June 30, 2015
Dear MARY,
With the month of July beginning tomorrow, we would like to draw your attention to Purposeful Parenting Month, which is celebrated each year in July to bring awareness to the importance of involved parenting. Since Text4baby is specifically designed for parents and soon-to-be parents, we want to remind you of some of the ways that the service provides helpful tips and suggestions for new and expecting parents to “parent with a purpose” right from the start.
Several of our messages remind parents of the importance of communicating with their babies, even early on, to promote healthy language development. For example:
Find out what's happening in Shorewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Babies need a lot of love! Words matter to a baby, even if you think your baby is too young to understand. Talk, read, and sing to your baby!
Find out what's happening in Shorewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We also have mobile pages on many different parenting topics, including not smoking around baby, comforting baby, and monitoring developmental milestones.
Learn more about some of the other resources ZERO TO THREE has developed to support responsive and purposeful parenting in the first three years and beyond.
Text4baby partners like you help us reach new and expectant parents to provide them with important information about many topics, including positive parenting practices, and we appreciate all you do!
Sincerely,
Kathleen Murphy
Senior Program Manager, Text4baby
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July is also Group B Strep Awareness Month. The Group B Strep test is routinely given to women between the 35th and 37th week of pregnancy, right in the health care provider’s office. A quick swab followed by a lab test will determine whether or not the woman is a carrier within a few days. If positive, it is usually recommended that she receive IV antibiotics while she is in labor, to reduce the chance that her baby acquires the infection. If you work with pregnant women, make sure they are aware of the test, know why it is important, and learn how to get the results. Encourage them to ask you or their health care provider for more information about how and when the test will be performed to keep themselves and their babies healthy!