The Chattanooga BirthNetwork Hosts Birth And Wellness Expo Oct. 17

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Chattanooga BirthNetwork will host its inaugural Birth and Wellness Expo sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee on Oct. 17 at Camp Jordan.

Pediatricians, midwives, obstetricians, lactation specialists, childbirth educators, parent educators and other professional community members will have tables available where attendees can speak with representatives of their practices, businesses and organizations.

Representatives are there to advise community members on various topics related to pregnancy, birth, and parenting like the birth process, breastfeeding and mother-friendly care. Activities at the Expo include Mommy and Me Portraits, massage, shopping for moms, an inflatable slide, face painting, fire safety, and crafts for kids. There will even be a special area for dads to watch football on comfortable couches!

The event is free, and the first 100 attendees will have a chance to win a new car seat and receive a goodie bag stuffed with samples, free products and offers for discounted services! Attendees can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a number of great prizes. Proceeds from the raffle support free community birth and parenting classes. This event is designed for families and children of all ages are welcome.

Women, families, educators, and health professionals make up the Chattanooga Birth Network, — an official chapter of BirthNetwork National. BirthNetwork National is a 501(3c) non-profit helping to educate and empower women on compassionate, evidence-based care through the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative. In spite of high per capita health care spending, the health of mothers and babies in America is the worst of any developed country.

The Chattanooga BirthNetwork is the local chapter of the National BirthNetwork. The Birth Network helps communities implement the tenets of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative-- which include emphasizing the normalcy of pregnancy and birth, patient empowerment and autonomy, as well as the responsibility of care providers to practice evidence-based medicine.