Congratulations Savannah pediatricians Dr. Keith Seibert and Dr. Ben Spitalnick on their new book “Baby Care Anywhere” – a quick guide to parenting on the go. The book comes out July 7.

This portable pocket covers 150 of new parents’ most frequent questions and concerns including jaundice, diaper rash, earaches, immunizations, sleep, reflux, fever, and picking a pediatrician.  It’s available for pre-order on Amazon here.

Dr. Spitalnick will be live on SiriusXM Wed. July 1 11AM-Noon on Ch 81 talking about the book.

The book launches July 7 @ Amazon, Target, Walmart, Nook, Kindle, Kroger & more.

Learn about their upcoming book signings by following these two beloved Savannah physicians by liking their Facebook page here  & following them on Twitter here. 

Not surprisingly, Dr. Seibert & Dr. Spitalnick are on the SouthernMamas.com list of  best Savannah pediatricians here – a helpful list for those of you who are new to the area or who are new parents.

Prepared Childbirth Saturday Session
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 21, at Memorial University Medical Center, Savannah

This full-day course gives an overview of reproductive anatomy and physiology and explains the process of labor and delivery in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It is designed for parents who live outside of Savannah or have schedules that make it difficult to attend weekday classes. This course includes a tour of the labor and delivery unit.

This class is popular, so please register early.

The cost is $75 per couple. For more information, call 912-350-BORN (2676).

Memorial University Medical Center is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser. 

Congratulations to the dynamo-sister team at Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology on the opening of their SECOND office in our area. Thrive is now seeing patients at their new satellite office in Pooler, in addition to their Savannah practice in the Candler Professional Building.

The new Pooler practice is @ 114 Canal St. Suite 403 and is open Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Dr. Maryanna Barrett & Dr. Maria Paasch just opened their first practice in Savannah this past May. So we’re thrilled to see how well the community has responded to manner in which these two deliver health care with kindness, compassion and consideration.

Dr. Barrett and Dr. Paasch are identical twin sisters born and raised in Clarksville, TN. Growing up in a family of strong and nurturing women, both were drawn to the field of Women’s Health.

They attended medical school at The University of Tennessee in Memphis and completed their residencies at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Dr. Barrett completed her training in 2009 and Dr. Paasch in 2010. Drs. Barrett and Paasch are board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

While offering complete Women’s Health Care, they have a particular enthusiasm for obstetrics, including trial of labor after a caesarean section (TOLAC), minimally invasive surgery, and pediatric and adolescent gynecology. They, along with their husbands and children, have newly relocated from Hawaii to Savannah, to be close to family and to re-establish roots in their native South.

Their approach to care marries the science of modern medicine with the art of listening to each patient’s individual concerns. At Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Barrett & Dr. Paasch believe healthcare is a collaboration between the patient and her provider.

Dr. Barrett & Dr. Paasch offer a healthcare alternative that provides you with options and encourages you to choose the approach that works best for your life. They want to help you to take charge of your own health and feel your best at every age. They want to help you thrive…

Stay connected by “liking” Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology on Facebook here.

Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology, 5354 Reynolds Street Suite 422, Savannah, 31405 & 114 Canal St. Suite 403 Pooler,  tel (912) 721-9595 email info@thriveobgyn.com , www.thriveobgyn.com  Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Chatham County Health Department will hold a Mom & Baby breastfeeding awareness family-friendly event on Mon. Aug. 26 2013 that will include games, door prizes, mommy and me pictures, and more. The first 30 to register at www.tinyurl.com/savbf  will receive a special gift.

WHO: Coastal Health District/Chatham County Health Department Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program
WHAT: Mom and baby rally to celebrate Breastfeeding Month
WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m., Monday, August 26, Chatham County Health Department
1395 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah (facing Sallie Mood)

WHY: In honor of Breastfeeding Month, the Coastal health District and Chatham County Health Department WIC programs and Breastfeeding Support Groups of Georgia are sponsoring a mom and baby rally from 9 to 11 a.m. on Monday, August 26 at the Chatham County Health Department.

The Chatham County Health Department and Coastal Health District are committed to helping mothers breastfeed their babies because breastfeeding is so important for good health. Breastmilk is easy to digest, with just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein for a baby’s growth and development. Breastfed babies usually get sick less often, because breastmilk contains antibodies that can protect infants from bacterial and viral infections.

