From the WBWC Blog:

Family Resources

Maternal Mental Health Matters!

By Nancy Albrecht MA, RN, BSN Facilitator: Coping with Motherhood Support Group May is Maternal Mental Health (MMH) month, with the fourth annual World Maternal Mental Health Day held on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. We need special focus on MMH to: · Increase visibility because NO ONE IS IMMUNE! · Combat social stigma because ILLNESS IS NOT A CRIME! · Improve detection and treatment because 1 IN 5 NEW MOTHERS EXPERIENCE MMH DISORDERS and 7 IN 10 WOMEN HIDE OR DOWNPLAY THEIR SYMPTOMS! · To earmark more resources to maternal and infant mental health because NO HEALTH WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH! If you are a mom struggling with mood changes or anxiety, the WBWC midwives, nurses, and staff are here to help. Whether you are pregnant, newly postpartum, or have a toddler, you are not alone and will recover! You may regain your life as you: · Turn to those around you and ask for help. · Seek professional support from your midwife or a referral to a therapist. · Find peer support from a support group like Coping with Motherhood or online at PSI (www.postpartum.net). · Acknowledge and grieve the loss of the “ideal” motherhood experience. · Look ahead to wellness. Spouses, family members, and friends may be the first to notice these changes. You can help by: Ask her “How are you doing, how are you really doing?” LISTEN to what she says! No matter how many people you think are supporting her, there are often way too few who ask and listen. Everyone wants to know how the baby is: how baby is growing and moving or how baby is sleeping, eating, pooping, etc??? Nobody is asking mom if she’s getting rest; if she’s eating regularly; if she gets to take a shower when she needs or wants to. Ask her “How much did you sleep last night?” “What did you eat today?” Help her make a sleep plan and bring her food. Ask her “Are you okay?” Be prepared if she says NO: Call us! Moms and family members can become MMH activists: Support PSI. Participate in the annual Climb Out of the Darkness events sponsored by PSI-NC (https://psichapters.com/nc/): Chapel Hill, Saturday, June 8, 2019 and Durham, Saturday, October 19, 2019. Make sure your professional support team has been trained by PSI. Emily Joubert, CNM will be the most recently trained member of the WBWC staff, attending … Read More

New Class For WBWC Parents-To-Be

We are thrilled to be offering a new class for WBWC families having their first baby or first birth center birth! Great Expectations: Preparing for Your Birth Center Birth will cover topics including birth center routines, normal variations of labor, how to prepare at home, what to do in early labor, and more! The class is taught by 2 WBWC nurses who are also WBWC moms. There will be birth stories from WBWC parents, discussion, and plenty of time to get all your questions answered! First class: June 9, 4-6 PM in the Living Room (3rd Floor) Cost: $10/couple (free with Medicaid or Tricare) Class will be offered the 2nd Sunday of every month Register at https://ncbirthcenter.org/classes/register/ *This is a supplement to a childbirth course, NOT a comprehensive birthing class*

New ACA Insurance Coverage

Good News: Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (WBWC) is part of the UNC Health Alliance and there are new 2019 Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans offered providing in-network coverage at WBWC! If you previously had coverage under Blue LocalSM with Duke Health & WakeMed, the plan has been replaced, and coverage will now be available through Blue ValueSM  with UNC Health Alliance.  Click here to read more: https://www.bluecrossnc.com/ready-to-renew.  If you have questions about open enrollment or billing, please call George Higgins at 919-951-1724.

Peer Counseling Breastfeeding Support Program

By Dzidzai Muyengwa We have some exciting new changes coming to WBWC this summer and we wanted to take this opportunity to give you some information about our new Peer Counseling Breastfeeding Support Program. This program is being offered to provide birth center breastfeeding parents with some extra support during pregnancy and for the length of their breastfeeding journey.   What is a peer counselor? A peer counselor is a parent who breastfed at least one child, who then completes specialized training to learn about supporting other breastfeeding parents. The peer counselor is trained to support typical challenges in breastfeeding, and can also help you decide when it may be time to seek support from a Lactation Consultant. There is a strong evidence base for the effects of peer counselors on improving breastfeeding outcomes.   Our peer counselor is someone you all know and love – Tracey Jones, who you see in the lab at almost every visit! We will begin enrolling interested patients starting in the coming weeks, with a special focus on those who may not otherwise have easy access to breastfeeding support or education.  We are excited about this new opportunity to better serve WBWC families!

