Welcome to Abingdon Baby Basics Moms Club
Serving Moms-to-Be in Abingdon, Bristol, Washington, Smyth & Russell Counties

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Meetings are always free!  No need to register--just show up!
We meet in Abingdon, Bristol, Glade Spring, and Damascus to meet the needs of area moms-to-be looking for pregnancy information in a group setting. 
​We hope this will make it easier for you and your support partner to meet other
growing families and learn about healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
Attend as many sessions as you wish. Call 276-608-6824 for more info.
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Meeting location moves weekly. See
calendar for dates, times & topics.


Our
SWVA
Team...
~Lisa Dolinger, Facilitator
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Sponsored by:
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Virginia Chapter
Support provided by:
Meals donated by:

Exit 14, Abingdon

Did you know you can earn a free SleepSack?

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Congrats Christie! 8/3/2017
Baby Basics Moms Club awards a free snugly SleepSack for your new baby to any of our moms-to-be who complete all six of our core topics. Each topic is aimed at helping you have a healthier pregnancy.  Our most recent SleepSack went to Christie who attends our Abingdon Moms Club. For more information on this any any questions about Moms Club, contact our facilitator Lisa Dolinger or drop by any meeting. You can check the calendar for meeting dates and it doesn't matter what month your pregnancy is in. So if you're a mom-to-be, we look forward to seeing you soon!

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 (full article and photos at www.swvatoday.com)
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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.”
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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. >>> 
​(full article and photos at  www.swvatoday.com)
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Abingdon Moms Club at  2017 March of Dimes Walk

Abingdon & Bristol Moms Club 2015 Harvest

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Special thanks to Frye-Shaffer Insurance for our garden space.
For the second year, our Moms Club Demonstration Garden produced a bountiful harvest of vegetables, fun, and education for all. Thanks to all our moms, dads, and support partners who helped with the garden this year!
Throughout the season, those tending the garden shared many types of veggies while receiving tips on preparing fresh dishes and growing their own gardens.

Click for more 2015 photos>>>

Moms Club Will Celebrate Five Years on September 28th, 2015!

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A touch of fall in the air signals that it is again time for our annual Moms Club Reunion on September 28th at 6:00 p.m. in the Magnolia Room at Bristol Regional Medical Center. We look forward each year to getting together with our many current and past Moms Club members, and to meet any little ones that have arrived. Family members are invited and there will be prizes, freebies, and food. For more info, email Linda or call 276-698-4494. Also check our FB page!

Baby Basics Moms Club 2014 Reunion held September 22nd

The Baby Basics Moms Club Reunion was held at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol on Monday,  September 22nd from 5:30 to 7 p.m.  All past and present moms and support partners from our Abingdon, Washington CO. Health Dept and Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center were  invited to join us for a BBQ dinner showcasing the wonderful harvest from the Moms Club Demonstration Garden.  Our funders and partners also joined us in celebrating of our fourth birthday for Moms Club.

Fun at the 2014 Expo

We had a great time at Bristol Regional Medical Center's 2014 Women's & Children's Expo. There were many other vendors with tables and displays of great products and services. Merry, Linda, and Karen gave away some great prizes and enjoyed talking to expectant moms about how Baby Basics Moms Club can help with their pregnancy and what may available for moms & babies in the community.  We also saw some familiar faces of some of our past Moms Club "graduates" and their little ones.

Introducing Baby Basics Moms Club
of Washington County

On February 25, 2014, the newly formed Washington County Baby Basics Moms Club (formerly Abingdon Moms Club) began offering club meetings at two locations in Washington County. We are proud to announce our two new community partners which will be hosting our Baby Basics Moms Club meetings.

Johnston Memorial Hospital of Mountain States Health Alliance has generously provided meeting space in their Family Birthing Center. Our second Moms Club will be meeting at the Washington County Health Department which is part of Mount Rogers Health District of the Virginia Department of Health. Complete information about each location and dates can be found by clicking on "View Calendar". We hope to see you at one of our locations soon to learn and share with other expecting moms.

Washington County (Abingdon) Mom's Club First Grocery Shopping Tour

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 Smiling faces, pregnant bellies and shopping carts were showcased at Food City Grocery in Abingdon on September 17th, 2013. Baby Basics Moms Club of Abingdon visited the grocery store for a one-on-one with Audrey Kessler (left), Food City Registered Dietician. Click here for more photos.

The group participated in a 'perimeter' tour of the store. “A perimeter tour," explained Ms. Kessler, "is where the healthiest foods are found when shopping; produce, meats, bread and dairy.”  Moms were given tips about making healthier selections and shopping on a budget. Food City offers the NuVal system which assigns a number up to 100 based on the nutritional value of an item, giving our moms-to-be a whole new way to comparison shop. Following the shopping, our pregnant moms-to-be were treated to dinner from the Food City salad bar. “What a great way to learn more about making the best possible choices and still work within a budget” one mom said.

“Food City has been a wonderful partner with Baby Basics Moms Club for almost two years now," noted Karen Thompson, a Moms Club facilitator. "We are excited about the expansion of our nutrition component at club meetings and encourage all pregnant women to attend Baby Basics Moms Club to learn more about having a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. "