Photo By Keisha Frith | Martha Thomasson, neonatal intensive care nurse, talks to attendees about the care...... read more read more
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Over 400 attendees made their way through the All American and Reilly Road entrances of Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC), Saturday Sept. 10 to participate in the first in-person, bi-annual Maternity Fair, since September 2019.
Future and current mothers, fathers, and their families were treated to a variety of classes and services provided by WAMC, Fort Bragg and local community services.
Along with the wealth of information that helped to ease the anxiety of some new and expecting parents, attendees were provided with various baby items and giveaways from the different services.
Martha Thomasson, a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at WAMC, interacted with new and existing parents. She spoke about the care they provide to babies born preterm or full-term, who may need some help with transitioning.
“I am excited to be here. We like to show all the parents that we are here for them in case of any kind of emergency,” said Thomasson.
Classes included birth plans, comfort techniques, getting ready for baby, safe sleep and crib display, purple crying, baby blues and beyond, dads 101 and infant massage. The focus of the safe class was how to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Dual-military couple, Staff Sgt. Garrett and Sgt. Gabby McMann, are expecting their first child. They were thankful they had an opportunity to attend the classes.
“There are a couple of things that I never thought of that are super important; learning about the crib and how the use of a pacifier can help in reducing SIDS,” said Gabby. “It is nice that we have these programs and can learn.”
During the infant massage class, attendees were able to select a doll and learn the proper way to approach and massage their baby.
Shanique Mendez, who was in her third trimester, commended the presenters for teaching families how to prepare for baby’s arrival and the proper way to take care of their baby.
“It has been awesome, the sessions are very informational,” said Mendez. “When you are getting ready to have a baby, there is certainly a ton of information out there and so just having a place where you can dispel some of those myths or fortify some of that knowledge is important.”
To ensure reasonable accommodation for those interested in the classes, a virtual option was made available and can still be accessed on the WAMC social media platforms.
WAMC is looking forward to hosting the next one April of 2023. For more information about community events, follow WAMC Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube using the handle @WomackAMC.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2022 08:09 |
| Story ID: | 429397 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, In-person Maternity Fair a success after hosting virtual maternity fairs, by Keisha Frith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT