Grace Weatherby
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2023

The Baby Café: Free Information & Support to Families

Beginning January 10, 2024 at the Bennington Community Market

As anyone who has ever cared for a newborn knows, the first days, weeks, and months are often filled with more questions than answers: Is the baby eating enough? Are they sleeping too much or too little? Is this much spit up normal? The list goes on and on. But one subject that seems to top the list of new parent/caregiver concerns is breastfeeding.

Often described as the “natural way” to feed your baby, breastfeeding does not always come naturally to a mother or baby. For those who are feeding breast milk by bottle or using formula, there are other challenges too. The experience can be frustrating and emotionally draining.

But now, thanks to the opening of a brand-new Baby Café, caregivers in the Bennington region have a reliable and comfortable place to find support and answers.

Starting January 10 and based out of the Bennington Community Market at 239 Main St., Bennington, the Baby Café is a service provided by the Women’s and Children’s Services of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. Open every Wednesday from 11 to 12:30pm, the Café is a free, drop-in, informal breastfeeding support group staffed with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and/or RNs.

From questions about lactation, accessing the local milk bank, and weaning to tips on latching on, pumping, and storing milk, the Baby Café is the perfect place for anyone seeking information related to feeding infants human milk.  Plus, it provides parents and caregivers the chance to share experiences and challenges of feeding your infant.

In addition, the Baby Café will have a scale on hand at each meeting for all-important weigh-ins. Snacks and beverages will also be served.

All interested new and expectant parents—no matter how you currently are or plan to feed your child—are encouraged to attend. Siblings and other children are also welcome. No registration is required.

Mindy Dame, MS, RN is the Director for Intensive Care, Women’s and Children's Services at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

              

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Six Questions with the Medical Director of SVMC Orthopedics

Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, medical director of orthopedics and orthopedic surgeon, answers six questions about getting orthopedic care right now.

1. What types of patients are you able to treat right now?

We are happy to see patients with all sorts of conditions returning to the practice for care. Patients have heard that the Governor has lifted restrictions for elective procedures, and they are ready to investigate their options for joint pain relief. Plus, the weather is getting nice again, so people are active outside. We've seen an increase in injuries related to outdoor activity, too.


2. Are you seeing patients remotely via telemedicine?

Yes. We offer telemedicine, and we use it a lot. Of course, there are limitations for those that need an X-ray or a physical exam. But telemedicine is a great option for initial visits when we need to collect patients' health history and for follow-ups.


3. How has care in the office changed over the past several months?

Patients will notice that we have gone beyond all of the Centers for Disease Control and Vermont Department of Health recommendations for office visits. All of our staff are wearing masks and shields or goggles, and patients are expected to wear a cloth face covering when they come in. In addition, we are making efforts to limit the number of people in our waiting rooms and office at any one time. For example, part of the check-in process now happens on the phone, instead of in person.


4. How is preparing for a surgery and recovering from a surgery different since COVID-19 became a concern?

Like for office visits, our pre-surgery processes have all been ramped up well beyond the state and national recommendations designed to decrease risk of contracting COVID-19. A few days before the surgery, we test patients for COVID-19 and ask them to self-quarantine until their procedure. The patient arrives to the hospital in their own cloth face covering. Visitors are limited. After the procedure, we provide patients with an app that allows them to note their temperature and any type of respiratory symptoms for a few weeks. If any of the information falls outside the norm, a nurse gives the patient a call. These are all examples of ways we are going beyond our very high infection-prevention standards to ensure safety for patients, their families, and our staff.


5. What would you like to share with people who postponed a joint replacement or other orthopedic care because of COVID-19?

Here in Vermont cases of COVID-19 cases have been relatively low. The Governor has given his approval by lifting restrictions for elective procedures, even those requiring an overnight hospital stay. SVMC started with an exceptionally low rate of hospital-acquired infections and added many extra precautions on top of that. We have the attitude that it is definitely safe to resume care both surgeries and other types of orthopedic care.


6. What are the greatest risks and rewards related to having orthopedic care now?

From our position as one of the safest hospitals in one of the safest states, the risks of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses during a procedure or other care are very low. Many patients know this. They are coming in for their procedures and joint replacements. Many of them will recover and be active again in time to really enjoy this summer. That’s our goal: to help every patient resolve their orthopedic issues so that they can get back to doing the things they love.

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