JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Air Force Aid Society established "Bundles for Babies" classes nearly 20 years ago to provide parenting instruction for expectant active-duty members and spouses of active-duty members.
At Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Bundles for Babies continues to be a popular class at the Military & Family Readiness Center, where it is conducted on a bimonthly basis. There is a class April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The next class is June 5.
"Bundles for Babies is an educational program to prepare active-duty members and spouses for parenthood," Savannah Lohn, 802nd Force Support Squadron community readiness consultant, said. "It's open to members of all service branches."
As its name suggests, Bundles for Babies also provides eligible participants with a bundle of items for newborn infants, including crib sheets, bibs and Onesies, or one-piece baby outfits.
Bundles for Babies classes focus on a variety of topics, from budgeting for the baby and TRICARE options to dental and medical care for the baby and mother.
In addition to benefiting parents through education and training, the class also aids the Air Force mission, Mike Bell, 802nd FSS community readiness consultant and Air Force Aid Society officer, said.
"Benefits to the mission would certainly be through readiness," he said. "If your personal life is good to go, you will be more willing and able to support the mission."
Dental and medical briefings are presented by 359th Medical Group representatives, Lohn said.
"The dental briefing discusses a mother's dental care when she's pregnant, how to clean the baby's gums, when the first teeth will erupt and other topics," she said. "A nurse from the pediatric clinic will provide specifics on how the clinic works, taking a baby's temperature, immunizations, setting up appointments and when to use the nurse line."
The financial briefing not only provides important information for parents, it's also entertaining, Lohn said.
"It's based on 'The Price is Right,'" she said, referring to the longtime television game show. "It's all done in a game-show format, so it's fun."
Parents are asked to guess the price of items required for babies, including the average cost of rearing a child, estimated at more than $300,000, as well as food, housing, health care, education, clothing and transportation. Financial resources are also discussed.
A nurse from the Family Advocacy Office's New Parent Support Program will talk about the program's services, including home visitations and classes that help expectant and new parents, and offer advice on parenting issues such as "purple crying," the period in a baby's life when they cry more often than at any other time.
The class will also feature a discussion of child seat safety and presentations by representatives from Baby Café, a network of drop-in centers that support breastfeeding mothers, and the Women, Infants and Children special supplemental nutrition program.
Lohn said parents respond positively to Bundles for Babies.
"They feel like they've learned something," she said. "Some parents say they wish they had known about the class for their first child."
For more information, call the M&FRC at 652-5321.