by Tori Hinde
WBWC expectant parents Tracy and Bradley Bethel made their television debut this summer on “Baby Makes 3,” an HGTV-style home improvement show on PBS that helps first-time parents-to-be make over a room into a nursery. The Bethels live in Pacifica, a co-housing community in Carrboro, which is an environmentally sensitive, intentional community. Residents live separately but share community gardens and a common house for events and are expected to devote hours to community service every month.
The Bethels have a strong sense of environmental awareness and community that led them to their neighborhood community. Bradley was an AmeriCorps member and now works part-time in the film industry and outdoor retailing. Tracy is employed at a non-profit with a focus on child welfare. The values that led them to Pacifica also influenced Tracy’s decision to choose WBWC when she learned she was pregnant.
“My degree is in public health and I work at Duke coordinating research,” Tracy says. “My idea of healthcare is client-centered and patient-informed with patient education built in. The Birth Center really does that. To have such a resource in a community, I had to use it.”
Each “Baby Makes 3” episode features a different nursery theme. For the Bethels’ nursery, the team tapped into their environmental consciousness and did a gender-neutral “book-ish baby” design. The design team bought organic bedding, used reclaimed wood, and designed pieces that could grow with baby and be useful for years to come.
“My favorite part of the room is the bookshelf turned desk – they made it out of galvanized pipes and reclaimed pine,” says Tracy. “The way they did the bookshelf, it is fully functional storage unit now and will serve as a desk when she needs a desk. Sort of modern and pretty cool – a one of a kind piece they built just for us.”
Tracy and Bradley were put to work on the nursery as well. Bradley made a lamp, and Tracy made a Mason jar storage rack for the bathroom. They worked as a team on a craft project that turned a window into a stained glass window, and they also made a toy bin.
It can be a bizarre experience to see oneself on television, but Tracy felt comfortable with how they were portrayed.
“.” Tracy said. “There were a few times the camera was running and caught our banter. They kept those moments in and really captured our personalities. In those moments, I feel like they got our playfulness and sense of humor well.”
Tracy gave birth to their daughter Flannery at Women’s Birth and Wellness on November 12 and their episode aired locally in August. Reflecting back on the experience, Tracy was grateful.
“I got a great nursery out of it that is beyond anything I would have done. I got a great space that will grow up with her and more creative than I would have come up with,” says Tracy.
To view clips from their episode or check the local broadcast schedule, visit https://www.babymakes3.tv. If you’re interested in appearing on the show and getting your own free nursery, check out more details at www.babymakes3.tv/content/join-us-tv-and-get-free-nursery.