- May 4, 2024
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Mary Kauffman, a Department of Health-Flagler senior health educator, hands out free diapers at the DOH-Flagler's first free community baby shower, in partnership with the county library and Tobacco-Free Moms and Babies. Photo by Sierra Williams
The first annual community baby shower was held by the Department of Health-Flagler, in partnership with Tobacco-Free Moms and Babies and the county library. Photo by Sierra Williams
Penny Gerlach reads to Braden Nelson, 2, while Olivia Layne, 2, looks at her own book. Photo by Sierra Williams
Brittny Rubin won a HALO Playard and other accessories during the raffle drawing at the community baby shower. Photo by Sierra Williams
During the baby shower, the DOH-Flagler held a raffle drawing for free baby items, like a playard, a stroller, blankets and mat covers and breast feeding equipment. Photo by Sierra Williams
The community baby shower partnered with local groups to give educational and resource information to mothers and mothers-to-be. Photo by Sierra Williams
Novalie Romaine, 2, plays with blocks during the library's Baby Storytime. Photo by Sierra Williams
Two-year-old twins Oliia and Eliza Layne at the library's Baby Storytime event. Photo by Sierra Williams
Tyler Putman and his son Caleb at the community baby shower. Photo by Sierra Williams
Jessica Molina and Tanya Harper from the Family Life Center handed out bottle tops, stuffed animals and informational pamphlets to attendees at the DOH-Flagler's community baby shower. Photo by Sierra Williams
The DOH-Flagler partnered with groups like Tobacco Free Florida, VA Health Services NE, Early Learning Coalition and Family Life Center to provide free diapers and wipes and other goodies for the baby shower. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Flagler County Public Library's Baby Storytime group. Photo by Sierra Williams
The community baby shower was held at the same time as the library's weekly Baby Storytime. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Department of Health-Flagler hosted its first-ever free community baby shower on Jan. 4.
The event was held at the main branch of the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, and in partnership with Tobacco-Free Moms and Babies. The free baby shower held information on resources for mothers and pregnant women from local organizations, like the Family Life Center and Women Veteran Program for North Florida and South Georgia Veteran’s Affairs.
The baby shower also held a raffle for goodies like a playard, a stroller or baby blankets and every attendee walked away with free diapers and wipes. The event was also hosted during the library's weekly Baby Storytime event, a half-hour session filled with stories, songs, interactive play meant to encourage early literary skills and language development.
DOH-Flagler’s PIO Jaffy Lee said the DOH-Flagler is trying to expand awareness of different resources available for pregnant women in the community.
“One of the things that we're trying to accomplish is to let families know that we have things in the community that are very helpful to them, that they could utilize now or even later, if they needed to,” Lee said.
The DOH Women, Infants and Children program — known more commonly as W.I.C. — offers multiple services for children under the age of five and pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding women. Those services include nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals for health care and community services, according to the DOH-Flagler website.
Lee said she also hoped to spread the word about a tobacco cessation session the DOH-Flagler is hosting on Jan. 24.
“For the last year, I've been trying to grow this closed group that is for anybody that wants to quit using nicotine,” Lee said. “Specifically, to moms that are postpartum breastfeeding or pregnant.”
The closed session is meant to provide a comfortable space without the associated stigmas that may be present at other community programs, Lee said. Mothers can bring their kids and families along, and the DOH-Flagler hands out similar baby-themed giveaways like diapers and wipes at the group as well.
Maternal tobacco use during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects to the baby and pregnancy complications, like low birthweight, preterm births and an increased chance of sudden infant death syndrome, according to the DOH. A study by the Florida DOH from data from 2016 to 2020 showed the number of pregnant women who smoked during pregnancy declined from 5.1% to 3.7% across the state.
The event also hosted information from other community organizations, including the Women Veteran Program for North Florida and South Georgia Veteran’s Affairs. Program manager Cheryl Tillman said the VA program actually provides necessary items to women like breast pumps, nursing bras, ointments and breast pads.
And while the VA does refer pregnant veterans to local obstetricians, it has its own lactation consultant and also checks in on the veteran every three months to ensure the woman is not struggling with things like food insecurity or depression.
Unfortunately, Tillman said, a lot of female veterans are not enrolled in their VA benefits.
“I think a lot of females don't picture themselves as a veteran and they still look at the VA as my grandpa's place to go,” she said. But the VA has a full range of services for its female veterans, including the pregnancy and postpartum care, she said.
DOH-Flagler senior health educator Mary Kauffman said its important the women take advantage of the resources available to them, including through the W.I.C. program.
A lot of people also don’t apply because they believe it does not apply to them or that the funding would be better served by someone else, Kauffman said. but W.I.C. departments get more funding to help the community based on the number of their local participants.
“If you qualify and you utilize those services, we get more funding to help more people,” Kauffman said.
W.I.C, she said, is for everyone and has a variety of services for mothers and young children.
“It's never something that we want people to feel bad about or to feel, like, shameful because it's not,” Kauffman said. “It is a free program and it's there for us to utilize it.”
Anyone in need can visit the DOH-Flagler at 301 Dr. Carter Boulevard or go online to flagler.floridahealth.gov for more information.
