Doula postponing, not canceling community baby shower
Last year, Vanessa Johnson, a nurse and doula from Milwaukee, organized the first It Takes a Village community baby shower and resource fair at Sherman Phoenix.
Vendors at the shower included medical professionals, midwives, doulas and nutritionists who gave new and expectant moms information and resources about keeping themselves and their babies healthy. The shower also focused on pampering the moms, with vendors providing massages, belly painting and yoga classes. Johnson and her fellow organizers also put together donations of diapers, baby clothes and other baby items to give out to the moms.
The event was held during World Doula Week, and the community response surpassed her expectations.
“We estimate over 1,000 people came through the event,” Johnson said. “Sherman Phoenix was just packed for the entire six hours.”
That kind of turnout is great for Johnson’s mission of educating and empowering people about what’s needed for healthy birth outcomes. It’s not so great for encouraging social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, Johnson held out hope to the last minute that she wouldn’t have to cancel her second annual shower, which was scheduled to take place on March 28.
“There are women who don’t have access to diapers,” Johnson said. “I’ve had women reaching out to me who live in group homes, and they’ve really been looking forward to receiving the services the shower provides.”
So Johnson is not canceling, she’s postponing.
The event has been rescheduled to May 30, as long as pandemic concerns allow gatherings to be held safely at that point.
Rather than celebrating doula week, she’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day.
“I wanted to end the month of May the same way we start it with the traditional Mother’s Day holiday, by honoring those who bring life into the world!” Johnson wrote in an update to her vendors.
She’s also looking on the bright side of things, since the extra time will allow her to find more sponsorships. She had already secured four sponsorships as a result of last year’s success, as well as commitments from new vendors, including the Milwaukee police and fire departments.
“Last year we didn’t have any sponsorship, so I’m excited that the community has reached out to support us,” said Johnson. “It’s really important to me that there are all these organizations who want to serve prenatal and postpartum women.”
Johnson said all registrations that had already happened will be honored in May, and she encourages people who will be giving birth before the new date to reach out for resources they need.
“We’re absolutely postponing, not canceling,” said Johnson. “We have providers and practitioners who are still wanting to reach families, and so this definitely has to happen, one way or the other.”
Reach out to Johnson’s organization, Birthworkers United, for more information about the community baby shower and resources available to pregnant and new moms.
Contact Amy Schwabe at (262) 8759488 or amy.schwabe@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @WisFamilyJS, Instagram at @wisfamilyjs or Facebook at WisconsinFamily.