Tori SmithQUICK TIP: HOW TO NAVIGATE THE UNSOLICITED ADVICEHow does one discern which pieces of advice to heed and which to dismiss? For starters, trust your instincts. Your intuition is your most...
Tori SmithBOOK PRE SALE and SNEAK PEEKBIG NEWS! My book, my creative baby that I've been working on over the last couple of years, my message that I have to share with the...
Tori SmithTHINGS THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT BABIESThe baby’s very first feces will be a substance called meconium. Meconium is a thick, sticky, black-ish substance and it is completely...
Tori SmithPORN PERPETUATES CHILD ABUSEThough it might not seem obvious, child sexual abuse is most definitely linked to pornography. For starters, the popular aesthetic of a...
Tori SmithSPECIAL NEEDS AWARENESSThough it isn’t directly related to parenting, interacting with people who are different from us is related to being a kind human being...
Tori SmithPREPARING FOR FATHERHOOD (OR SECONDARY PARENTING)As the person in the partnership who is not carrying the child, you are usually referred to as the “secondary caregiver”. But that does...
Tori SmithPOSTPARTUM IDENTITY & THE CURE FOR "MOM GUILT"Parenthood and primary caregiving changes and challenges your identity. There are times when you’ll manage it better than others, but it...
Tori SmithASTROLOGY APPLIED TO FAMILY DYNAMICSAstrology holds different meaning for different folks. Some think it’s total cuckoo-voodoo-wacky-quacky-witchy-hooey nonsense. For some,...
Tori SmithTHE CASE FOR CLOTH DIAPERSI don’t know what it is, exactly, about cloth diapers that terrifies people, but does it ever! I’ve actually had people call me “brave”...
Tori SmithSUPPORT PEOPLE & WITNESSESOther than your medical or midwife team and possibly a doula, who do you want to have in your birthing space? It is for you to decide. It...
Tori SmithBABY COMMUNICATION TOOLSAs they grow, babies become pretty resourceful when it comes to communicating their wants and needs. There are some tools you can learn...
Tori SmithALL OF THE "STUFF"Parents have a tendency to go a smidge overboard with accumulation of material things for their kids. It can happen perfectly innocently....
Tori SmithBETTER YET, ADOPTIONAdoption is not something that I have direct personal experience with, but it is something my partner and I are strongly considering for...
Tori SmithADDING A SECOND CHILDThe decision to grow your family and add additional children is a decision you and your partner will make, much like the first. Like the...
Tori SmithTHE EMOTIONAL LABOUR IS REALMental and emotional labour are the invisible but oh-so-taxing part of being a primary caregiver. It’s at the core of why so many moms...
Tori SmithCHOOSE THE RIGHT PARTNER (PRE-PREGNANCY, IF POSSIBLE)Choosing the right partner is intrinsically important to every aspect of pregnancy, birth and parenting so try not to get pregnant with a...
Tori SmithFOOD INTRODUCTION + BABY-LED WEANINGIntroducing solid food is a fairly flexible process. Feel free to look for signs of readiness in your own baby. If they show interest at...
Tori SmithCO-SLEEPING CONUNDRUMCo-sleeping, or bed-sharing, with your child is culturally informed. In many places around the world, it is commonplace. In North...
Tori SmithSCREEN TIMEFor most of us, technology is a part of daily life. Let’s start by looking at the positives. It is a source of entertainment for kids....
Tori SmithPRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE BIRTH PARTNER - 4 WAYS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT IN LABOURYou’ll probably hear, over and over, that your role is to support the mother in labour. But it’s not always clear exactly how to provide...
Tori SmithTHE VILLAGE IS OVERThey say it takes a village to raise a child. It’s a nice sentiment but the fact is, most of the villagers are now urbanites. To put it...
Tori SmithTHINGS THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT PREGNANCY AND BIRTHMiscarriages are surprisingly common. Likely, many women you know have experienced one or more. And not talking about it doesn’t make it...
Tori SmithWHY OUR MOTHERS GIVE US BAD ADVICEPrepare yourself. The unsolicited, outdated advice and the dire warnings are coming! Some are more questionable than others. Some are...
Tori SmithNAVIGATING LABOURBirth is an instinctual thing. As labour progresses, let your mind and body naturally focus inward. It won’t serve you to distract...
Tori SmithDAY ONE EARTHSIDEYou need to eat. Have your partner or support people make you something simple at first. Perhaps toast, or maybe you’ll have a craving...
Tori SmithNOURISHMENT IN PREGNANCYAs a self-proclaimed professor of unpopular opinion, I’m about to say two of the most unpopular things I could utter to a pregnant woman:...
Tori SmithBUT, WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG? (IN HOME BIRTH)If your preference is for home birth but you worry about possible dangers, rest assured that midwives will advise against it if they have...
Tori SmithLONG LIVE THE MIDWIFEOnce you become pregnant, you will initially be under the care of your family doctor. If you have certain risk factors, you will likely...
Tori SmithV*CCINE HESITANCYI couldn’t talk about unpopular practices without broaching the most unpopular view on the most controversial subject in parenting –...
Tori SmithCIRCUMCISION DECISIONBefore I got pregnant, my position on circumcision was neutral. Like many, I accepted it as a normal custom in our culture. I knew that...