We’re thrilled to tell you about a new obstetrics & gynecology practice in Savannah: Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology.

At Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology in the Candler Professional Building, Dr. Maryanna Barrett & Dr. Maria Paasch’s goal is to deliver health care with kindness, compassion and consideration.

Dr. Barrett and Dr. Paasch are identical twin sisters born and raised in Clarksville, TN. Growing up in a family of strong and nurturing women, both were drawn to the field of Women’s Health.

They attended medical school at The University of Tennessee in Memphis and completed their residencies at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Dr. Barrett completed her training in 2009 and Dr. Paasch in 2010. Drs. Barrett and Paasch are board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

While offering complete Women’s Health Care, they have a particular enthusiasm for obstetrics, including trial of labor after a caesarean section (TOLAC), minimally invasive surgery, and pediatric and adolescent gynecology. They, along with their husbands and children, have newly relocated from Hawaii to Savannah, to be close to family and to re-establish roots in their native South.

Their approach to care marries the science of modern medicine with the art of listening to each patient’s individual concerns. At Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Barrett & Dr. Paasch believe healthcare is a collaboration between the patient and her provider.

Dr. Barrett & Dr. Paasch offer a healthcare alternative that provides you with options and encourages you to choose the approach that works best for your life. They want to help you to take charge of your own health and feel your best at every age. They want to help you thrive…

Stay connected by “liking” Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology on Facebook here.

Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology, 5354 Reynolds Street Suite 422, Savannah, 31405 tel (912) 721-9595 email info@thriveobgyn.com , www.thriveobgyn.com Thrive Obstetrics & Gynecology is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Southern Baby Nurse offers a very unique service to new parents, by caring for you and your baby in your home.

New parents have many questions about the care of their baby, and you can usually find lots of information today on the internet and books, but with someone who has years of experience with newborns, your Baby Nurse will share with you practical solutions.

She will answer all your questions and remove the myths, for example “newborns can’t be put on a schedule”. Your Baby Nurse will put your baby on a feeding and sleeping schedule, support you with breastfeeding and make sure mother gets her rest with complete night care.

Visit Southern Baby Nurse at www.southernbabynurse.com  for more information.

Southern Baby Nurse, www.southernbabynurse.com, tel: (888) 724-8977, info@southernbabynurse.com, Southern Baby Nurse is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

We are so jazzed to learn that Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah will host a FREE screening of the documentary film “The Business of Being Born”, 6 to 8 PM Wed. April 4, 2012.

The award-winning film will be followed by a discussion with local health professionals. (Fingers-crossed that among the childbirth issues discussed will be the lack of local OBs who will do VBACs)

The screening will be at University Hall, Room 156, Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah.

“The Business of Being Born”  is about the implications of the medicalization of childbirth and the ways in which many women are turning away from invasive medical models of delivery. It examines modern models of child delivery in America and what some women are doing to take back their rights to birth.

This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Center for Public Health Media and Research , the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health & the Armstrong Master of Public Health program. Contact Leigh Rich at leigh.rich@armstrong.edu  for more information.

Here’s a snippet from my column this week in the Savannah Morning News:

“We’ve all heard the sad-but-true accounts of nursing mothers in restaurants, shops, parks, even churches, being told — presumably by people not aware of the benefits of breast-feeding — that they cannot feed their babies there.

It’s beyond frustrating.

Which is why moms are organizing a Georgia Statewide Nurse-In. At courthouses and state buildings across the state, women will protest the stigma associated with public breast-feeding by nursing their babies. The Savannah Nurse In will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 5 at City Hall.

Fueled by their personal stories of fielding rude remarks while nursing in public, moms organized this grassroots effort in support of a state bill in the works to better protect breast-feeding moms and their babies.”

Read the entire column here.

For more details about the March 5 Savannah Nurse-In, click here.  Or email bfgeorgia@gmail.com. To sign the Nurse-In petition, click here.

Attention expectant & new parents. Check up the upcoming Baby Basics by Beth classes at Just for Baby & More in Savannah to learn everything you need to know before you bring your newborn home as well as an upcoming Infant & Child CPR Class.

Baby Basics Classes are:
10 AM-Noon Sat. Feb. 4 2012
or
10 AM-Noon Sat. April 14 2012

This class is taught by Beth Palmer, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and it will cover basic newborn care from head to toe. She will go over feeding, bathing, skincare, sleeping, and everything else in between. She will also focus on nursing. The class is $15 person or $25 per couple.

