Be a Bosom Buddy and Help a Local Mom

One of our passions at A Nurturing Moment is helping low-income and teen moms. One way we do this is through our Bosom Buddy Program which provides free gently used nursing bras to breastfeeding mothers on the WIC program.  Each WIC mom is eligible for 2 bras every 6 months as long as she's nursing. We will fit her during the last month of pregnancy.

The key to this program's success is YOU! The way we get our gently used bras is from our customers. When you bring in clean gently used nursing bras (the size on the tag should still be visible, and the bra shouldn't be stained), we give you a discount on anything you purchase that day.

1 bra = 5% discount

2 bras = 10% discount

3+ bras = 15% discount

This discount will be over and above any other discounts you are entitled to!

Currently, we are really running low on certain sizes: We don't have any 34 D or DD. We need 36 C, D & DD, 38 D & DD, and 40 C&D. Of course we appreciate any size bra you bring in! You can be certain that another mother will be glad you took the time to donate!

 When a woman is struggling to pay bills, she often doesn't have $50 or even $35 for a good, supportive nursing bra. That's why this project is so critical. Not only will breastfeeding save significant money when compared to infant formula, but Mom won't have to spend a lot of money on a good nursing bra! Recent moms who have received bras through our Bosom Buddies project include a teen mom who is very committed to breastfeeding her baby, a single mom who is planning to finish school, and an army wife.

Travel With Baby 101

A Baby K'tan allows you to maneuver hands free!

Summer time means vacation time! Lots of families are hitting the road or the sky this month, so we compiled some simple tips to make travel a little easier for mom, dad and baby. We'd like to thank all of our families who helped us compile this list.

Tips for Driving

• Travel at night when baby is asleep if at all possible. We used to leave at 3 in the morning or even earlier so that we'd get 4 or 5 good hours of travel time out of the way before baby woke up.
• Stop every couple of hours (unless baby is asleep) - this is a great time to nurse baby and let him more around a little bit. 
• Schedule shorter travel days if you can. Instead of trying to drive all the way in one day, break it up into 2 shorter days. Enjoy the hotel time with baby. Let him splash with you in the pool!
• Amberly suggests: "Get surprises for when the baby is restless; a brand new toy will always distract them. You can also do small snack picnics at the rest stops." 
• When you stop for meals, make sure baby has plenty of time to eat, too. If you're breastfeeding, a baby sling you can nurse in or a nursing cover is a great help.

Tips for Flying

• The TSA website offers some great information about traveling with babies.
• Amberly recommends keeping the baby awake as much as possible before a flight so that she will sleep through the flight
• Nurse or give baby a bottle when taking off and landing will help minimize the discomfort of air pressure changes.
• Jennifer suggests getting baby her own seat.  She adds, "I've seen the crash test videos and a lap baby CAN become your own personal airbag. But aside from that, a car seat will keep them properly restrained so at least if they're throwing a fit, you're not struggling to keep them on your lap, especially as they get older." 

General Travel Tips

• Have a comfortable way to wear your baby - it makes nursing on the go much easier, helps to calm a fussy baby, and frees up your hands!
• Joanna offers this wise advice: "Pack for contingencies...I've never regretted it...and ignore the people who give you a hard time about one baby requiring so much stuff...they aren't the ones who might spend the night thinking, 'if only we'd brought______!'"
• Erin suggests "Keep a little kit of meds and toiletries for baby ready to go. It's easier than remembering each bit while packing." She adds that the clear locking pencil boxes from Target's school supply section is perfect for this
• Finally, Meredith says, "Best not to be the only adult if you can avoid it! It's nice to have someone to take turns sitting next to baby!" 

What Makes ANM unique?

Over the last couple of weeks we've worked very hard at answering the 6 essay questions for the Mission:Small Business contest. It's been very good for us to take an honest look at ourselves, and we thought you might enjoy a peek at how we view ourselves.

The first question we had to answer was "Tell us about your business; how successful is it and why is it unique?

Here's our answer:

A Nurturing Moment (ANM) exists to provide information, education, support and encouragement to hopeful, expectant and new parents. Our spacious store provides ample room for parents and grandparents to find everything they will need for their little one from nursery furniture to breast pumps. However, we are so much more than a typical baby store. We offer a variety of classes for our parents as well as monthly meet-up groups in our distinctive classroom/play area. Our blog www.anurturingmoment.blogspot.com serves to further educate and support our moms. The factor that truly makes A Nurturing Moment unique is the compassionate care we provide to our customers. With two International Board Certified Lactation Consultants on staff, we help mothers in their effort to meet the American Academy of Pediatrics goal of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Mothers may opt for a breastfeeding consultation in the privacy of their own home, or they may come to the store and meet with us in our office.

We proudly offer Young America by Stanley furniture because it is the only line that is made in the USA and is Greenguard certified, ensuring that no toxins are used in the manufacturing process that could possibly harm baby. We also carry Best Chairs Storytime Collection of gliders, swivel gliders and glider/recliners. Our maternity and nursing clothing lines include Japanese Weekend, Olian, Annee Matthews, Best for Babes as well as several other smaller lines. We feature Bravado and Medela nursing bras as well as Glamourmom and La Leche League bras and the largest collection of breastfeeding supplies available in North Alabama. Cloth diapers are another featured item; our lines include Thirsties, BumGenius, Flips, Bummis, Gro-Via, Kawaii, FuzziBunz and Rumparooz. A good cross-section of books, infant toys and clothing, baby carriers, swaddling blankets and gift items makes our store a one-stop solution for expectant and new parents.

