From the WBWC Blog:

Month: April 2013

New Arrivals

*Ryan “Decklan” Mitchell – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – December 17, 2012 Benjamin MacNeill Massengale – 9 lbs., 1 oz. – January 17   Corinne Alexandria Daniels – 6 lbs., 12 oz. – February 1 Seth Stillman Page – 10 lbs., 4 oz. – March 1 Evelyn Sperry Totz – 6 lbs., 4 oz. – March 2 Leo Walker Johnson – 7 lbs., 11 oz. – March 3 Ruth Grace Manetti – 8 lbs., 14 oz. – March 3 Sophie Caete Ingle – 6 lbs., 12 oz. – March 4 Brody Charles Wilk – 8 lbs., 13 oz. – March 4 Hannah Rose Forrest – 8 lbs., 4 oz. – March 5 Jayden James Janoff – 6 lbs., 11 oz. – March 6 Eleanor Howell – 7 lbs., 10 oz. – March 6 Norah Ellen Tomlin– 7 lbs., 13 oz. – March 7 Desmond Maxwell Champagne – March 8 Zoe June Johnson White – 8 lbs., 10 oz. – March 9 Rose St. John Torrey – 8 lbs. – March 11 Victoria Grace Alexander – 7 lbs., 10 oz. – March 13 Jessminda Rose Saxon – 8 lbs. – March 14 Christian – 8 lbs., 4 oz. – March 14 *Lydia Elizabeth Capps – 6 lbs., 12 oz. – March 17 Ella Katelyn Hilton – 6 lbs., 9 oz. – March 17th Azalea Viviane Trimpi Seltman – 7 lbs., 2 oz. – March 19 Jacob Matthew Shilling – 9 lbs., 2 oz. – March 20 Adeline Mae Garrett – 7 lbs., 12 oz. – March 23 Slayden Lee Martinez – 7 lbs., 7 oz. – March 26 Evelynne Noelle Smith – March 27 Gaige Evan Earhart – 8 lbs., 6 oz. – March 25 Raina Willow Velazquez – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – March 27 Miriam JoAnn Keaton – 8 lbs., 3 oz. – March 29 Alyssa Grace Rodriguez – 8 lbs., 13 oz. – March 30 Molly Jean Amero – 7 lbs., 14 oz. – March 30 *pictured above Welcome to the world, little ones! If you would like your baby’s birth announced in the newsletter, send an email to missy_swanson@hotmail.com with baby’s name, date of birth, and weight. Feel free to include a picture!  We’d like to hear from all WBWC moms, whether you delivered at the birth center or UNC.

Daisy’s Birth Story

by Tanya Bacon 7:30 AM on December 29, I woke up having to pee and experiencing a little contraction. No problem, I was used to it by that point. I got up, did my business, put some food in Tucker’s dish, and sat down to eat cereal and watch TV on the computer. I also got on Facebook to see that my baby application had updated on my page-“40 Weeks Today!” “Ugh. Mornin’ world,” I posted. I finished my cereal and decided to start revamping the birth bag. I got up and walked the 4 steps to the table where my paper was that had a list of what we needed…when my water started breaking. I grabbed my towel and waddled quickly to the bathroom carefully holding the towel to me so I didn’t “break” all over the carpet Keith had installed THE DAY BEFORE. When I got to the bathroom around 8 AM, I heard Keith waking up. “I think my water just broke!” I yelled.“Really?” he asked as he ran into the bathroom. “Are you ok?”“NO!!!” I felt an incredible urge to poop, but I couldn’t. I went from toilet to tub to toilet to floor to tub and back and forth for a while feeling so very uncomfortable and wondering why I couldn’t walk around. It was my understanding that I’d be able and wanting to walk around during the 1st stage of labor. During this time, Keith was calling my mom and the Birth Center, letting them know that my contractions were irregular and we weren’t sure how far apart–maybe 4-5 minutes? Every time I heard that, I’d scream, “Closer! Continuous!” There really was no break in between. Alright, maybe a tiny one, but not much. Finally, Keith called the Birth Center and told them we were coming in NOW, and they agreed that was best. He called my mom and told her to meet us there instead of our house. He came in and said, “Tanya, after this one, you HAVE TO get up and we need to go!” That is when I started frantically yelling for him to find things to bring with us (and we had just moved, so he didn’t know where anything was). “Put Tucker in his cage!”“I can’t find him!” I looked behind the toilet where he had been hiding earlier-labor is scary! Nope, no Tucker dog. “Check under the bed!” Yup. I finally got the gumption to get up, barely put clothes and slippers on, and waddled my way quickly to the door. … Read More