Infant & Child CPR Class
1-3 PM Sat. Feb. 4
or
10 AM-Noon Sat April 7
This class is taught by CE Consults and is American Heart Association Approved. The class is $30 per person.

If you are interested in attending, please email casey@justforbaby.net  or call 912-355-4455.

“Like” Just for Baby & More on Facebook here to stay connected and informed about deals and special events like this.

Just for Baby & More has friendly and knowledgeable staff who would love to show you our variety of products and help you find the perfect items for your family; Sunday Closed. 912.355.4455. Located at 7701 Waters Ave., Savannah, 31406, http://www.justforbaby.net/start.php  Just for Baby & More is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Check out these two classes happening at Just for Baby & More, Savannah

Cloth Diapering Basics
Saturday January 28th
10am-12pm
or
Saturday March 10th
10am-12pm
Come learn cloth diapering 101! Kelli Brown will teach the class and she is sure to load you up on all the information for you to make an informed decision if cloth diapering is right for your family! She will teach you how to cloth diaper and how to take care of your diapers!
This class is FREE but you need to RSVP: casey@justforbaby.net or 912-355-4455

Breastfeeding Basics
Saturday January 28th
1pm -3pm
or
Saturday March 24th
10am – 12pm
Come learn the basics of breastfeeding. This class is taught by Lactation Consultant Sarah Brunson MS, RLS, IBCL. Sarah will share the information about breastfeeding techniques including; positioning, what to expect from yourself and your baby and she will be prepared to answer all of your questions!
$10 per person/ $15 per couple
If you are interested in joining, please email casey@justforbaby.net  or call (912) 355-4455

“Like” Just for Baby & More on Facebook here to stay connected and informed about deals and special events like this.

Just for Baby & More has friendly and knowledgeable staff who would love to show you our variety of products and help you find the perfect items for your family; Sunday Closed. 912.355.4455. Located at 7701 Waters Ave., Savannah, 31406, http://www.justforbaby.net/start.php 

Telfair BirthPlace at St. Joseph’s/Candler now offers online birth classes and tours.

So you can take birth classes while at your home, or wherever you are, online.

Find everything you need to know about giving birth, how the Telfair BirthPlace at St. Joseph’s/Candler works and more at www.sjchs.org/TelfairBirthPlace .

Along with the online birth classes, you can take a video tour of the Telfair BirthPlace & get familiar with their rooms. And when the new parents head home, they can go back to the Telfair BirthPlace site and get nearly every baby question answered in the online “Oh, Baby’s Home” book.

Other features:

• Information about Telfair BirthPlace lactation services.

• Contact Telfair BirthPlace First Steps program that provides ongoing help to new families.

• Learn about Telfair BirthPlace Special Care neonatal nursery.

Too often breastfeeding turns out to be the surprise challenge for new moms.

Nursing is easier with support and supplies from Savannah-area lactation consultant Pamela Holland of Babies, Breastfeeding and Beyond LLC.

Call for an initial in-home consult to help with any problems you may be experiencing with your baby or for a pre-natal visit for breastfeeding concerns before your baby is born.  

Breastfeeding, even including the price of consultation is a more affordable and healthier alternative to formula. Formula costs at least $1,650 per year, more than ten times the cost of one consultation.

As a board-certified Lactation Consultant who has worked with moms and babies of Southeast Georgia in the public  health sector for the past 20 years, Pamela Holland can help you feel confident in your ability to learn how to nurture and feed your baby. 

Pamela Holland started her private practice because she felt that women were being too hard on themselves when they did not achieve the kind of breastfeeding success that “the books” recommended.  Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it may not always be easy.  Rather than take a cookie cutter approach, Pamela Holland believes each mom and baby are unique and must have a personal plan of care that is customized to meet their specific needs. After all, Caesarean delivery, multiple births, and proximity of extended family are just a few of the challenges that are typical in today’s newborn delivery.

If you are having any issues with breastfeeding or have had a previous experience that was less than you had hoped for,  call Babies, Breastfeeding and Beyond at 912-306-4619.

Lactation Consultant Pamela Holland, Babies, Breastfeeding and Beyond LLC, 912-306-4619. Babies, Breastfeeding and Beyond is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Interested in birthing in the privacy, safety, and familiarity of your own home? Want a waterbirth in your living room? Curious about natural alternatives during pregnancy? Want to be empowered by your birth rather than afraid of it?

