Before Baby Moms Club Prepares Mothers for Birth and Beyond
Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com
(reprinted here from www.swvatoday.com)
(reprinted here from www.swvatoday.com)
While Tracy Stokes was pregnant with her daughter Bailey last year, the Hayter’s Gap resident learned about a local club that promotes pregnancy wellness. The mother joined Before Baby Moms Club of Virginia and even graduated a few months later feeling better prepared for being a new mother at age 29. “It offered very helpful information about pregnancy,” said Stokes. “I would recommend it to all new mothers. It helped me to meet friends I could talk to outside of the club. I still see a couple of them often. And it’s a really good way to learn up-to-date information.”
The Abingdon program is among a growing number of Before Baby Moms Clubs of Virginia offered throughout the state and supported by March of Dimes for the past five years. The Virginia March of Dimes awarded the local program $2,900 this year for operating costs. The prenatal group meetings reach more than 300 women in Virginia each year and are credited for dropping the preterm birth rate in Southwest Virginia.
“It’s a place where pregnant women come together to talk about their pregnancies, learn new things and just have fun socializing,” said Lisa Dolinger, facilitator for the Abingdon club, which meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Participants do not need to register in advance for club meetings. Meetings are held in a nonclinical, comfortable atmosphere in the third floor conference room of the Medical Plaza at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Abingdon.
“Eligible participants are women from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The main requirement is they are expecting a baby,” said Dolinger.
The Abingdon program is among a growing number of Before Baby Moms Clubs of Virginia offered throughout the state and supported by March of Dimes for the past five years. The Virginia March of Dimes awarded the local program $2,900 this year for operating costs. The prenatal group meetings reach more than 300 women in Virginia each year and are credited for dropping the preterm birth rate in Southwest Virginia.
“It’s a place where pregnant women come together to talk about their pregnancies, learn new things and just have fun socializing,” said Lisa Dolinger, facilitator for the Abingdon club, which meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Participants do not need to register in advance for club meetings. Meetings are held in a nonclinical, comfortable atmosphere in the third floor conference room of the Medical Plaza at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Abingdon.
“Eligible participants are women from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The main requirement is they are expecting a baby,” said Dolinger.
Growing better nutrition
The local program also offers a demonstration garden to provide nutritional education for pregnant mothers. For the second consecutive year, Frye-Shaffer Insurance in Abingdon has donated space for the garden. Those who attend club meetings are encouraged to work in the garden during the growing season, offering them a food–to-table experience. “Anyone who participates in planting or tending the garden also may participate in reaping the rewards later this season,” said Dolinger. She said the garden helps moms-to-be learn how to grow their food and the importance of eating healthy. The garden, located on Old Dominion Road next to Frye-Shaffer Insurance, measures approximately 15 by 30 feet. The site features two lawn chairs and solar lights for evening work. A pregnant scarecrow at the garden offers a little humor for motorists on the road. This year, members helped to plant corn, green beans, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
Growing friendships at meetings
The club meetings are free of charge but offer an abundance of rewards for participants. “We invite moms from all socioeconomic backgrounds,” she (Dolinger) said. “It’s a great way for them to learn from each other, explore issues in a group setting and to make new friends.” Dolinger, a nurse at Johnston Memorial Hospital, is among trained health educators throughout the state who lead discussions and encourage participants to learn through personal interaction with other members.
Core topics discussed at meetings include the importance of healthy pregnancies without smoking or using drugs and alcohol; breast feeding; proper nutrition for the mother; safe sleep for the newborn; preterm labor; birth spacing, and postpartum depression.
“If the mother comes just one time, we hope she’ll take away something of value from the encounter with the group,” said Merry McKenna, state director of Before Baby Moms Club of Virginia. “There are no start and stop dates. Moms also come back after their pregnancies to share how their pregnancies went. It’s not like attending a traditional childbirth educational class because members are creating long-lasting friendships here,” she said. “They carpool together and check in on each other. There are such long-term benefits in addition to the educational component.”
