I'm back!! (online anyway!)

The amount of effort (both physical and emotional) required to move countries can never be underestimated! Now having settled into our "life elsewhere", I have returned to my Babycafe Japan blog to let you know where you can find me and how you can continue to access resources useful to all expectant mothers in Japan (and elsewhere!)

First, Little Angels, the mother and baby group I established in 2001, continues to run in my home in Tokyo on the first and third Fridays of the month. The group is staffed by fab volunteer mums who know JUST how much other mums with little babies need support....and somewhere to just hang out together and chat. Click the link above for more details.

Some of the teensy babes-in-arms that I left in Tokyo are now WALKING...I can't believe how fast time flies...so Blue Sky is going to offer a special Go Baby Go! group from mid-October to mid-December, where these tots can enjoy music and movement and fun activities in the playroom at Blue Sky, with their mums of course. My favourite assistant teacher is returning to Tokyo from Canada, and she can't wait to get back to Blue Sky and run Go Baby Go! again! Email me here to register your interest.

Since late 2009, I have been providing online lactation consultations, via skype/webcam/email, which means mothers in Tokyo and various other corners of the globe have been able to continue getting support for breastfeeding.

This means personal breastfeeding and infant sleep assistance wherever you are - and wherever I am! Mums in Tokyo have already been putting the service to good use through the Blue Sky online consultations page.

You might believe that what you really need is someone in the room with you to help you attach your baby better, or just to show you what to do. In fact, recent research is suggesting that there is way too much interference by medical staff. Mothers and babies can often get breastfeeding sorted out much better if staff are more "hands off", and mother and babies themselves are more "hands on". So the simple fact I can not be there in the room with you can actually be a great advantage! (Of course, I would love to be there in person, but I would still be "hands off" :-)

I hear too many stories about babies who could only breastfeed in the hospital when the midwife latched them on. What's with that? Shouldn't the midwife be making sure YOU can do it, so that breastfeeding can continue successfully when you get home? Using skype and a webcam, I can see what you and your baby are doing and make suggestions, and ultimately, breastfeeding is not about ME getting baby to latch correctly, it is about YOU being able to do it.

Last but not least, I want to introduce my NEW venture:
FEED BABY SLEEP™
Yep, that is a little ™ mark, because this is actually now a trade mark! Very exciting!

The web site is still under construction, but we also have a facebook page:
Iona's new venture:
FEED BABY SLEEP



and a Twitter page (see the big pink and lime green widget on the right of this page!)

You are welcome to get in touch with me through any of these means...just don't sit in your house in Japan (or anywhere else) and feel like nobody is out there to help you or support you as you try to sort through the tangle of those early sleep-deprived weeks of new motherhood.

I am here, and I can't wait to help!!

Tokyo Pregnancy group

I am speaking at TPG tomorrow about my work as a Lactation Consultant, my breastfeeding workshops, and I am taking some baby slings to show/sell.I will have all the different colours there, and the free instructional DVDs.

Slings are currently on sale: 6,300 yen including free regular postage. At TPG I will be selling the slings for 6000 yen.

Next breastfeeding workshop is Feb 15th, followed by either March 1st or March 8th.

20% off workshops!

Blue Sky is offering a new week-day breastfeeding workshop from 2009. This is in addition to the Sunday workshop for couples, which continues to be available each month.

Host a workshop at your home for you and 3 friends or more between January 15th and March 1st 2009 and receive 20% off the registration fee for you AND your friends.

Choice of workshops:
Wednesday afternoons 1pm - 4pm
Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm

Research shows that women who receive prenatal education, postpartum hospital and home visits, and telephone calls from a lactation consultant are more likely to breastfeed through week 20 and at a higher breastfeeding intensity than women who do not receive assistance from a lactation consultant.*

If you would like to get breastfeeding off to a great start, this is the workshop for you!

# Workshop requires the use of a DVD player
# Discount can also be applied to couples' Sunday workshops if you arrange a group of 4 couples or more at your home.
# Full payment for all your group's attendees (minimum 4 people) must be completed 7 days before workshop.

For more details of the workshops see Blue Sky's web site.

* Bonuck, K., et al. 2005. Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal and postnatal lactation consultant intervention on duration and intensity of breastfeeding up to 12 months. Pediatrics. 116:6, 1413-26.

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Mention TPG to take advantage of this special discount!

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Dec 3rd: Blue Sky Christmas Concert/Party/Cookie exchange!

Greetings!

Blue Sky is having a very special early Christmas celebration this year. We are combining our annual Christmas Cookie exchange with a special informal concert.

