Midweek Mugging: Nurtured

By Nicole Bayes-Fleming

Jolyn Swain, owner of Nurtured, is this week’s Midweek Mugging recipient.

Located at 2543 Agricola St., Nurtured provides products for young children and their parents, including strollers, nursing bras, teething items, bedding, books, and soaps.

“Everything in here has a purpose,” Swain said.

Swain, who is also a mother, said she realizes the road to parenthood is hard. By working closely with suppliers, she said she strives to provide parents with as many safe, local choices as possible.

“There’s a reason why I carry things in the shop, so we talk about the ‘why’ much longer [than] ‘Yeah, you need this, put it on a list and check it off,’” Swain said. “It’s different, it’s more cultivated. Our shop selection is definitely curated for what is going to work.”

When choosing items for the store, Swain said she make a conscious decision to select environmentally-friendly and multi-use products, such as reusable diapers and recyclable car seats.

“When you add another person on the earth that’s a lot of impact…it’s a lot of garbage of diapers to put out by the curb,” she said.

Swain said customers often come in searching for that first gift for the baby, such as a favourite blanket or bathing items.

Along with items for infants, the store carries toys for school-aged children that are what Swain called “big-brother and sister friendly.”

“Something that they’re not going to hurt the new baby with,” she explained.

The store has recently added more clothing to the shop including boots and rain gear, so families can be fully prepared for Maritime weather.

Nurtured also has workshops such as pre-natal classes, a music with babies class and infant massage lessons taught by a local doula.

Swain said the workshops are popular with parents who want in-person support, and with those new to the area who are looking for other parents to connect with.

“We really strengthen that bond between parent and child when you’re connecting people to resources,” she said.

Swain said class sizes are usually small and registration is available online.

Swain, who holds a bachelor degree in business, owns the store with her husband, Eric. The two took it over from the original owner in 2011.

She said one of the highlights of her role in the store is seeing parents come in for the first time while they’re expecting, and being able to watch their child grow from infant to school-age as they return each time.

“I’m servicing a community that I know and I watch, I’m cheering on these people that I meet,” she said.

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