The Fort Leonard Wood USO provided a special delivery to several mothers and mothers-to-be Monday.
Heidi Murkoff, the author of the "What to Expect When Expecting" pregnancy guide series and founder of the What To Expect Foundation, teamed up with the USO to throw a post-wide baby shower for the moms.
"We were worried about the turnout due to weather and kids being out of school, but it ended up being great" said Jennifer Hirsch, program management specialist. The snow and ice didn't stop the moms from taking part and nearly every single seat was filled.
The event offered traditional baby shower games, a catered lunch, prizes, goodie bags, as well as a question-and-answer session with Murkoff. Door prizes included a car-seat, a Pack-n-Play, baby carriers, even a stroller. Also, each attendee went home with a gift bag, a $25 gift certificate, and an autographed "What to Expect" book of choice.
The baby shower also provided the moms and mothers-to-be with the opportunities to meet new friends and share knowledge. "This is really beneficial…meeting new people, making new connections, socializing, sharing that bond of motherhood, as well as get more information from the books as well as Heidi," said Leslie Briscoe, first-time mother.
Bobbie Heglie, a third-time mom, agreed.
"It's an amazing thing to do for military families. It's incredible," Heglie said. "In a community like Fort Leonard Wood where it's really hard to meet people. This is giving us this opportunity."
After strolling around the room meeting all the babies, and moms, Murkoff answered questions.
"There are no questions that are off limits!" Murkoff expressed to the audience. From labor to breast feeding, Heidi took time to answer all the questions.
Since the launch of this program in 2013, nearly 10,000 military spouses and expectant active-duty mothers from around the globe have been served. In 2017, this program reached across three continents adding to a total of 32 events worldwide.
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