Celebrate Babies! - Perspectives

WAIMH has encouraged its affiliates to arrange a Celebrate Babies event on a yearly basis.

National Baby Day last Friday in September in Finland

In Finland a National Baby Day was arranged Friday 28^th September. It constituted of media texts and radio programmes on infants and the Baby’s Day seminar at the Parliament of Finland. Mrs Paula Risikko as the Spokesman of the Finnish Parliament hosted the event. The main organisers were Baby Finland and its Chair Mrs Merja-Maaria Turunen. WAIMH contributed to the Finnish Baby Day with our Executive Director giving a workshop for parents on early interaction.

Week of October 8 – 12, 2018 Celebrate Babies! in the US
In October 8-12, altogether 29 Infant Mental Health associations will unify to keep the baby in mind. Gather your IMH association members, colleagues and co-workers & host an event -big or small!

For the past 6+ years, a week in October has been chosen and dedicated to celebrating babies and the professionals who work with and/or on behalf of babies. We encourage every IMH association that is part of the IMH to plan their own Celebrate Babies! event.

You deserve to take time out of our usual, busy schedules and celebrate the incredible work you do, supporting and advocating for pregnant women, infants, young children and their families. With our collaborated efforts, we are certain we will make a huge impression on the behalf of babies!

For WAIMH Affiliates: Suggestions based on past Celebrate Babies! events:

On your association’s Facebook page, encourage members to share their “WHY” for why they celebrate babies

Host and participate in a Celebrate Babies! drive (e.g. diaper/formula drive) to support your local community

Raffle off discounted attendance at an association hosted training or conference for your members

Go out to lunch with your colleagues to celebrate your work together

Organize an IMH case presentation with a discussion following

Host a brown bag lunch and view the documentary “Babies” or another film

Organize a toy drive for children 0-6 & donate to an organization in your community

Plan a brown bag lunch on Reflective Supervision and view MI-AIMH’s Reflective Supervision DVD’s or have a live fishbowl

Read, discuss, and reflect on one of the many columns from Families Today, formerly syndicated by the New York Times, co-authored by T. Berry Brazelton, MD and Joshua Sparrow, MD. Here are just a few:

“Helping a Child Adjust to the New Baby”

“Outgrowing the Pacifier”

“Putting Nighttime Fears to Rest”

“The Power of Play”

Watch videos of Touchpoints and Neonatal Assessment (here and here)