Prenatal information for WBFN members

The WBFN Prenatal Pilot Program began in November for a group of expecting members. We met six times, once every other week, for one-and-a-half to two hours. The intention was to prepare the women for the birth of their children by reviewing different subjects each time. WBFN member, Birgit Sheldon, also shared her advice as a physiotherapist and mother-of-five in preparation for birth. Our meetings covered pregnancy, labor and delivery in the USA, pain management and breathing, breast and bottle-feeding newborns, common concerns and care for babies, and common questions. Most of us are far away from our native countries, family and friends, who normally would be our source of assistance when a child is born. Being in another country with fewer connections can be tough when you are at home with a child. To prevent the sense of isolation and frustration that sometimes can be the result, I wanted to strengthen the network between the mothers-to-be, so they would have a natural group to contact should questions and worries surface or they want to get out of the house and meet other mothers with kids who would understand exactly what they needed at that point. As a nurse-midwife, I thought it was important to prepare the mothers for the coming event and provide a forum where any questions could be asked and discussed. Having worked here in the U.S. in a post-partum unit, I felt I could share valuable information about the American system. I tried to underline to the women that all questions were valid, that they should ask if they were not sure. Being well prepared for birth helps everybody immensely and can add a feeling of accomplishment and control of the new situation.

When I heard about this Workshop, I immediately signed up! It was a great opportunity to share with other moms-to-be, all Bank spouses, all going through the same experience. It was great having Gertrud Bojo, a certified midwife with a vast experience at Inova Hospital, who has been living in this area for over 20 years, run this Workshop. Meeting every two weeks at the WBFN made this whole experience much more relaxed. I have participated in other classes around D.C. where there were a larger number of moms-to-be per class, limiting our time for questions. At this Workshop, time was not a constraint, and as we felt we were among friends, we were able to freely extend our discussions. This is what I liked most! Being pregnant in a foreign country, dealing with foreign health care policies and, for most of us, speaking a foreign language is not as simple as it seems. This Workshop and Gertrud made the whole process one truly happy experience to remember!” Belkys Lopez Rabello

The group members were from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Venezuela, Germany, the Czech Republic, the USA, Cambodia and Senegal. One mother had a toddler; the others were expecting their first child. One very fun aspect of these meetings was seeing how questions and concerns were shared regardless of the cultural backgrounds. Some were initially shy to talk about childbirth and related issues, but after a few meetings most everybody felt at ease and spoke very openly.

I’m really glad to have participated in this Workshop. It was an excellent opportunity to meet other pregnant WBG spouses and share a lot of information and concerns with them. Each session ran for almost two hours, during which we went through different stages of pregnancy and labor. We got lots of useful tips and advice and Gertrud patiently answered all our questions. I really enjoyed my sessions with Birgit Sheldon, a five-times mom, full of positive energy, with physical therapy experience and extra training in childbirth preparation. Huda Batterjee, a certified lactation specialist, also gave us an excellent presentation on breastfeeding. We all come from different countries, continents and cultural backgrounds, but we had a chance to partly spend this “expecting” time together. I hope our kids become friends as we did! Daniela Drapakova

The idea of doing something like this has been around for a while, but the decisive factor was my enrollment in the Master’s Program in Global Health at George Mason University, VA. For one of my classes I had to undertake a health-related action in one of my defined communities. I had worked at Fairfax Hospital, VA in the postpartum unit for eight years as a registered nurse and as a nurse-midwife in Sweden and Lesotho and voila!—it was obvious what I was going to do.

It was my privilege to get to know these mothers during our meetings. I thank everyone and wish them all the best of luck in their parenting.

Gertrud Bojo