FREDERICK FAMILIES \\ COMMUNITY
Plenty of unique resources help serve FIRST-TIME PARENTS
BY GINA GALLUCCI-WHITE
The weeks after your first child is born are a joyful blur , filled with baby snuggles , sleepless nights and lots of questions . In Frederick County , there are a number of programs and businesses that help first-time parents with this wondrous , yet stressful , time in their lives .
Frederick Regional Health System offers several classes for soon-tobe parents to get ready for delivery day . Childbirth education covers the physical and emotional journey from pregnancy to postpartum recovery . Baby Care 101 aims to help first-time parents to better understand essentials , such as proper holding , diapering , burping , dressing and bathing .
“ In today ’ s fast-paced , Internet-searching , information-driven world , our programs for soon-to-be parents offer a wonderful opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and personal , real-life experiences of certified health care specialists who provide accurate , evidence-based medical information so that parents can make their own informed decisions regarding the birth and care of their child ,” said Melanie Devin , the health system ’ s Family Focus Program Assistant . “ Our classes and services help to educate and prepare parents to undertake the joy of childbirth and awesome responsibility of parenthood .”
The health system also offers free guided group tours of its hospital BirthPlace each month for expectant parents and grandparents as well . “ Every effort is taken to present , step-by-step , the usual progression from birth in Labor and Delivery to our Family Center where new parents ‘ room-in ’ with their newborn until discharge ,” Devin said . “ Parents who participate in the optional tour frequently comment that seeing the BirthPlace in advance and learning what they might expect actually helps to ease any fears or anxieties they may have been experiencing .”
A certified lactation consultant leads the Baby Breastfeeding Education and Support Together ( BEST ) class , which gives an overview of nursing basics , advice on keeping your milk supply up and proper storage of milk . Following delivery , BEST consultants make daily hospital rounds to assist all breastfeeding patients with nursing while working together to resolve any issues . They also host a free , ongoing Friday afternoon drop-in Mother-Baby Lactation Support Group .
“ Participation in the group provides a great opportunity for mothers to connect and socialize as well as a chance to gain guidance from the lactation consultants who host the meetings ,” Devin said .
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First-time parents can also participate in Healthy Families Frederick , a free , voluntary program provided by the Mental Health Association of Frederick County . “ It ’ s a supportive program where ( a highly trained care professional known as a home visitor ) works with the parent so the parent is aware of reading their child ’ s cues and responding appropriately to the child ’ s cues ,” said Anne Soule , the association ’ s director of Family Support Services . They will help make sure the parents and the child are connected to a medical provider and that the child stays current on all of his or her immunizations . If there is any need for other community resources to help ( the family ), they will help connect to those resources . ... The home visitor follows a curriculum to engage the parent in positive parenting styles and increase the iSTOCKPHOTO . COM / ALICE-PHOTO