Eva Bild - Supporting New Parents

12/12/2025

Fact: Gagging is not choking and gagging does not lead to choking.

The body is designed to protect the airway and keep food out of the airway during both eating and swallowing and gagging, and even when throwing up.

When food is swallowed, more than 50 muscles work together to coordinate the motion. One is our vocal folds coming together like sliding doors in the breathing tube to tightly close off our airway and prevent anything from entering it. Amazingly, the muscles of the throat close tightly shut and the airway is pulled up and slightly forward, safely out of the way when we vomit or gag so that particles of food or liquid do not enter it.

So how does choking occur?

Choking occurs when there is a miscoordination of the swallow and food or liquid sneaks past our multiple lines of defense.

Things that can increase the risk of such type of coordination failure include:

✔️Caregiver placing finger food in a child’s mouth
✔️Caregiver putting their fingers in a child’s mouth
✔️Eating while in a reclined position
✔️Eating while laughing or coughing
✔️Eating while crying
✔️Eating while walking around
✔️Being startled while eating
✔️Lack of supervision while eating
✔️Eating while distracted

To access our free choking rescue guides for babies and toddlers download the Solid Starts App 📲

12/01/2025

Quantifying the association between doula care and maternal and neonatal outcomes https://ow.ly/8rmW50XzJNO

11/30/2025

The child who trails you from room to room isn’t trying to wear you down.

They’re seeking something you don’t always realise you’re giving — safety, familiarity, a heartbeat they trust.

We forget that to them, we are home long before any place is.

Our presence steadies their world.
Our nearness softens their edges.
And when they follow us endlessly, it’s not neediness — it’s belonging in motion.

One day they’ll wander further, lost in their own interests, their own lives, their own unfolding.

But right now, they choose us — freely, wholeheartedly, instinctively. They’re not being difficult.

They’re reminding us that, in this season of their life, we are their most favourite place to be. ❤️

11/28/2025

I taught my last Baby Group yesterday! What a joy to see some of my "recent alumni" show up to say goodbye. I was touched to see three year-olds who first came to group as little squishy bundles. Last week, a 12 year-old came by with his Mum to bring me a little gift and a card. Thank you all for the brownies and the chocolates, and the scarf and the beautiful cards! Thank you mostly for remembering me!
It has been an honour and a joy to run Baby group every week for the last 20 years. I have learned so much about the struggles and joys of new parents, and also about the needs and development of new babies. Observing you all has been an endless source of learning.
The questions new parents ask are pretty much always the same ones. They rotate around feeding (bottle and lactation), sleep, teething, weight gain, solid foods, boundary setting (how do I get her to stop biting me?), family dynamics (how do my partner and I share the work?) Although it sometimes felt a little groundhog day-ish, I never got tired of hearing this parent's particular situation, and helping find a solution to that parent's practical problem. And there was always the satisfaction of seeing parents connect with each other and make connections that would last for years and support them far beyond the Baby Group.
I am of course sad to be ending something that has been such a part of the rhythm of my life. But I am ready to move on to other projects. Stay tuned here for news about what I do next!

11/28/2025

11/27/2025

If you can, shop local this holiday season. Our small-town stores need our business to stay afloat, and by buying local, more money goes into your community.

Here are a few of our friends where you'll find all sorts of fun things for your little ones, and maybe your not so little ones.

Where do you like to shop locally? Drop some more options for everyone!

11/20/2025

11/20/2025

01/08/2024

Welcome to 2024! Do reach out if we can help with pump rental/delivery, lactation support or sleep consulting.