London resident Tiffany Sanders (center) and her daughters, Kharma (left), 7, and Journey, 5 weeks old, check out the giveaway table at a county-wide baby shower hosted by the Healthy Child and Family Consortium of Madison County.
(Posted Nov. 16, 2017)
By Amanda Ensinger, Staff Writer
The Healthy Child and Family Consortium of Madison County hosted a baby shower for new and expectant moms on Nov. 14 at the Della Selsor Building in London.
“This is a county-wide baby shower and educational session for new and expecting moms,” said Lexi Comer, director of health education for Madison County Public Health. “This is the third time we have had this event, and it takes place twice a year.”
Comer said when the group first held the baby shower, only select moms were invited to attend. This year, they opened the event to the entire community.
“At first this event was only for moms on WIC or who had a financial need,” Comer explained. “This year we have opened it to the public and there are no income requirements.”
A total of 37 expectant mothers attended last week’s event. Participants were invited to bring one support person with them. Childcare was offered for mothers who had other children in tow.
“The goal of the event is to make sure these moms are educated on important topics before they have their child,” Comer said. “We also want to link them to services that are available them to them.”
Educational topics covered included ar seat safety, safe sleep, and breastfeeding.
Participants also could go table to table and meet with agencies to learn about local resources. Among the agencies on-site were Head Start, Help Me Grow, WIC and CareSource.
The event also featured giveaways, including baby cribs, portable play enclosures, infant car seats and umbrella strollers.
“Each of the moms also received a gift bag with diapers, burp cloths and other items,” Comer said.
Event organizers hope that participants left the baby shower feeling confident they have the resources they need to care for the new additions to their families.
“We want moms to be well informed about what is appropriate in childcare, especially if they have never had a child before,” said Vicki Sparks, parent educator with Head Start.
“We want them to know there are services available if they need help or have questions. These agencies are here to help them, and they can come to them if they need something,” Comer said.
