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Palmetto Health presents Oh, Baby! And Mommy Too

03/08/2010

Columbia moms and moms-to-be will soon be treated to the area’s premier maternity event. Palmetto Health will present Oh, Baby! (and mommy too) 1-5 p.m., Sunday, May 16, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Admission is free. Parents, grandparents and children are welcome.

Co-sponsored by B106.7 FM, Baby Furniture Plus Kids, Grookett Photography and Palmetto Parent, the event will feature brief educational sessions, shopping with local vendors, stage events (such as a Haute Mama fashion show and Daddy Olympics), an Ask-the-Physician area, car seat safety demonstrations, a Kids Corner and door prizes.

Participants can register at the event to win a variety of prizes, including maternity and newborn portraits from Grookett Photography and cribs from Baby Furniture Plus Kids (must be present to win).

“Having a baby is one of the most important moments a family will experience,” said Alice Renfrow, director of nursing at Palmetto Health Baptist’s Birthplace. “Oh, Baby! is intended to help families prepare for the big day and all the days ahead. We’ll have everything a new parent will need, from great information and resources to clothes and baby gadgets.”

Educational sessions featuring Palmetto Health medical experts will cover a wide range of topics, including epidurals and other options, newborn 101, breastfeeding basics, and tips for a more comfortable pregnancy. Other community resources will feature breakout sessions on infant immunization, fertility issues and more.

“We offer a variety of resources and classes for pregnant moms and young families,” said Carole Siegfried, director of Women Services at Palmetto Health Richland’s Stork’s Landing. “This event is a great way to sample what we offer, as well as other community resources. Having a baby can be stressful and overwhelming, as well as exciting. We want to help parents be as prepared and informed as they can be.”

Other Oh, Baby attractions include a Kids Corner with an interactive “mini hospital,” sponsored by Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. Through hands-on play, children will learn what it’s like to visit a hospital.

Palmetto Health hospitals deliver more babies than any other in the Midlands and feature the area’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units, which provide the highest level of neonatal care available. Every year, Palmetto Health hospitals deliver more than 6,600 babies and treat more than 82,000 children.

For more information, visit ohbabypalmetto.com.