FEBRUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER


Monthly Program Participant Reports 
Annual Statewide Meeting - Register Today!
Please join us on  Thursday, March 2nd  for our  2017 Annual Statewide Meeting:  "Short-Term Change to Life-Long Success" .

This year's meeting will be held at  Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in Rothschil d (near Wausau). The event will focus on strategies for fostering long-term behavior change. We are excited to have a variety of presenters and sessions in support of this theme, including Dr. John Weaver who will presenting " Six Ways Participants Irrationally Fail to Choose Wellness - And What You Can Do About It"

As always, this event is  FREE , and we will reimburse mileage to cover the cost of your travels. We hope to see you there!

Questions?  Please contact Lauren Lotter, Health Educator, 608-251-1675, x122 or llotter@wwhf.org



Stoney Creek Hotel Reservations:  
To book a hotel room for March 1st, prior to the Statewide Meeting, please call 800-659-2220 to make reservations at the Stoney Creek Hotel. Hotel room cost is not covered by the WWHF. 
2017 Memorandum of Understanding
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To maintain your status as a First Breath/My Baby & Me site , we kindly ask that you complete your site's annual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as soon as possible. 

The primary contact person for each site has received a detailed mailing and email with additional information.

MOU submissions can be completed either via: (You only need to choose one method.)
-Paper : You will be receiving a mailing at your site very soon. Please sign, date & submit the document(s) included in this mailing. -OR-
-Online: Please submit the MOU(s) using the following link .

Questions or concerns? Contact Chelsea Tibbetts:  ctibbetts@wwhf.org, 608-251-1675 x118 
First Breath Webinars- Archives Available
Increasing Participant Engagement & Enrollment:
On  December 20th, the First Breath team provided a continuing education opportunity on increasing participant engagement and enrollment. The webinar reviewed: 

- lessons learned and participation trends from the past three years

-suggestions for creative solutions to potential barriers

-assistance in how to apply these ideas moving forward with their plans for 2017

For those interested in viewing this presentation, an archived version can be found on our YouTube channel.  

The Downside of Being a Helper:
On January 19th,  the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation provided a webinar to all of our program partners around the topic of self-care. Dr. Ann Rolling, from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin presented on the importance of self-care, especially in that of an ever demanding field such as healthcare.  The webinar included:

-concrete examples for application to attendee's professional & personal lives

-steps to take to enhance well being
For those interested in viewing this presentation, an archived version can be found on our YouTube channel

My Baby & Me Spanish Texting Pilot 

My Baby & Me is launching a pilot for text message services in Spanish. 

My Baby & Me texts offer support with:
  • Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy/breastfeeding
  • Managing stress
  • Setting goals
Pilot participants will receive weekly messages for up to 20 weeks with tips, information, and encouragement to work towards an alcohol-free pregnancy.

*The My Baby & Me program will evaluate utilization of the pilot services to determine launching full texting services in Spanish

If you'd like to promote this opportunity with clients, please connect with us at fbmbm@wwhf.org to order the My Baby & Me Texting Postcards in Spanish. 
My Baby & Me Spotlight 
Each month, we will highlight the wonderful work being done through our My Baby & Me Program's Pregnancy Educator, Rebecca.

February Spotlight: 
The following are the top three answers participants gave when asked, "With the information you learned from My Baby & Me, how will you use it in the future?"
  1. Share information with other pregnant women 
  2. Share information with non-pregnant friends & family 
  3. Abstain from alcohol in future pregnancies 
Rebecca works with each participant to ensure accurate information and education is provided.  

"A number of the participants are stating that they are sharing the education and information they are learning with pregnant friends and family members." 
- Rebecca, MBM Pregnancy Educator
Care For You 
Journaling for Stress Reduction & Self-Care 

Can you believe we're more than a month into the new year already? For 2017, whether or not you made a resolution, I want to challenge you to take care of YOU. As women, we tend to take care of everyone else and forget about ourselves.
 
Good self-care is a big part of overall well-being, and journaling is a great tool! This month's exercise will help you tune into your needs and take action to meet them. I hope you find the resources helpful. You deserve a healthy self this year!

Self-care includes all areas of your life (mind, body, spirit). When one is off, you become imbalanced. In the same way, if you start working to improve an area, you'll probably feel better all around. This exercise will help you identify the areas that might need a little more attention. 

So grab your hot beverage, comfy blanket, pen, and let's get writing!

Looking for more information? These resources may help:
7 Self-Care Activities- Psychology Today
50 Ways to Take a Break- Oregon State
Helping Wisconsin women and their families 
reach their healthiest potential 
WWHF | 2503 Todd Drive, Madison WI, 53713 | wwhf.org | 608-251-1675