Welcome Baby Program welcomes new Aiken County moms to motherhood

Jan. 2—Taking care of mom and baby, that's the goal of the Welcome Baby Program through Mental Health America of Aiken County.

Bonnie Fulghum, executive director of Mental Health America of Aiken County, said the program gives new parents information on newborns and checks in with new moms, along with providing an outfit and pack of diapers.

"In that packet of information we have the warning signs of postpartum, and we have what kind of behavior to look for," Fulgham said. "We have the rack cards for babies' cries, and that's a normal thing. Don't get panicked, that's a normal thing they do. But we want to make sure newborns are safe, No. 1, moms are safe, No. 2, and it's kind of a well-rounded program that helps mom and baby come home to that new world and feel a little bit more self-assured that they've got it all together."

When COVID-19 hit, the organization had to switch gears, Fulgham said.

Prior to the pandemic, they would go to the hospital with the outfit and diapers for the baby, but can't do that anymore. Instead, they let moms know they are there for them and they can schedule an appointment to pick-up diapers once a month. The number of diapers they give away drastically changed during the pandemic.

"We normally, before the pandemic, gave away about 500 diapers a year," she said. "Last year, we gave away 27,000. That's a huge difference ... We had never given away baby food and baby formula before. During that time — I can't tell you how many packages of baby formula — we had to kind of regroup because we knew, March happened and everything shut down, and we were like, 'Oh my gosh, how are we going to meet these needs?' Babies don't stop being born."

By requiring appointments, the organization can now ensure they have a few minutes to check-in with the mom and see how she's doing, Fulghum said.

"We really like the fact that you have to make an appointment now because now we know that we can talk to them for a minute, that we've got that carved out of our day to have that second to say, 'Hey, how's it going? How's the baby doing?' All those kind of good questions," she said.

To help provide the items for the babies, Fulgham said the Welcome Baby program receives a lot of donations.

Anyone can make donation of diapers, Fulgham just asks that they be in unopened packs. Pick-ups are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make an appointment, call 803-641-4164.

She added they received a donation of baby clothes from Gerber, and other organizations have held fundraisers to help them.

The organization also gives away formula to moms in need and have constant donations of it, which is a good thing because it goes quickly.

"We're very fortunate that people are very kind to us, and we do get those donations," she said.

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