Then check out our local homebirth certified nurse midwife (the only one in Georgia south of Macon actually), GeorgAnna Wiley at Savannah Midwifery. Call or email for a free, no-obligation consultation. Enjoy your birth!

www.savannahmidwife.net/

GeorgAnna Wiley is qualified to provide care for healthy, low-risk women and their babies during pregnancy, birth, after the birth and to help with women’s health needs from annual exams to menopause and everything in between.

Services offered include:

Prenatal Care

-certified HypnoBirthing® instructor

-a holistic model of care from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

-herbal and natural remedies, massage, exercises, and alternative therapies used when desired

Homebirths with GeorgAnna Wiley and Nicole Lavallee, CPM

-give birth in the comfort of your own home, attended by skilled midwives

-offering waterbirths (and they supply the heated tub)

–breastfeeding support

For more information, please visit the homebirth page by clicking here 

Doula Services

-Intrapartum (during birth at a hospital, birthing center, or your home) or postpartum (after birth) doula services in your home. Postpartum includes breastfeeding support, help with sibling adjustment, newborn care help, housekeeping, cooking, nurturing the new mama, etc…. especially helpful after a c-section or if you have little help at home.

Extras: GeorgAnna can even help with a variety of baby slings and cloth diapers, as well as breastfeeding support.

Feel free to contact Savannah Midwifery with questions about any services above.

 State licensed and nationally certified nurse midwife (CNM) practicing in the Savannah area: GeorgAnna Wiley at Savannah Midwifery visit her on the web at www.savannahmidwife.net or call (912) 344-5066 or email birth@savannahmidwife.net Savannah Midwifery is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

There are many things to learn about as you prepare for your new baby’s arrival. If you are planning to nurse or trying to nurse your baby – here’s a FREE lactation class that is a great way to get ready.

Just For Baby & More @ 7701 Waters Ave will be hosting the free class for moms-to-be to gather information about nursing 6:30-8 PM Tues. March 23. Cate Glyn-Jones, a lactation consultant from Candler Hospital, will be teaching the class. Refreshments will be provided.

The first 15 registrants will receive a $15 gift card to the store. Please call (912) 355-4455 or email casey@justforbaby.net to register.

FREE Lactation Class, 6:30-8 PM Tues. March 23 @ Just For Baby & More, 7701 Waters Ave.

The good news is I still write a Sunday column “Hart to Heart” for the Savannah Morning News Accent section.

The bad news is they are cutting my column back from once a week to every other week. Very depressing and confidence-shattering. But that’s the state of print journalism today – budget cuts and lay offs.

I will continue to use this Web site to promote my columns when they run on the first and third Sunday of each month. Feel free to share story ideas and comments on what you’d like my column to focus on in the future. I get mixed messages on whether readers want more personal stories or more issue-oriented stories. My last two columns have offered a little of each.

Last week, I shared the humorous birth story of our precious new daughter, Francie, who arrived as an early Christmas gift for our family and a 40th birthday gift for me. You can read the column here. (The photo posted above is of Francie looking a little perplexed by her big brother as he tries to explain fingers and hands to her.)

This Sunday’s topic is a bit more controversial: breast feeding in public. I, personally, am often too shy to breast feed in public,  but support mothers who do 100 percent. You can read the column here. It’s about a breast feeding feud prompted by Facebook banning some breast-feeding photos on the basis of being obscene. Do you think breast-feeding photos are obscene? Please share your opinion in the comment section below.

Baby weight.

How do you lose it? Why is there so much of it? And why do other moms seem to banish their baby bellies immediately after giving birth?

Maybe their secret is Belly Bandits, an abdominal compression binder to help flatten the belly and redefine the waistline post-baby. The wrap also helps decrease bloating caused by water retention, give support to legs and back, improve posture and reduce back and shoulder pain associated with breastfeeding. Check out the wraps here.

Belly Bandit is giving away a $50 Belly Bandit Couture to a lucky SouthernMamas subscriber. See the giveaway wrap here. Even if you aren’t pregnant or a recent new mom, these tummy wraps make fun shower and baby gifts.

To be eligible to win, email us your name and your secret to losing baby weight (or your gameplan on how you will lose it.) Deadline is 9 pm Thurs. Sept. 18. Send email to anne@southernmamas.com. We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner here Friday. The winner can select her size of Belly Bandit.

You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to do so.