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Mary Fitzmaurice speaks to Victoria Hayes.
Pregnancy
from page til
who pay for services on a
sliding scale. The 1,300
pregnant women seen at
the facility each year are
extended an invitation to
take part in Centering
Pregnancy when they are
10-16 weeks along.
Fitzmaurice, who cur
rently leads 10 of the
Health Plaza's Centering
Pregnancy groups, said
one of the goals of the
program, which is funded
with a March of Dimes
grant, is to reduce prema
ture births, which occur
when mothers deliver
before the 37th week.
Premature births, which
can be triggered by
stress, smoking, drinking
alcohol and/or infections,
can result in a multitude
of long and short term
health complications for
the infant. It is also a key
cause of infant mortality.
"We want babies to
grow up and have healthy
long lives," Fitzmaurice
said. "If they're born on
time, when they're sup
posed to be, they have a
better shot at having
that."
November is
Prematurity Awareness
Month. Nearly a quarter
of the infant mortality
deaths in North Carolina
last year were due to pre
maturity and low birth
weight, according to a
report by the Forsyth
County Infant Mortality
Reduction Coalition.
While the infant mortali
ty rate varies from year to
year, Forsyth County has
the highest overall infant
mortality rate among tne
five most populous coun
ties in the state.
According to the report,
the state had a 11.5 per
cent premature birth rate
last year, while Forsyth
county's rate stood at
12.9 percent; the local
infant mortality rate for
African Americans is
more than twice the rate
for white infants.
Fitzmaurice said the
premature rate for the
more than 300 women
who've taken part in
Centering Pregnancy ses
sions is six percent.
According to
Fitzmaurice, the groups,
which may include both
first-time moms-to-be
and those who've given
birth before, encourages
women to make healthy
choices and helps them
relieve some of the anxi
ety and stress associated
with pregnancy by shar
ing their experiences.
During last Thursday's
session, the group dis
cussed some of the things
they may experience dur
ing labor.
"A lot of women have
a lot of fear of what
might happen to their
body when they go in to
have a baby," said
Fitzmaurice, "and that
fear, that lack of under
standing, it kind of makes
it scarier. By understand
ing what's normal to hap
pen in your body and
what the process is, you
don't have to fear it and
there's a certain pattern it
follows and it is going to
end and you can have a
baby."
Victoria Hayes, who
is set to deliver her third
cnua, saia sne s experi
enced reassurance
through Centering
Pregnancy sessions.
There are some aspects of
motherhood, such as
breastfeeding, that Hayes
has yet to experience, so
the sessions have allowed
her to talk to others
who've had such experi
ences.
"I felt like I was kind
of doing it on my own,
and now 1 feel like there
are other girls who are
doing basically the same
thing as me," she said.
"It's a little more com
forting."
Sisters Angelica
Nunez and Inez Nunez,
both scheduled to deliver
their second child, have
due dates only two days
apart. Angelica Nunez
took the class during her
first pregnancy and found
it so beneficial that she
recommended it to her
sister.
"I was pretty scared
because I don't know
about anything," she said
of her first pregnancy.
"So when I would come
to class, it would help me
understand what I'm feel
ing and how I'm feeling
and how to handle it."
Inez Nunez said this
pregnancy has been less
stressful, thanks to the
sessions, which have
empowered her to ask
informed questions of her
doctor more freely.
"With the information
that I get, I take it in and
I start questioning certain
things that happened dur
ing my first pregnancy,"
she said. "Now I do ask
more questions and com
ment on a lot of things."
Community
from page B1
more information.
WSPD accepting
requests
Citizens can now
request a police represen
tative or McGruff at their
event with an online form
posted on the Police
Department's Community
Resource Unit page at
WSPD.org. The form
allows citizens to request a
speaker, an officer, the
crime prevention unit or
McGniff, the crime-fight
ing dog, at their event.
Citizens should complete
the form at least 14 days in
advance of their event. For
more information, call the
Community Resource
Unit at 336-773-7835.
Volunteers needed
The Shepherd's Center
of Greater Winston-Salem
has openings for volun
teers who can assist older
adults with transportation,
home repairs, friendly vis
its or caregiver respite.
