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Community baby bash to offer info, fun

Photo courtesy of Washington County Family and Children First Weight checks are one of the offerings returning this year to the community baby bash Saturday.

Dads can strap on an empathy belly, toddlers and babies can get weighed and checked for developmental milestones and moms are welcome to take advantage of the free massages.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Marietta, Help Me Grow workers and other vendors will welcome expectant parents and parents of infants and toddlers up to age 3 for a free bash to share parenting and safety information.

“It’s our second year throwing this community baby bash,” explained Cindy Davis, director of Washington County Family and Children First. “Last year was such a success, and it’s all community outreach so young families know what services are available to them.”

The outreach event will be put on through Washington County Help Me Grow Early Intervention administered by Washington County Family and Children First, and is funded through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Early Intervention program.

“Last year it piqued my interest to go because it was kid-friendly so we could bring our 2-year-old and I was pregnant with twins,” said Lindsay Hart, 26, of Belpre. “I was looking for more information about child care options, but I also left with some healthier recipes for kid snacks, and it was super helpful that there was a car seat safety technician there, too.”

Hart said while the second pregnancy was planned, getting twins was a bit of a surprise.

“And we were worried about the car seat situation and how to fit three across properly in the back of our (Honda) CR-V,” she explained. “The tech actually pointed out a couple things that made our lives so much easier and helped us fit the seats with the toddler in the middle.”

Physical, occupational and speech therapists will also be present at the bash, offering developmental screenings for families.

“It’s done through play,” explained Speech-Language Pathologist Ginger O’Connor. “We’re looking for different markers and having a conversation with the parents also. Parents feel much more empowered when they have information… At this screening, we want to assuage fears and give parents milestones to look out for and know what services are available for early intervention if there are any delays.”

O’Connor will be checking for adaptive skills in infants and toddlers, along with fine and gross motor skills and language and speech skills.

“If we notice something there, we can immediately make a referral, and we can do that if parents have concerns or questions too,” she added.

Davis said food assistance through WIC, plastic “reality babies” to show what happens to the brain when a baby is shaken or exposed to drugs, alcohol and tobacco while in the womb, and even early childhood mental health services will all be represented at the bash again this year.

“Last year we had 69 parents and 49 kids come,” she explained. “We even set up a reading corner for older siblings and have face painting and an area to breastfeed if you need it.”

If you go:

• What: Community Baby Bash.

• When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 312 Franklin St., Marietta.

• Vendor offerings to include:

• Wiyama Midwifery.

• Habitat for Humanity.

• Hopewell Health.

• Memorial Health System.

• Washington County Job and Family Services.

• WIC food assistance.

• Washington County Health Department.

• COAD4 Kids.

• Usborne Books.

• Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

• Head Start.

• Help Me Grow: empathy belly, car seat checks, reality babies, baby weigh-in and infant massage demonstration.

• Chair massages.

• Face painting.

Source: Cindy Davis.

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