Sunday afternoon, Waco’s Nurse Family Partnership held an outing at Cameron Park Zoo bringing together new babies and expecting mother in the program.
Nurse-Family Partnership is a national program, but started in McLennan County at the end of January 2016.
The program pairs first-time mothers with nurses. The nurses begin regular in-home visit during pregnancy, offering medical and social advice from pregnancy until the baby’s second birthday.
Shaporcha Clay is seven months pregnant. When she was around four months pregnant, she was referred to the program from CareNet. She is connected with a nurse who she meets with once or more a week.
“I have a lot of family members who are very supportive but I just love the love they give here and the knowledge that I'm getting for the things that I don't know as a first time mom that's where my help comes from,” Clay said.
In addition to the support, the women receive from Nurse-Family Partnership other local organizations contribute to the women in the program. Waco Junior League donates a rocking chair for every woman to have at home when the babies are born.
At Sunday’s event, Jack and Jill of Waco presented each mother with a goodie bag.
In the bag were baby supplies for on the go, bibs and socks. The bags also had books, picked out by the mothers in Jack and Jill. The books were favorites they were hoping to pass on to the new mothers.
Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez of Jack and Jill club said the members were interested in giving the woman in the program a helping hand.
“As the mother of three children I can remember how stressful it was as a new mother and it's just the small things niceties programs like thus that really help so I think this is a wonderful program,” Dr. Moody-Ramirez said.
For Shaporcha Clay, the event allows her to connect with other moms. “It's really fun friendships are built and having that support is the biggest thing I think it is,” Clay said.
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