Club members receive Baby Basics books, a condensed version of the acclaimed “What to Expect” series that’s commonly found in doctor’s offices. “We base the curriculum on issues that are prevalent here in Southwest Virginia, whether it is preterm births, nutrition during pregnancy and beyond, creating a safe sleep environment, depression and even substance abuse. Unfortunately, a lot of our moms smoke,” said McKenna.
“This is not traditional didactic childbirth education. We want our moms to talk and share during club meetings, and we make sure moms leave with safe and factual information.”
Core topics discussed at meetings include the importance of healthy pregnancies without smoking or using drugs and alcohol; breast feeding; proper nutrition for the mother; safe sleep for the newborn; preterm labor; birth spacing, and postpartum depression.
“If the mother comes just one time, we hope she’ll take away something of value from the encounter with the group,” said Merry McKenna, state director of Before Baby Moms Club of Virginia. “There are no start and stop dates. Moms also come back after their pregnancies to share how their pregnancies went. It’s not like attending a traditional childbirth educational class because members are creating long-lasting friendships here,” she said. “They carpool together and check in on each other. There are such long-term benefits in addition to the educational component.”
Club members receive Baby Basics books, a condensed version of the acclaimed “What to Expect” series that’s commonly found in doctor’s offices. “We base the curriculum on issues that are prevalent here in Southwest Virginia, whether it is preterm births, nutrition during pregnancy and beyond, creating a safe sleep environment, depression and even substance abuse. Unfortunately, a lot of our moms smoke,” said McKenna.
“This is not traditional didactic childbirth education. We want our moms to talk and share during club meetings, and we make sure moms leave with safe and factual information.”
Community support
In addition to funding from the March of Dimes Virginia, the Abingdon club depends on community support to operate.
Moon Dog Brick Oven Pizza in Abingdon donates pizza for each meeting. Each club member receives a package of diapers donated by Food City during their first visit and at each visit that follows. Participants who complete exit interviews at six weeks postpartum receive $25 gift cards to Food City. Virginia Premier Health Plan also donates educational materials for the mothers.
Participants receive other incentives including Baby Basics Pregnancy Guides that outline what to expect week by week during their pregnancies. They also receive work books for keeping appointments and documenting questions and answers. After completing core topic discussions, participants are given sleep sacks that promote safe sleep for their babies.
Moon Dog Brick Oven Pizza in Abingdon donates pizza for each meeting. Each club member receives a package of diapers donated by Food City during their first visit and at each visit that follows. Participants who complete exit interviews at six weeks postpartum receive $25 gift cards to Food City. Virginia Premier Health Plan also donates educational materials for the mothers.
Participants receive other incentives including Baby Basics Pregnancy Guides that outline what to expect week by week during their pregnancies. They also receive work books for keeping appointments and documenting questions and answers. After completing core topic discussions, participants are given sleep sacks that promote safe sleep for their babies.
An adaptable program
“At one time, we’ve had as many as 18 club sites throughout the state,” said McKenna. “As grant funding dries up, we try to assist them to get community support, and we have many sites that have lived long past their grant funding.”
Other club locations in Virginia include Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital which offers English and Spanish-speaking programs; Carilion New River Valley Medical Center; The College of William & Mary, which also works with inmates at regional jails; and Newport News where a program is used in a residential treatment facility.
“So, it’s adaptable to many types of environments,” said McKenna. “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not grateful for the work we are doing. We’re fortunate enough to see the outcomes and improvements that these moms are making by having healthier babies and pregnancies. And the rewards are tenfold.”
Other club locations in Virginia include Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital which offers English and Spanish-speaking programs; Carilion New River Valley Medical Center; The College of William & Mary, which also works with inmates at regional jails; and Newport News where a program is used in a residential treatment facility.
“So, it’s adaptable to many types of environments,” said McKenna. “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not grateful for the work we are doing. We’re fortunate enough to see the outcomes and improvements that these moms are making by having healthier babies and pregnancies. And the rewards are tenfold.”