Recipe: Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Scones

by Claire C. McKiernan 2 cups of flour (can substitute ½-1 cup whole wheat) ¼ cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1/3 cup butter cut into pieces 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup of milk or buttermilk (need to mold dough with hand, so it shouldn’t be too wet) ½-1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries ¼-½ cup white chocolate chips (See alternative flavors and health options at the end) Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together, in order shown above, in a large bowl or gently in a mixer. If using a mixer, mix in blueberries and chips with a large spoon or by hand at the end, or with the mixer very gently and for a short period of time so the blueberries aren’t crushed (this is less likely with frozen blueberries). On a floured surface, use your hands to pat out the dough into a 7-8 inch round, about the size of a pie or cake pan (not thin and large like a pizza). The dough will be about an inch thick. Cut into 6-8 pie wedges, separate, and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 18-23 minutes and until lightly browned. ALTERNATIVE: Pat the dough into a greased cake pan (does not need to meet the edges of the pan, just the shape). Bake for 30 minutes (test the center with a toothpick). Cut into wedges when you are ready to serve. Note, this won’t give the nice crust around all the edges of the wedge like a true scone and will have a more cake-like texture, but it still tastes great! FLAVOR OPTIONS: instead of blueberries and white chocolate chips, try frozen raspberries (less likely to get crushed than fresh) and chocolate chips, OR raisins and walnuts and ½ tsp cinnamon, OR craisins and lemon zest, or any other flavor combo that suits you (pickles and radishes, anyone?) HEALTH OPTIONS: Replace a small amount of flour with flax seeds (~2 tsp), wheat germ (~1 tbsp), or almond meal or oatmeal (~1/4 cup).

A Few Spots Left for September Group Prenatal Care!

Moms with babies due in September: Are you interested in Group Prenatal Care? Good news!  There are still a few spaces available. The deadline to sign up is May 8th.  If we don’t have enough interest by that date, we will have to cancel the group.  If you’d like to join, call us at (919) 933-3301 or let your midwife know at your next appointment.

Participate in a Study About Midwifery Care

Seeking current and former Birth Center clients to participate in a qualitative study on expectations and experiences of midwifery care. Focus groups will be held on Tuesday, April 30th at 7pm and/or Friday, May 3rd at 7pm at the Birth Center. Refreshments will be served. One-on-one interviews will be scheduled on an individual basis. If you are interested in participating, please email Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist at apalmquist@elon.edu with the following information:          – Name          – Phone number          – Date available (April 30th, May 3rd or both)          – When did you first become a Birth Center client?

“Graduates” from WBWC are invited to participate in our New Parent Education Program

     As you know, WBWC is committed to a providing safe and informed birth, as well as preparing young families for the adventure (and challenges) of being a new parent!  To enhance the services we now offer, we have collaborated with Jan Tedder, a nurse practitioner and lactation consultant at UNC Family Medicine Center, to bring us her HUG Your Baby program.  This award-winning program, used in over 100 countries around the world, helps parents understand their baby and prevent and solve problems around a baby’s breastfeeding, sleeping, crying and attachment. (For more information about HUG Your Baby, CLICK HERE.) In order to provide effective parent education materials, we need to know more about your experiences and needs as new parents. If you have been a patient at the WBWC and delivered between 9/1/2012 and 3/1/2013 (or there abouts), please CLICK HERE to complete a 10-minute online questionnaire. As a “Thank You,” we will send you at no cost The Growing Child E-Newsletter (value: $30).  This nationally acclaimed, monthly e-newsletter helps parents understand the normal growth and development of their child (from birth to age five).  Based on the specific age of your child, you receive tips for handling common parenting challenges, games that enhance baby’s learning, and a description of expected changes in the lives of new parents. Thank you for sharing your feedback so that we can continue to improve the support we offer young families!

Dragons and Monsters and Ghosts, Oh My!

Tips for Navigating the Fearful Stage by Claire C. McKiernan   “AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!” This is the sound of a two and a half-year-old running and shrieking down the hallway…at 2 o’clock in the morning. When I was pregnant with my second child, my first child went through a stage where she routinely woke up in the middle of the night. Oddly enough, her response was not to glance at the clock and think “gee, it’s the middle of the night, I should go back to sleep.” Rather, her response was a full-fledged, top-of-her-lungs, terrified shriek like Sasquatch had just leapt through her window and tapped her on the shoulder. She would come running for me (like I need Sasquatch in my room.) Waking up in this manner would cause my heart to briefly lodge itself in my throat, and I’m pretty sure for a split second I was levitating with my hair on end (though I never took a video to prove it). Frequently, in an attempt to allow my husband to drift back to sleep, I would waddle-run (yes, it’s possible) to meet her in the hall before she kicked open the partially closed door, banging it against the doorstop.  I would sing to her and rest next to her on her twin-sized bed, until she fell asleep (or, more likely, until I woke up an hour later and dragged my weary self to bed).  This happened night after night after night, and I wondered what to do and if it was turning my unborn child into a nervous wreck. My only experience with monsters had been in my own childhood bedroom. Fortunately for my parents, the monsters that visited me in the dark could only detect motion.  I would play possum, barely daring to breathe until they wandered away in search of live prey that they would certainly swallow up whole. My parents never knew. WHY MONSTERS? One day your child is fine with something (closets, bathrooms, the dark) and the next day…not so much. Could she be expressing fear from some recent trauma? Possibly, but unless you know of something traumatic in her life, chances are it is just her imagination kicking in. It’s a developmental stage (yay!!) that crops up between 2-3 years and may last several years, though the fears may change over time. There can be triggers, so stay attuned to how your child reacts … Read More

WBWC in Need of Gently Used Blankets

Do you have receiving blankets in good shape that your baby doesn’t need any more? Consider donating them to the birth center.  We’re always in need of receiving blankets!  You can drop them off at the front desk any time during business hours.  Thanks for your generosity!