mental workload they all take on.

As a new era of motherhood dawns on us all, the era of an individualistic approach, as opposed to the community model of bygone eras, let us remember that leaving mothers to their own devices is not in alignment with any of our hopes for the future and goals of our Bunky families.
How can we do this? We hope to serve more efficiently, genuinely and lovingly - with the intention of truly helping mothers and families, and not gaining the feeling of helping but truly being of benefit. This support will often not look the way we expect to -  it may look like just sitting, listening, validating and holding space for a mother to be real with you. It will probably mean having to hold your tongue, your advice and your judgements. It may entail taking her kids out of the house, doing some dirty work and putting some elbow grease into it. Cleaning a toilet, folding some laundry and unloading the dishwasher. Bringing some flowers, a healthy meal, and a gift card for some physical care methods. It could look like following through with your mom’s, asking the hard question or admitting you don’t know what to say. 

Figuring out how to support new mothers and families is not always simple or linear. It takes time, trust and a few awkward moments. What matters is the follow-through and following up on your families. Show up repeatedly, drop things off quietly, make your support be known and do what you promised. With time it will get easier for moms to ask for things, and you will know what support means and looks like for each family. That’s what community looks like to us at Bunky Bambino. Let us all wade through these uneasy and hard waters together, one step and day at a time.
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Bunky Families : Kelsey, Damon & Oakland

9/1/2020

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As football rang from the tv and Damon paces around the living room. Yelps, shouts and strong energy emanated. Meanwhile, Kelsey was calmly bobbing up and down on her birth ball working through her waves. We had joked about Kelsey labouring during this game, and little did we know how this was the beginning of her long and mighty journey! Day turned to night (Kelsey was mama 5/5 in our birth storm!), her contractions built and built as the moon rose and rose. 
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Babies were born with every twelve hours that passed, between baby 3 and 4, I met them both in admitting just after Kelsey received her first dose of morphine & gravol. Finally, relief and some sleep as another morning passed, a much needed reset button to a long drawn out prodromal labour. More morphine, gravol and time passed with the fourth of five babies joining us (Cassius!).

Mere hours later, a call rang through “it’s baby time!!!!!” and Oakland Jedi was on his own timeline. The paramedics on the line, birth team rushing over, Kelsey on the bathroom floor and Damon hands out ready for his tiny Jedi. Everyone flooded through the doors to his lively cries! He didn't wait for any of us, or the hospital, and chose to live up to his namesake in his very own right.
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    Author

    A deeper dive with Emma (owner, birth & postpartum Doula) into social media and our posts. 
    ​
    What makes the backbone of Bunky Bambino, filled with tips & tricks, reflections on the birth / postpartum world, and knowledge we think is worth sharing with you all.

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  • ABOUT
    • COVID-19 Protocols
    • testimonials
  • OUR TEAM
    • meet alana
    • meet allie
    • meet arti
    • meet chloe
    • meet emma d
    • meet emma m
    • meet hayaat
    • meet michelle
    • meet shaz
    • meet tamara
    • meet yvette
  • OUR SERVICES
    • birth doulas
    • postpartum support
    • lactation consultant
    • birth rentals
    • chef at home
    • placenta encapsulation
  • client portal
    • free info-graphs
    • staff portal
  • the journal
  • contact