We have been blessed with continued growth. A year ago we purchased another local baby store and moved from our 2600 square foot facility into their 5200 square foot facility. Our income last year grew 59%, partly as a result of our move, and partly as a result of increased referrals by local physicians.

On a typical day we see several mothers with breastfeeding problems. We find that some problems can be resolved even without an actual consultation. Several mothers may drop by the store to nurse their babies in our comfortable nursing area. They may even meet a friend or two here and hang out for a while as their children play in the play area. We enjoy meeting new customers daily and encouraging them in their journey. We also provide information from our extensive resource center about doulas, midwives and parenting support.

Each employee embraces our goal that every mother who walks through our front door will know we genuinely care about her and her children and will feel nurtured by our staff. We truly do have the very best job in the world - nurturing mommies, babies and memories!

Help Us Serve You Even Better!

By now you probably know that our mission at A Nurturing Moment is to serve moms and babies. We truly believe that we have the very best job in the world because we have the privilege of working with amazing parents every day! Whether you are a teenage mom or a mom in your forties, whether you're single or married, whether you have one baby or quadruplets, we love helping you in any way we can.

Yesterday we learned about a contest that actually began in May, so we're a little late jumping on board. The contest ends June 30, so we still 11 days to get the votes we need to move on to the next phase! We've received almost 40 votes in less than 24 hours, so at that rate we should be able to reach the goal of 250 votes in just over a week. But we need your help! It will just take a couple of minutes, and it's as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Go to the Mission Small Business site and log in.
2. Search for A Nurturing Moment and vote for us
3. Share your vote with your friends on your Facebook page.

We've written 6 essays about who we are, where we're going, how we plan to use the money, the challenges we face, our ANM team, and our involvement with the community. Once we qualify by getting 250 votes, our essays will be reviewed by a panel of business experts to determine the winners. Twelve companies from around the country will be chosen to receive small business grants of $250,000. 

So how will this help you? If we win, we promise to make A Nurturing Moment even better! It will allow us to expand our inventory and bring in everything YOU want to see here! It will also allow us to help local companies implement our ANM Workplace Solutions program because we can offer mini-grants to companies to help defray the cost of implementation. Another area where we can expand our services is to low-income and teen moms. Furthermore, we will be able to provide a trained Hypnobirthing coach for all of you who have asked us for that. Finally, the grant will also allow us to shore up our infrastructure for continued success in years to come.

The rules for the contest specifically state that we can't use any kind of incentive to motivate consumers to vote. We hope that you'll vote because you appreciate us and would love to see us offer you even more. But we do want to ask you to take the time to post the contest on your own Facebook page. As our way of saying thank you for taking the extra time to do that, we are going to give away a $25 gift certificate to one of our friends who helps us spread the word about this contest. You can post a link to this blog, or post a link to the Mission Small Business site. Just let us know you've helped us get the word out, and you'll be in the contest!

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Thanks so much for your continued support over the years! You are the reason we're here, and we love you!

Happy Father's Day

At A Nurturing Moment we really appreciate our dads! I know it seems like we're always focusing on moms and babies, but we recognize that dads are critically important. A good father is a stabilizing presence in his child's life and serves as a role model for both sons and daughters.

John Ward Willson IV

This is my first Father's Day without my Daddy. He passed away in May after a nearly 2 year struggle with Parkinson's disease. But he was the most amazing, incredible, wonderful man I have ever known. I wish every little girl everywhere could say that about her daddy! My parents divorced when I was just 2. But my dad was an important part of my life until I was about 7. Then there was an ugly custody battle between my father and my maternal grandparents. The upshot was that my mother and I disappeared and I didn't see my dad again until I was 15.

I'll never forget the morning he drove back into my life. I was walking down the hill to the bus stop at about 6:45. A car pulled up alongside me, and my father said, "Glenni, is that you?" I recognized him immediately and couldn't believe he was really there. I had written a letter trying to find him, but it had been several months. He drove me to school, then we went to dinner that night (with my mother's blessing - she never minded me seeing him...it was just my grandmother who hated him.)  That summer I spent some time with him, and we began to rebuild our relationship. I got to know my little brothers, and always looked forward to seeing them.

Nevertheless, my grandmother had done a great job of brainwashing me against him. She had convinced me he wanted to harm me. It wasn't until 10 years later when my dad took Keith, me and my brothers on a trip to Europe that I truly felt secure with him. I tripped on the steps in the Paris subway and fell, twisting my ankle. My dad picked me up in his arms and carried me the rest of the way to the train. From that moment on, I never doubted how deeply and incredibly he loved me.

My dad was loved by people he had met around the world. He worked in the travel industry until he was well into his eighties. He was a gentleman through and through. After he died we received messages from people in at least 12 different countries commenting on his character, his hospitality, and his amazing work ethic.

I hope today is a special day for each of our ANM families. Take time to celebrate your dad if he's living. If there are barriers, tear them down before it's too late. Then make sure your kids celebrate their Daddy. We want to help make the celebration a little sweeter, so we're offering a $10 Starbucks gift card to one lucky dad! Just post a picture of Dad with one or more of your little ones on our FB page, then leave a comment here letting us know you did that! We'll pick a winner on Friday!

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