DC VA Medical Center Celebrates Soon-To-Be Moms with Baby Shower

The fifth annual “Showers of Joy” brought together 25 moms-to-be residing in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland area just in time for Mother’s Day. They were showered with gifts and educational material about topics like post-partum depression, infant sleep safety tips, and breast-feeding support.

Women Veteran Program Manager, Shana Balogun, RN, helped to coordinate the event which is designed to bridge the gap between VA primary care and Maternity care received outside the VA medical center.

“Because we don’t provide obstetrical care, we try to provide information that they may not receive from their OBGYN. It’s important that they recognize signs of post-partum depression and what to do about it. We connect them with lactation support outside of the facility in case they have issues feeding their newborn. We just want to make sure they feel supported and understand the resources available to them,” said Balogun.

In addition to educational material, participants were gifted items like highchairs, gift cards, diapers, and clothing. Balogun said the donated gifts, which cover just about everything needed for the first six months of a child’s life, are provided to Veterans who are dealing with limited resources at home.

“This really is designed for Veterans in need,” said Balogun. “Many of our Veterans have struggled to become pregnant or have experienced a pregnancy loss, some are dealing with homelessness, deployed spouses or unsafe living conditions. We want to alleviate some stress for these Veterans while they prepare to welcome a new baby into their lives.”

Pre-COVID, the baby shower was an in-person event to help expecting Veterans connect and build a support system of other moms-to-be in the area. Balogun said they now host virtual focus groups for that reason, but the baby shower still allows for important connections to be made.  

“We have been working with some of our pregnant Veterans since the preconception stage, through fertility treatments and coordinating care. But because of COVID, we’ve never actually met them,” she said. “It’s nice to put a face to the name of the Women’s Health Team that they’ve been working with so closely and build that camaraderie.”

Jenny Escolastico is a first-time mom-to-be who receives care at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. She said the event gave her an opportunity to make personal connections with the staff who she had previously only ever spoken to on the phone.    

“It was really cool to finally meet them. They gave my fiancé and I lunch and loaded our trunk with supplies. It was more than we ever expected, and I felt very supported,” she said.

The Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Women’s Health Clinic offers comprehensive services to care for the growing population of women Veterans. The clinic offers maternity care coordination, gynecological care and on-site mammography with same day results, nutrition counseling and mental health services all in a calm environment that preserves the privacy and dignity of women Veterans.

For more information about the Women’s Health Clinic, visit: https://www.washingtondc.va.gov/services/women/index.asp