As I think back to over a year ago when my first daughter was born, I remember feeling overwhelmed. After being in the upper 95 percentile of Jaundice (she had it really bad), I was worried about other things that may pop up in her life that I was unprepared for. And even still, I look around at other 12 month olds and think, “My baby doesn’t do that. Is she supposed to?” Doctors appointments are always relieving when her pediatrician tells me that she’s growing normally. Unfortunately, I can’t go to the doctor’s office all the time to get that relief, which is why Welcome Baby is so great.
Welcome Baby is a program from United Way in Utah County. It is a program that is a free community service designed to promote a healthy, secure and enjoyable beginning for parents, new babies and their family members.
I currently volunteer for Welcome Baby. As a volunteer, I go to a family’s home and talk to them about developmental stages of their child or children. We look for any delays that may be occurring and discuss what upcoming stages their baby will be going through. Volunteers usually meet about once a month with a family. Families may request more or less time with a volunteer.
Other than home visits, families may participate in free play groups and free parental classes.
I strongly urge every parent and every parent-to-be to look into Welcome Baby. It is a great program that is available at no cost to help parents learn and to support parents.
