Babywearing in Canada

_ (press release) _

Babywearing in Canada announcedthe Babywearing in Canada Conference 2016,taking place

 May 20-21, 2016

, at the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre. Held at the start of Babywearing in Canada Week (#BWICweek), which runs from

 May 21-28, 2016

, the conference’s focus this year is on community.  It is still normal for the mother to be seen as the natural caretaker for a new baby, but with the introduction of full year parental leave provisions in 2001, it is long past time for fathers to be introduced as part of the parenting conversation.  The community of support around the baby is what guarantees the parents’ ability to do their best. Attendees

will participate in understanding the impact of birth on women and families post-partum in a uniquely Canadian context.

The conference will host 16 seminars over two days. The theme for

 May 20, 2016

, is breastfeeding. Did you know breastfeeding success depends on the resources in a mother’s sphere, including support from the father, her extended family, her friends, and her community? Stephanie George, a midwife from the Oneida nation, and Kathy Venter, a registered nurse and retired midwife, are two experienced lactation consultants who will be speaking about the importance of the community of support for breastfeeding success. Breastfeeding is very important to the long term health of both the mother and the baby, and without a good level of support, we cannot expect mothers to bear the burden of breastfeeding on their own. The theme on May 21, 2016, is father involvement. Fathers are the first point of support for most mothers. Fathers want to be seen and counted. They have also seen a huge shift in their roles as parents in the last 20 years, and their importance to the health of the family needs to be recognized. Did you know breastfeeding rates increase exponentially if the father attends a breastfeeding information session with the mother? Speaking to these topics are Brian Russell from Dad Central Ontario, and Rick Goodwin from the Men and Healing project.

“Babywearing in Canada was created to reflect who we are as Canadians and the support we need after having a child. We have a unique country, and are privileged to have had maternal and parental leave benefits for 15 years now,” said Débora Rodrigues, President and CEO of Babywearing in Canada. “We are extremely excited to talk about what parents truly need to succeed in their journey. We are looking forward to bringing together the babywearing community and professionals to continue to discuss solutions and share information about breastfeeding, parenting, fathering, post-partum issues, and challenges.”

Conference registration is on-going. Early bird tickets are available at a reduced rate until

 April 21, 2016

: one day passes are $130, and a full conference pass is $240.For more information and to register for the conference, visit [ http://babywearingincanada.

com/conference-tickets/

](http://babywearingincanada.com/conference-tickets/) .