Healthy eating starts from the ground up and that’s just what the Moms Club team in southwest Virginia aims to offer pregnant women.

Expecting moms want to do all they can to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. An important part of promoting good health is taking a look at the way we shop for groceries and the way we eat. The Moms Club of Bristol, Washington County and Johnston Memorial Hospital have put on their garden gloves, loaded up their wheelbarrows and headed to the garden to help expecting women learn more about growing their own food and shopping fresh.

It’s about the whole process from planting your garden, cultivating, harvesting and cooking it up for your family. We want moms to experience the rewards of growing vegetables and fruits too, then integrating them into their daily diet.

This is a garden to demonstrate the various steps and let our moms be a part of the journey from seed to dinner plate. Moms have the opportunity to hear speakers about growing and tending a garden, nutritionists about ways to prepare what they have grown and learn from both novice and experts the secrets to the best tasting veggies. It’s also a chance to pull weeds, water plants and share in the bounty of what we grow.

All pregnant women, Moms Club Moms past and present are invited to participate in the fun. We also encourage our community partners that have knowledge they would like to share to contact us about joining us in the garden. Garden space has been provided in-kind by Frye-Shaffer Insurance.

To learn more about sharing in the Moms Club demonstration Garden please call 276-494-5914  or email merry@bbmomsclub.com.Be sure to drive by and take a peek, we are located at the entrance to Lowry Hills on Old Dominion Road, directly across from the DMV and beside Frye- Shaffer Insurance. You can’t miss it! Just look for the pregnant lady in the garden.

Grandparents, friends, and society flood parents with well-meaning advice, but how can Mom and Dad be sure they are receiving accurate information? With help from Dr. Andrew Adesman and his book "Baby Facts", we separate baby myths from reality.

3. MYTH – if my baby is on their back and spits up they will choke.

TRUTH - Many parents place babies on their stomachs to sleep because they think it prevents them from choking on spit-up or vomit during sleep. In fact, the opposite is true – babies are less likely to choke when sleeping on their backs. When babies sleep on their back, the esophagus (food pipe) is below the trachea (wind pipe.) As a result, the spit-up or vomit cannot be breathed into the wind pipe. When a baby sleeps on his stomach, the food pipe is above the wind pipe. Gravity would then allow for the spit-up/vomit to be breathed in, causing the baby to choke. Since babies have been sleeping on their backs, studies worldwide have not found any increase in the incidence of aspiration, choking, pneumonia or other problems. (The image below shows the orientation of the esophagus to the trachea for both positions of your baby.)

Exercise is good for you and your growing baby.  Just be sure that you get the go-ahead from your health care provider.  Exercise can lift your mood, relieve your aching back, increase blood flow and improve your sleep.  It doesn't matter how much time you spend exercising...  a few minutes each day can make a difference. 

How can you add exercise to your daily routine? Wake up 10 minutes earlier and take a walk outside. When you go shopping, park away from the entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. 

On page 96 & 97 of your Baby Basics book, you will find some simple exercises to get you started.  Why not ask your healthcare provider this week if you can start an exercise program?

~Linda, Baby Basics Moms Club Facilitator

(This information is from March of Dimes "Why Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait")

More and more births are being scheduled a little early for non-medical reasons. Experts are learning that this can cause problems for both mom and baby. If possible, it's best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks. If your pregnancy is healthy, wait for labor to begin on its own.

Babies born too early may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born later. Being pregnant 39 weeks gives your baby's body all the time it needs to grow.

Here's why your baby needs 39 weeks: Important organs, like the brain, lungs and liver, get the time they need to develop. Your baby is less likely to have vision and hearing problems after birth. They have time to gain more weight in the womb. Babies born at a healthy weight have an easier time staying warm than babies born too small. They can suck and swallow and stay awake long enough to eat after they are born. Babies born early sometimes can't do these things.

What questions can you ask your provider about scheduling your baby’s birth? If you’re planning to schedule your baby’s birth, print out this article and take it with you to your next prenatal care checkup. Ask these questions as they pertain to your specific situation.

If your doctor or CNM suggests or recommends:

-that you have your baby before 39 weeks, ask:

·   Is there a problem with my health or the health of my baby that may make me need to have my baby early?

·   Can I wait to have my baby until I’m closer to 39 weeks?

-inducing labor, ask:

·   Why do you need to induce labor?

·   How will you induce my labor?

·   Will inducing labor increase the chance that I’ll need to have a c-section?

-having a c-section, ask:

·   Why do I need to have a c-section?

