'Mama Coach' service for parents in northern Ontario offers personalized help and advice
Running on coffee with very little sleep, Tianna Deck reached out to an expert to seek advice on how to help her eight-month-old baby sleep through the night.
“You know what’s best for your babies, but sometimes you’re not always confident that you’re doing the right thing," Deck said.
"Especially with all of this information and stuff that’s on the Internet about what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, so it’s really nice to have that evidence-based, solid background science -- someone who understands that and someone who can help your baby using the best methods possible.”
The mother of two found out about Carolyn Marshall -- also known as the Mama Coach -- and saw success quickly.
“Within two or three nights of following the routine that Carolyn helped us make up, she was, my daughter, was sleeping pretty much her full nights and within the two weeks she was sleeping full nights, full naps in her crib by herself," she said.
"I wasn’t sleeping because she wasn’t sleeping.”
Marshall has been a registered nurse for a decade. She specializes in pediatrics and neo-natal intensive care. During her time at Health Sciences North, she noticed parents weren’t getting all the support they needed.
“I’m very passionate about northern Ontario and the lack of services that we have, and I continued to see a gap in my community," she said.
Marshall left her job at Sudbury’s hospital last fall and started her own business under the Mama Coach brand. She provides support and tips for feeding (breast feeding, pumping and formula), sleeping, potty training, CPR, pre- and post-natal programs. She does it both in person and virtually, allowing her to connect with patients across the north.
“If I can at least provide some reassurance that what you’re doing is OK, and how to reach your goals in your family and, you know, not overwhelm family doctors, as well, I think that’s just another piece of the puzzle for health care in Canada,” Marshall said.
While services the Mama Coach offers are available for free through local health units, Deck said what Marshall provides is a little different.
“It’s the personal touch," she sad. "She works with you and with your family. As all moms know, not all babies fit into the same mold, same patterns -- they’re all a little different. I find sometimes doing stuff through other outlets, maybe like the health unit, it's not as personalized.”
To learn more, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.