Date: this Wednesday, December 3rd,　2008
Time: 2:30pm till 4:30pm.
Price 1000 yen per family
Place: Tsurumaki Kumin Shukaijo (same place as Halloween, but without the crowds!)


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Everyone brings along a Tupperware of 15 or more of their favourite cookies for the exchange, and we all swap cookies! Some we will take home, and some we will have to eat right away!

The PTA choir from Matsugaoka Elementary school will perform the songs that won them a place in the Japan national PTA choral festival (Tokyo region). This will be followed by Christmas songs and carols sung by my friend Rebecca Sato, an opera singer and mother of two little boys.

This is not a formal sit-down concert. This is a small baby- and child-friendly event in a local community room, where your little ones are free to roam around, make noise and do whatever they need to do. (There is a small park and playground outside too.) Everyone performing has kids of their own, and some of them will be coming along too.

Optional: bring a small present for your own child (value under 1000 yen) to put under the tree, we will hand them out at the end. (Please wrap and label clearly)

Hope you will join us for some early Christmas fun!
Click here for tickets online.

HALLOWEEN!!

キッズハロウィーンパーティー10月31日（金）
Halloween Party OCTOBER 31st 2008 2.30pm.

Doors open 2.30, but you can drop in anytime up until 4pm. Party ends at 4.30

Party開催時間中は2.30pm以降なら何時に入場されても構いません。最終入場は4.00pmまでにお願いします。「ちょっとだけ寄ってみようかな…」という方もお気軽にどうぞ！

Every year Blue Sky's Halloween party is great fun!! We often have more than 100 kids and their mums! This year we will have Halloween songs and games followed by Mikey the clown's magic show (Michael sensei), Stacy's face-painting and trick or treat candies.
See the photos from previous years here. Be sure to scroll down!

Place: Tsurumaki Shukaijo Community room (5 minutes walk from Blue Sky)
場所：弦巻区民集会所　（弦巻5-1-18）


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Advance Ticket sales: 1500yen per mother/child. 500 yen per additional child.
Tickets at the door: 1800yen 800 yen per additional child
Contact Iona for advance tickets here

参加費：親子1組1500円 (前売りのみ) お子様1人追加につきplus 500円
当日券を販売いたしますが、親子1組：1800円、お子様1人追加につき:800円となりますので、
前売券を購入される方がお得です！

先生（アイオナ）にお申し付け下さい。もしくはメールを送ってください。
８才以下のお子さんは常時保護者同伴のこと。
Children under 8 years old need to be accompanied by an adult.

a. 英語のハロウィーンの歌､手遊びとゲーム Halloween songs and Games
b. Trick or Treatトリックオアトリートお菓子
c. Mikey the clown's MAGIC SHOW!　マイケル先生のマジックショー
d. Stacy's facepainting ステイシー先生のフェイスペインチング
Come along in your Halloween costumes and join the fun!
お子様はハロウィーンコスチュームを着てご参加ください。

Tokyo Spin shell TV interview!

Information on having babies in Tokyo, with a 3 minute cameo starting at 2:42 by yours truly...they spliced the interview so that the second half of what I said comes before the first... I was joking around a lot at the end of the interview, but the way they spliced it, looks like I was not taking my subject seriously right from the start!!

Enjoy!



Or youtube here.
The full article accompanying this is also online here

Part One of the Expecting in Tokyo video is here:

Mother/baby playgroup Little Angels

Little Angels resumes tomorrow at 10am at Iona's place. This group for mothers with their babies who are not yet walking, is usually held on the first and third Fridays of each month.

Dates for early 2008 are
Jan 18th
Feb 1st and 15th
March 7th

Come along and make friends with other mothers in Tokyo, there are books for loan, magazine exchange, get your parenting questions answered, and refreshments are provided. We have it all!

Breastfeeding Workshops for early 2008

Breastfeeding workshops for 2008 will be held on

Sunday January 20th
Sunday February 17th
Sunday March 16th

I am always happy to arrange other dates for private groups of 3 or more couples. The workshop runs from 1.30 - 5.30pm. Details can be found here.

Private consultations in your home or during your hospital stay are also possible by arrangement.

Blue Sky Christmas Party

A big thank you to everyone who sent in your stories!

Blue Sky's Christmas party was a lot of fun! It was a great way to end the year, with Christmas cookies and kids dancing to Jingle Bells and Christmas songs and stories. In all there were about 50 people, mothers, children and babies included. Check out http://www.blueskytokyo.com for future events!