Expectant and new mothers have a valuable new resource for connecting with other moms throughout the Central Coast. Mom2Mom, a newly launched program of the Sierra Vista Birth Center, began with a group of six new mothers who got together and shared their real, unscripted, personal birthing experiences on camera. The conversation became the basis of a multi-pronged support program that offers web videos, the opportunity for one-to-one conversation and practical counsel from real moms.
“Becoming a mom for the first time is so exciting,” said Mary Ann Gulutz, director of Women & Children’s Services, “but it also comes with questions and anxieties. Information is available from many sources, but there’s just no substitute for a firsthand, local community, woman–like–me perspective. We are excited to see this program take shape.”
The initial Mom2Mom group includes first time mothers, more experienced mothers and another whose baby arrived via surrogacy. The group has natural, premature and cesarean birth experiences. “We are so happy that our group is a true cross section of moms and birth experiences,” said Gulutz, “and we appreciate these women – busy with babies—stepping up to tell their stories. The results are amazing.”
Mom2Mom includes a social media-integrated website at www.SierraVistaMom2Mom.com with web videos, direct email access to the moms’ group members and an invitation for additional moms and dads to share their stories.
An awareness campaign using traditional, digital and social media and the social tag “#Mom2Mom” will invite moms to join the community. A “Welcome Wall” at the hospital will greet moms entering the Birth Center. Local firm Barnett Cox & Associates (BCA) developed the campaign, with BCA lead South County native (and first time mom) Brooke Wighton Pitts working with Sierra Vista’s Shannon Downing, whose son, Carter, was born prematurely and spent six weeks in Sierra Vista’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “Everything about this campaign is authentic,” said Gulutz, “including its roots with two women who have a first-hand understanding of what we’re trying to do.”
Members of the Mom2Mom group offered praise for their individual birth experiences. “I would highly recommend the Sierra Vista Birth Center,” said Mary Teague who had two babies born at Sierra Vista. “Knowing that you are guaranteed a private room is key, and just knowing that the NICU is there is important because you never know what could happen.”
Rosa Coutos, the woman who became a mom through surrogacy, said of the Birth Center staff, “We all start our families in different ways, and they’re very aware of that and make you feel totally special.”
A premiere party to thank the original six moms and give them a sneak peek of the footage is in the works. Gulutz and staff plan to keep meeting with the group to continue learning and enhancing the care and services moms and families receive at the Birth Center.
“Sierra Vista wants to provide a safe, supportive, family-centered environment that meets the needs of moms and their families on the Central Coast,” said Gulutz. “Mom2Mom is another way for us to do that.”
About Sierra Vista Birth Center
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center has been serving the Central Coast’s health needs for more than 50 years. The Sierra Vista Birth Center has welcomed more than 40,000 babies, offers the only Level III NICU in San Luis Obispo County and accepts high-risk patients transported from hospitals from Lompoc to King City. The Sierra Vista Birth Center offers many patient services including private labor and delivery suites, private recovery rooms, a breastfeeding-friendly environment, a commitment to honoring each mom’s birth plan, a deluxe hydrotherapy labor tub, infant security and birth and baby classes. The hospital’s nursing staff is selected for its vast expertise in both low- and high-risk situations. Sierra Vista provides seamless care from prenatal through childbirth and beyond.