Having a baby is a joyful experience. . . but one that also can be a source of anxiety and concern. Questions abound: What should a mom-to-be do during pregnancy to stay healthy and help her baby be born healthy? When should prenatal care begin? How can dad help? How will pregnancy affect everyday life? What are the costs involved in having a baby and then caring for him or her?
Being in the military -- whether as a serviceperson or as the partner of a serviceman -- may add to these concerns. Perhaps you're very far from home and your support system of family and friends. Or your partner is stationed far from you. Maybe you're unsure of what kinds of resources are available to help you with medical care and planning.
To help you make pregnancy and the arrival of your baby the joyous experience it should be, the March of Dimes and the VFW have partnered to create a resource just for you called Mission: Healthy Babysm. This program provides information and support services to help you learn what you need to know and what you can do about:
preconception care -- what is it and when does it start
pregnancy -- prenatal care; healthy habits; things to avoid; complications
premature labor -- what are the warning signs
newborn care -- bringing baby home
Mission: Healthy Babysm gives you access to a variety of free, printed educational materials as well as a wealth of information from the March of Dimes Pregnancy & Newborn Health Education Center® featured on our Web site -- marchofdimes.com. In addition, if you have personal questions or concerns, you can e-mail us at askus@marchofdimes.com to get a personal, confidential response from one of the Center's health information specialists.
To order them, call 914-428-7100. We hope you'll make use of this special program created for military families as a special thank-you for the work you do.
Veterans of Foreign Wars/Ladies Auxiliary (VFW) While the organization known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars officially came into existence in 1913, members trace their organization’s roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War began assembling on local levels to obtain rights and benefits.
History has witnessed the Veterans of Foreign Wars accomplish everything from establishing the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthem to advocating for the successful passage of numerous GI Bills. In 1999, the Veterans of Foreign Wars celebrated its centennial and entered the new millennium with 1.9 million members and 9,000 posts nationwide.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, founded in 1914, supports veterans and their families. Most women, if related to an individual eligible for Veterans of Foreign Wars membership, can join. Currently, there are more than 5,600 Auxiliaries with more than 616,000 members.
We salute the Veterans of Foreign Wars on their 100th anniversary, and we thank them for joining in the succesful fight to save babies!
Partnership The Veterans of Foreign Wars built their organization on the four cornerstones of preserving veterans’ rights, advocating a strong national defense, promoting patriotism, and offering community service. The last of these precepts makes VFW a perfect March of Dimes partner. Throughout the country, VFW Posts and their Ladies Auxiliaries devotedly volunteer for their local March of Dimes by helping conduct special events or community health programs.
VFW National Headquarters encourages participation in WalkAmerica, and considers this March of Dimes fund-raising event a suggested ‘VFW Loyalty Day activity.’ In turn, the March of Dimes has committed to publicly recognizing VFW Posts and Ladies Auxiliaries that exhibit extraordinary commitment to WalkAmerica.
VFW & Ladies' Auxiliary Support Prematurity Awareness Day
Ladies' Auxiliary VFW National Secretary-Treasurer Celia Davis, VFW Assistant Adjutant General for Programs Mike Gormalley, and Ladies Auxiliary Administrator of Programs Judy Millick collected dimes to fill the military vintage vehicle parked in front of the National Headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., as part of National Prematurity Awareness Day for the March of Dimes.
Contacts To learn more about Veterans of Foreign Wars, contact:
