Oh Baby, Baby
Meetups added for second annual baby shower
Preparing to have a baby is a very special time in a woman’s life. And a baby shower is one of the most fun events for any mom-to-be. However, not every mom is fortunate enough to have a baby shower. For the second year, DR. LOLITA BRYANT, nurse educator/nurse consultant, along with ALEX RICHARDSON, executive director of 4th Trimester Mission, and SARAH HESS, owner of Nurture Wellness, are hosting the Second Annual Wilmington Community Baby Shower.
“We want to provide new mothers and families in the community with a wraparound of support to help ensure they have a joyful transition to this special phase of life,” says Hess. “We have many families in need of support in the area, and our Wilmington Baby Shower is a great way to help sustain a healthy community.”
Based on a turnout of over 100 moms and families at last year’s First Wilmington Community Baby Shower, this year’s event will be similar but offer additional benefits and perks. 4th Trimester Mission will host a New Mama Meetup at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Empowerment Center. 4th Trimester Mission has been hosting New Mama Meetups for pregnant women through six months postpartum for the last four years. Meetups are a safe space for mothers to find community and emotional support throughout their perinatal journey.
“Often a mother’s first outing alone with her baby will be a New Mama Meetup where she knows she will be loved and accepted in her sleep deprived, postpartum fog,” says Richardson. “As with all of our New Mama Meetups, this one will offer a warm environment, breakfast, and a safe space for moms who are in the trenches of pregnancy and postpartum.”
Like last year, moms who attend the baby shower will be given free basic baby essentials including diapers and a gift bag of baby items. Attendees will also receive a free raffle ticket for a chance to win car seats, strollers, baby bags, and additional items. Moms will be able to shop for free baby clothing during the shower.
“The baby shower was born from our love of the Wilmington community,” says Hess. “From the time we first decided to host this event, we knew our intention was an annual event. Supporting our moms and babies is supporting the future health of our Wilmington community.”
Sponsors of this year’s shower include Novant Health, UNCW School of Nursing, Once Upon a Child, Southern Moving and Storage, NC Nourish, The Diaper Bank of the Lower Cape Fear, On Thyme Catering, Nothing Bundt Cakes of Wilmington, and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.
“Hearing moms who attended last year say this is the only baby shower she will ever have touched our hearts so deeply,” says Bryant. “We want mothers to feel like this is a personal baby shower especially for them.” The shower is also a way for new moms to connect with other mothers in the community and create lasting relationships.
The Second Annual Wilmington Community Baby Shower will be held Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Empowerment Center located at 2929 Princess Place Drive in Wilmington. Walk-ins will be accommodated but pre-registration is preferred:
To view more of photographer Aris Harding’s work, go to arisharding.com.
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