7 Ways to Truly Experience Giving This Season

By Claire Caprioli “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can.” –-written by Ashford & Simpson, first sung by Diana Ross 1970. Writing a check, giving clothes to Goodwill, and donating to Toys for Tots are all worthy endeavors, but they can also be just another item to cross off your to-do list, especially during the holidays. If you would like to experience that “giver’s high” I have good news for you: it doesn’t take much time to do something more personal. Better still, the following starter list includes things that can be done as a family, even with young children, has great potential for creating a fond memory (or even starting a tradition!) and provides wonderful lessons in both gratitude and humility. Away from Home: 1. Donate 1-2 hours at the NC Food Bank: foodbankcenc.org This local food bank serves 34 NC counties where there are more than 650,000 people living with food insecurity, half of whom are children and seniors. We have volunteered here several times and there is always something for everyone to do while still sticking together as a family. My kids’ favorite was scooping pasta, and even a 4-year-old can carry a bag of pasta (or whatever) to a bin. 2. Donate 1-2 hours at the Diaper Bank: ncdiaperbank.org Did you know food stamps don’t cover diapers? There are working families choosing between feeding and diapering their children. You always know what you are going to get here: repackaging diapers into groups of 25. If your child can count to 12 this is great, but even if your child can’t count, he or she can deliver the wrapped packages onto the palette. Less boring than it sounds, we always enjoy this. It is surprisingly relaxing to focus on one simple task for an hour! 3. Open to anything? Donate time to a local park, assisted living home, community center, school, or place of worship. They know what they need, just call and ask! 4. Make #3 more personal by asking if there is a particular person or family in need of help—a widow who needs her leaves raked, a single mom who would love a basket of homemade treats, etc. Suggestion: If you do something away from home, turn it into a family fun day by going out to lunch, ice skating, bowling, or whatever when you are … Read More

Sibling Class

Wednesday, October 4, 2017, 5:30-6:30 pm A class for Big Brothers and Big Sisters (ages 2-10), with their parents and/or birth support person   ·        What will happen on baby’s birth day? ·        What does a new baby do and need? ·        How can I help with the baby? $15 for one child, $20 for two children Register at the front desk Taught by Wanda Sundermann, ICCE, LMBT Childbirth educator, massage therapist, doula, grandmother

7 Parenting Tips That Don’t Work

by Claire Caprioli   How many times have you read parenting advice and thought: “Pshht. Yeah, right. Like THAT would work on MY kid!” Me too. Ironic coming from a writer of parenting articles, eh? Nothing works all the time or on all kids. And, often times, the writer adds a disclaimer about you knowing your child best (thanks for the affirmation, stranger!) So, here are some parenting tips that didn’t work for me (plus one tip that threw me into a fury.)  Tip 1: When the baby is resting, you rest. This tip is ubiquitous and excellent advice. For the first kid. This may be obvious, but I rarely ever read any acknowledgement of that fact. It didn’t matter too much, since my darling first child was a terrible napper who would frequently be awake for 14 hours, with only a 15 to 60-minute nap all day. Also, she had colic. Also, she gave up napping entirely by the age of 2. When my son came along before she turned 3, he nursed 8 times a night, every night for the first month, and she would race into my room full of vim and vigor by 6:30 every morning. The only napping I did was when I visited my parents (thankfully nearby!) and fell asleep in the guestroom while they played with the kids. Tip 2: Plant a garden in order to get your kids to eat veggies. What gets me about these articles is the certainty with which the writer asserts that a kid can’t resist eating a crop she has grown herself. My husband plants a significant garden every year. My youngest daughter will happily sow carrot seeds with her father and later joyfully harvest them. My eldest son willingly weeds and pinches tomato hornworms into oblivion. A lot is gained from these childhood experiences (quality time, learning how plants grow, self-sufficiency, fresh air, etc.) But…my daughter has no interest in eating carrots and my son will not eat tomatoes. Tip 3: Delegate responsibilities. This is also good if you can do it. You know, without having to explain at great length how to do everything. Without chipping your teeth when you can’t find a single thing in your kitchen the next day. Without biting your tongue when someone vacuums for you and there are dust bunnies the size of tumbleweeds skittering across the floor while you nurse … Read More

Road Trip Tips

  Part I: Essentials By Claire Caprioli When you have four children aged 15 months to 8 years, the most reasonable and sane way to enjoy family time over the summer is with a staycation. Being neither reasonable nor sane in our house, we loaded the kids into the minivan for a 10-hour drive (in one day) to New York. Fifteen minutes into the trip, the baby vomited all over herself. The result of a rushed morning, she showed no signs of distress or illness. The child sitting next to her helpfully observed, “Hey, I can see the peach chunks from the yogurt she ate this morning!” One child in the back began dry-heaving. Another child requested an immediate opening of all the windows. My husband pulled over, his jaw clenching and unclenching, as he mentally calculated that to head home, clean up, and head back out would put us back in our current location 45 minutes from now. I, Supermom, with a smile and dismissive wave of my hand, popped into action. This was, after all, just a routine and minor hiccup in the day. (This was also several years ago, so my exact words, attitude, and demeanor have been lost to antiquity.) While windows and doors were opened wide, I headed to the trunk. I retrieved paper towels, wipes, baby wipes, 3 plastic produce bags, an infant blanket, a roll of lifesavers, and baby clothes. In fewer than 10 minutes (no joke), we were back on the road (did you not catch the Supermom reference?) How? Simple. As girl scouts, boy scouts, and Scar from The Lion King all know: BE PREPARED. With proper preparation, 90% of your work is done and all that is left is to 1. Prioritize and 2. Act. The next few minutes went something like this: Lifesavers were handed out to children (this is akin to showing a bird a shiny object. It serves as a distraction and is met with wonderment: “Wow, mom never lets us have lifesavers at 7:30am!”) My husband held open produce bag #1 while I wiped up as much as I could with paper towels. The baby was removed from her car seat, wiped with baby wipes, and changed. Her dirty clothes were placed in produce bag #2. Produce bag #2 was tightly tied off and placed in produce bag #3, which was also knotted (this would need … Read More

