Pregnancy is such a time of joy and gratitude, but it can be stressful too as women either enter a new dimension as a first-time mom or consider how life will change with another child.

While nothing can totally prepare a mother for the major life-change, knowledge is power and significantly decreases stress and supports overall health, both for the mother and child, before and after birth.

As a new mom now pregnant with my first, I’m fortunate enough to have friends who are moms for input as well as the time to read books and Google answers to satisfy my latest neurotic questions such as, “Can eating M&Ms while pregnant harm my baby?” as well as more significant questions such as, “Should I stick to a schedule and let my baby self-soothe or feed and soothe on demand?” and “How can I provide the optimal cognitive, social and emotional growth for my child?”

I’ve learned the benefits of prenatal yoga and have so enjoyed classes at Give Yoga and Evergreen Yoga. I now find myself picking up Memphis Parent instead of other publications. Like all moms I know, I’ve become a highly discerning information junkie on pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing, spending most of my spare moments on preparation for the daunting yet privileged task that is motherhood.

But what about moms who aren’t as fortunate to have such resources? They may not know about the especially critical period of child development from conception to age three. They may be in school or working multiple jobs to make ends meet. They may not be aware they have a child growing within them until much later into their pregnancy.

The Urban Child Institute, Birthright of Memphis, and many other organizations such as Neighborhood Christian Center, Voices for Memphis’s Children, and Shelby County Office of Early Childhood and Youth are working to help Memphis women in these cases, which helps to ensure a good start for these babies—the  future of our community.

The Urban Child Institute (UCI) is also conducting a CANDLE Study to study the factors that affect brain development in young children and light the way to a brighter future for Shelby County babies. According to the UCI website, “results of this cohort study may provide information that will ultimately lead to improvements in the health, development, and well-being of children in Shelby County, Tennessee through interventions and policy enforcement and/or development.” UCI and University of Tennessee Health Science Center is soliciting 1,500 healthy pregnant women to take part in a three year study, where they will receive $500 in gift cards and help further the knowledge about this critical time in a child’s development.

This is a vital, wonderful opportunity to support a cause that benefits our community at its very roots. In so many ways, Memphis is, indeed, pregnant with opportunity. Let’s support this one.

Jenny Sharpe is a Sr. Account Executive at Smash Experiential, a service of archer>malmo. She is a native Memphian, Leadership Academy Fellow, and immediate past chair of MPACT Memphis.

Getting Involved, Health, Kids & Families