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When Lisa Firmin moved to Darien four years ago, she wanted to get involved with the community. Im bilingual, so I looked for something that would utilize that ability, she says. Firmin found the perfect fit in Better Beginnings, a program sponsored by the YWCA of Darien-Norwalk that offers prenatal education to low-income expectant mothers and their partners. Were unique in being the only free bilingual program, Firmin says.
With the help of volunteers, most of whom are young mothers themselves, Firmin and an OB-GYN nurse offer instruction in important aspects of expectant and early motherhood. We tell them how to take care of themselves during pregnancy, nutrition, what to expect during delivery and how to deal with the first few weeks of having a newborn at home.
The course is given over two Saturdays, three times a year, and usually draws 12 to 15 women, although there have been as many as 20 in a session. The next session will be held May 14 and 21. More than 500 women have attended the Better Beginnings classes during its six years. Wed love to do it more often, and maybe expand to mother-toddler groups or do more on baby nutrition, but were limited financially, Firmin says, noting that the program is funded solely by private donations and fundraisers conducted by the YWCA. As part of their graduation, the young mothers receive gift baskets made by a local Brownie troop as a civic project.
For Firmin, who has three children, the reward comes from seeing the women go from worried expectant mothers to empowered, confident ones. You wouldnt believe how grateful they are, she says. Without this program, a lot of them would have fallen through the cracks."
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