If you are new to the Auburn-Opelika area, you may be curious about what our area has to offer as far as women’s services. I want to give you a few ideas of resources I used as a new mom and found helpful. While this will by no means cover every area, I would love to share some resources that I personally used while I was pregnant and after I became a new mom.
If you are choosing to have your baby at East Alabama Medical Center, you will be pleased to know that they have plenty of resources at their disposal to help prepare you for the big day. Some of the ones that I found especially helpful were their birthing classes. These aren’t your typical “how to have a great birth” class. Yes, they are helpful at describing the different phases and stages of labor, but if you are looking for something to help prepare you for birth with different positions and pain management techniques, you’ll want to look elsewhere (I recommend the Birth Village classes offered by a local doula AND she happens to be a writer for this blog as well! Check out some of her posts here!) However, these classes are for you and your support person to get a basic idea of what will happen specifically at EAMC. They have someone give you a run down of some of the terms used during labor, the stages and phases, and they also give you a tour of the hospital. This is a great opportunity if you are still unsure about what you want. You can ask tons of questions! This put my mind at ease by learning what to expect when I arrived at the hospital.
EAMC Lactation Consultants 
These certified Lactation Consultants are life savers if you’re thinking about breastfeeding. I don’t think I would have continued breastfeeding my first little boy if it weren’t for their support. They offer classes prior to the birth of your baby, they are available during your stay at the hospital, you can book appointments to meet with them for one on one coaching, there is a Facebook group you can join where they can offer tips and tricks, and there is also a group meeting every Thursday at the hospital. All of these things are FREE to you! They are absolutely so helpful for a girl like me who had no clue what she was doing!
While I didn’t use this service personally, I do donate items to them regularly. This clinic is free and offers so many services to women that I could not even name here. If you don’t need their services, you can always donate items or donate your time. They are a non-profit and can always use extra help.
Here at the Moms Blog, we have a partnership with our local Hike-It baby every week for a stroll with local moms! However, Hike-It Baby has a Facebook group and page where you can get connected to other local moms who love to get out and explore nature. It’s a great way to meet other moms and also shed those extra baby pounds. Check out their Facebook page here.
If you are thinking of baby-wearing but aren’t sure where to start, there is a local group that meets occasionally to try on different carriers and offer tips! It’s a great community of ladies who want to support each other in this whole mommy-info adventure. If you’re not sure what baby-wearing is, check it out here! It’s been a lifesaver as I’ve transitioned to a mom of two under two.
Like I said before, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of resources or services, because there are so many things that pregnant women and new moms need, but hopefully this gives you a starting point if you are looking for info in East Alabama. I’ve included links to each of these websites within this post so that you can look into each service even further. Happy Parenting!