Upcoming Events March 2017

Click to view detailed calendar Coping with Motherhood – Thursday, March 2 & 16, 10:30 am-12pm, FREE Babywearing Class – Saturday, March 4, 10am-12pm, FREE Babywearing Dance Class – Every Friday 9:15-10:15am, $10/adult or $40 for 5 classes Breastfeeding Basics – Tuesday, March 7 & 21, 6:30-8:30pm, $30/couple La Leche League Meeting – Wednesday, March 8, 7-8:30pm, FREE  Young Moms Meetup – Thursday, March 9, 4:30-6pm, FREE Breastfeeding Cafe – Friday, March 10 & 24, 10:30am-12pm, FREE Weekend Breastfeeding Cafe – Saturday, March 11, 10:30-12pm, FREE Meet the Doulas – Wednesday, March 15, 7-9pm, FREE Cloth Diapering Class – Saturday, March 18, 10-11:30 am, FREE Choosing Quality Childcare Seminar – Wednesday, March 20, 6:30-7:30 FREE Craniosacral Therapy Clinic – Saturday, March 25, 2-4pm, FREE Express Yourself, Pumping and Breastfeeding Class – Tuesday, March 28, 6:30-8:30pm

Coping With Motherhood Group

Have pregnancy and motherhood turned your world upside down?      Coping with Motherhood is a peer support group for pregnant and postpartum women who are struggling with mood changes during the childbearing years. Facilitated by Nancy Albrecht, RN, MA, IBCLC, the group provides a safe place to share concerns, strengths, and ways to prevent, cope with, and recover from perinatal depression and anxiety.      During a Coping with Motherhood meeting, moms are welcomed to a positive and private space where they can share feelings and support each other in the process of recovery. There are tears, but also laughter; talk about anxieties and fears, but also baby and breastfeeding advice; a chance to admit the pain, but also see the way to better days. Since the group began, almost two years ago, over 50 women have gotten support from the meetings and each other.     Nancy shares the philosophy of the group, “We believe that while all mothers desire to be the perfect mother, we all fall short. You are a good mom as you seek help, take care of yourself, and do the best you can every day!”   The group meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon at WBWC, in the Living Room (Suite 304). Call Nancy at 919-933-3301, ext. 207 for more information. No need to RSVP, and the group is open to all women, not just WBWC clients.You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.Postpartum Support International

What All New Parents Need (and What They Don’t Need!)

by Holly Lindsay-Miller When I first got pregnant, I was on my way to becoming ever more conscientious in the way I lived. Truth be told, we were getting ready to go down to one income, and our home was not going to be spatially accommodating. We had to be thoughtful, and let’s face it, that’s hard to do in our modern, materialistic, consumerist world! We are told we need so many things as parents, and that has the subconscious effect of making us think that what we already have, who we are, isn’t good enough. We’re told we need THINGS to make us good parents. Just walk into a Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby! We might need 5-7% of what is sold in these retail superstores. Well,  first-time parents, we may not know that. We’ve never done it before. Yes, we know we have to follow the safety laws and get a car seat, and yes, we know our sweet babies need clothes and diapers. Everyone we know wants to buy toys galore, but what are those things we truly need and what are those things we absolutely do not? As they say in La Leche League meetings, treat this information as a buffet. Take what you want; leave what you don’t. We’re all in this together, after all! Top 10 Must-Haves: 1.  Breastfeeding support – We’ve all read or been told babies were born to breastfeed and that’s basically true, but often the beginning is tough. We now have nursing pillows, nipple creams, nursing bras and tanks, absorbent nursing pads, hydro-gel pads, nursing books, IBCLC’s, and what I deem most important, OTHER NURSING WOMEN! In our culture, we rarely grow up watching our mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, friends and neighbors nursing. We don’t necessarily know what normal looks like and how it feels. 2.    A baby resource book – When our children get ill it’s unsettling, particularly in the first weeks of a baby’s. Children tend to have issues at night or weekends when we feel alone already. A good baby reference book, such as Dr. Sears’s The Portable Pediatrician, is such a nice go-to when you don’t know if what your wee-one is doing is normal, requires an after-hours nurse call, or a helicopter lift to your local emergency room. (Things feel so much bigger when the sun is down!) 3.    A good baby carrier – Babies … Read More