Community baby shower lifts up West Point parents
Mom.ME and Bonded 4 Life partnered up to host the event in an effort to uplift and empower new parents in the area.
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – New and expecting mothers need all the support they can get.
From juggling their health and the needs of their baby to grappling with an ever-changing routine.
It can all be overwhelming without someone to lean on.
That’s where local organizations come in with their community baby shower.
Shavonda Quinn is a birthing doula and lactation consultant with Bonded 4 Life.
A company that specializes in pre- and post-pregnancy care and education.
“If it’s you’re first time being pregnant, you just, you don’t know,” Quinn said. “You just don’t know like what to expect in labor and delivery. And then after you have the baby like, a lot of people say they tried to breastfeed when they was in the hospital, but they just didn’t understand the process.”
Quinn said educating people on the details of pregnancy and birth empowers new parents.
“So when you’re more prepared, you’re able to go in there a little bit better and more confident,” Quinn said.
Bonded 4 Life partnered with Mom.ME. to host their inaugural Community Baby Shower.
It’s a chance to give local parents not only vital supplies, but also healthcare resources.
Mom.ME. executive director Lauren Jones said her nonprofit is committed to bringing awareness to, and serving those who suffer with postpartum mood disorders.
“We call ourselves the village,” Jones said. “Motherhood, Parenthood period was never created to be done in silos, like individually. Right? Motherhood, in in a lot of other communities, they rally around their moms and come together.”
They do this through peer support in the form of support groups, social outings, and one-on-one assistance.
Jones said this issue is personal for her.
“I experienced, with my first-born, postpartum depression to the point I was almost suicidal,” Jones said. “And I went to every doctor’s appointment, and I really didn’t get the resources, or the knowledge about what mentally could happen to me with having a baby.”
Though Jones had the support of her family through those times, she’s painfully aware of how many new parents lack that support, like one parent who said the organization saved her life.
“‘I probably wouldn’t be here if I didn’t meet y’all,” Jones said. “As heartbreaking as that is, to know that we truly helped someone- mission complete. As a mom, a parent, even a father, if you are struggling, just know that you are not alone. There are tons of us out here in our community of strugglers. And get resources. Reach out. We’re one of them. No judgment.”
Bonded 4 Life and Mom.ME. are looking for sponsorships and donations to host Community Baby Showers on a regular basis.
Bonded 4 Life also hosts free breastfeeding courses every second Wednesday at the Bryan Public Library in West Point.