Male visitation volunteers
are especially needed. Call
336-748-0217 or visit
www.shepherdscenter.org
for more information.
Anderson meeting
The 1970 graduating
class of Anderson Senior
High is organizing a
reunion for 2014. It will
be 44 years since the last
class graduated from
Anderson. Contact
Fleming J. El-Amin on
Facebook. Twitter or
ntv754@yahoo.com to
join the planning commit
tee. He can also be con
tacted at 336-575-0895.
Elks Lodge
Camel City Elks
Lodge #1021, 1405
Patterson Ave., is open
every Friday night at 9
p.m. to adults age 35 and
older. Music is provided
by DJ King. Call 336-575
5746 for more informa
tion.
Tutors needed
The Augustine
Literacy Project is cur
rently recruiting volunteer
tutors for the upcoming
school year. Tutor train
ings will be held this
month. Contact Henri
Brown at
augproj@gmail.com or
336-723-4391 to learn
more.
Bazaar to include shopping,
workshops and Santa
SPECIAL TO THE
CHRONICLE
The Heavenly Holiday
Bazaar, organized by The
Women's & Girls' Project
of Winston-Salem and the
Louise G. Wilson Twirlers,
will be held on Saturday,
Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. - 2
p.m. at The Enterprise
Center, 1922 9? Martin
Luther King Jr. Dr.
It is being billed as an
"ultimate social shopping
experience" that will pro
vide attendees with origi
nal merchandise, network
ing opportunities, work
shops and other festive
activities.
"We decided to join
forces in planning the
Heavenly Holiday Bazaar
as a way to celebrate the
successes of the women
and girls in our community.
We have women business
owners representing vari
ous fields; highlighting
these businesses, especially
during the holiday season
is important to us," said
Nakida R. McDaniel,
founder of The Women's &
Girls' Project, which, like
the newly-created Louise
G. Wilson Twirlers, is ded
icated to uplifting women
and girls physically, emo
tionally and economically.
Jai Cook, a career and
college advisor who owns
Ayres Voice, LLC, will
conduct the
"Time 2 Do U" motivation
al/career development
workshop at the Bazaar. It
is designed to educate and
motivate attendees to take
charge of their careers.
"There are many talent
ed people that merely need
support and education.
Working with people to
develop their resumes and
professional development
skills is important," Cook
said. "It's also critical that
we offer entrepreneurs sup
port. There is more oppor
tunity now than ever to har
ness the ability to become
self-employed."
Anthony Ingram, owner
of Superpower Bails
Bonding, will sponsor the
family-friendly "Breakfast
with Santa" during the
Bazaar.
"Nothing like coming
together over the holiday
season in the spirit of giv
ing and celebrating. When
approached about support
ing, 1 felt it was ideal. My
vision is to educate so
many youth that I put
myself out of business,"
said Ingram, who mentors
kids and shares with them
life skilly
The event will also fea
4L . Ull/L.4
iutc uic yy iim
We Do" youth
career fair,
which will
highlight pro
fessionals from I
different fields. ?
The shopping I
area will feature I
vendors offer- I
ing clothing, |
shoes,
jewelry/acces
sones, hand-crafted gifts,
baked goods and more.
Yelp will be providing
complimentary gift wrap
ping.
Women's & Girls'
Project Co-founder
Shannon Brooks - who has
been hosting networking
events at Simply Soul
Restaurant (one of the
sponsors of the event) for
the past few months - said
that there is still room for
more vendors.
** IAT
TT C V C
received an over
whelming
response from
vendors and
community
organizations.
As a result,
we've extended
the space for the
event and the
deadline for ven
dors to apply is
open until all spaces are
filled," said Brooks.
To become a vendor or
for more information, go to
www.womensandgirlspro
ject336.org or contact
McDanel at 336-757-2562
or info@womensandgirl
sproject336org.
' I
Submitted Photos
The Louise G. Wilson Twirlers
Members of the Women's A Girls' Project.
Ingram
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4265 Brownsboro Rd., Ste. 244
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
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