·   What problems can a c-section cause for me and my baby?

·   Can I have a vaginal birth in future pregnancies?

The March of Dimes Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®™ education campaign and obstetric provider groups advise that you wait until at least 39 weeks to induce labor or have a c-section if it is needed. Wait this long unless there are medical problems that make it necessary to have your baby earlier. To learn more about Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®™ visit www.marchofdimes.com.

~Merry, Baby Basics Moms Club of Virginia Project Coordinator
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Your body is changing too.  You may previously have had plenty of energy, but now always feel tired.  You may experience heartburn, gas, bloating, sick to your stomach, and urinate more.  All these changes are normal.

Every pregnant woman is different.  Your main goal is to have a healthy pregnancy and make a healthy baby!  Start loving your baby now.  Rub your belly.  Talk, sing, play soft music to it.

And, of course, plan to attend one of our Baby Basics Moms Clubs! We can't wait to meet you!

~Linda, Baby Basics Moms Club Facilitator

Pickles dipped in chocolate, corn chips in your ice cream? Does any of this sound familiar? Moms-to-be sometimes have food cravings for the most unusual things! Some experts think that cravings can be related to emotions, hormones or dietary needs. While most cravings are harmless and OK to indulge occasionally, beware it is easy to pack on the pounds during pregnancy. Empty calories can make it harder to get back to that pre-baby weight, so remember moderation when reaching for the string cheese and chocolate frosting.

At Moms Club we love to talk about food, and even discuss eating from the drive-thru window. We also talk about how to make healthy snacks, smoothies, and grocery shopping on a budget. Now is the best time to start adding good habits that your growing baby can model and begin his or her own pattern of healthy eating. Get your family on board too-- have pizza night and get everyone to bring their favorite veggie toppings!

Have ideas you would like to share with us about eating healthy? Leave a comment below or visit our  Facebook page and tell us there! Until next time...

~Merry, Baby Basics Moms Club of Virginia Project Coordinator

Hello expecting moms and dads! As you journey along in your pregnancy we want you to make a healthy baby. Remember you need a team to make this happen. Your growing baby can’t tell you when it’s feeling sick or not growing right.  A healthcare provider (doctor, nurse or midwife) will be able to see how your baby’s doing and make sure everything is fine. That’s their job. Your job is to go to them.

And…. you can start making changes right now that will help you and your baby have a healthy future. Don’t miss your check ups, eat right, and exercise regularly. You can do it!

This week at Abingdon Moms Club we will be talking about “before baby gets here” and positive behaviors. Join us Tuesday evening. To see all locations and dates, check out the calendars of each of our Moms Clubs.

We look forward to seeing you there and remember every time you come to Abingdon Moms Club you get diapers and dinner!

~Merry, Baby Basics Moms Club of Virginia Project Coordinator

Wonderful moms and guests, the "Red Carpet" photos have been posted to Facebook and are available for you to download. Thank you for coming out and sharing in the fun that night and thank you for participating in Moms Club week after week.

We look forward to your posts and would also like to hear from you if you have a special talent you could share with the group. In the past we had a mom that taught knitting and many moms enjoyed this portable skill. If you would be willing to share your talents let us know.

In the coming months we will be expanding our nutrition topic and Moms Club will offer a grocery shopping excursion. A dietician will lead us through the aisles and share tips for making healthy choices and stretching your grocery dollars. Each mom will be given a budget to shop with and at the end may take her groceries home. Stay tuned for more information.

Captain's Log Stardate 5-21-2012:  (what series did that come from?)  What a day yesterday was!  Last evening we celebrated Moms of Southwest Virginia, Baby Basics Moms Club, and our connection with the film release of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Moms, past and present, joined us for an evening of fun and we were fortunate to have one of our very FIRST Moms Club members in the bunch. I enjoyed hearing about her little boy (now two years old) and how Moms Club had an impact on her and the birth of her baby. Thank you, Hope, for being part of our early days we  learned from you too!

We also were treated to seeing several of our more recent moms and their new bundles of joy. Thank you moms for sharing these precious little ones with us! By doing so, it let us see the fruits of your labor and our labor of love. The Moms Club team is proud to have a role in helping pregnant women have a healthy pregnancy and healthier babies. It's all about you!

We are grateful to you and your guests for coming out tonight and playing "Movie Premiere" with us.  Watch for your red carpet photos coming soon to the website and on Facebook.

A very special thank you to Sara Long and Nikki Hicks at March of Dimes for helping to make this event happen.