FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Preparing for a baby can feel overwhelming, especially for first-time parents.

Broward Health is working to make the process a little less intimidating by connecting expectant families with resources, doctors and information before delivery day.

The health system recently hosted its first Bump, Baby and Beyond Fair in Fort Lauderdale, an event designed to help moms-to-be feel more confident about pregnancy, labor and postpartum care.

For first-time parents, the unknown can often be the most stressful part of becoming a mom.

Four months into her pregnancy, Faith Speicher is preparing to welcome her first child — a baby boy.

“I’m four months pregnant now,” Speicher said. “It was a little rough in the beginning, but I’m feeling really good. I’m very grateful. Excited to have my little boy.”

Even with a background in health care, Speicher said she quickly realized there were still many things she didn’t know.

“I think I was expecting to know a lot more,” she added.

That’s why she spent her Saturday at Broward Health’s first Bump, Baby and Beyond Fair, speaking with doctors, touring the maternity unit and learning about topics ranging from breastfeeding to birth plans.

Samantha Rooney, labor and delivery nurse manager at Broward Health Medical Center, said the goal was to make sure expectant parents have access to the information and support they need.

“We want all moms to be able to get the best care possible,” said Rooney.

Rooney said preparing families ahead of time is important because every pregnancy and delivery experience can be different.

“Every labor is different,” she said. “So, I think, you know, just going through the labor process, the unknown, the outcome. And then after postpartum, who’s gonna, you know, am I gonna be okay? Am I gonna be feeling some emotions? You know, maternal health is also very important to remember for delivery and postpartum.”

The goal is to replace some of the fear surrounding childbirth with facts and preparation long before delivery day.

For Speicher, the biggest takeaway from the event was confidence.

“I didn’t know all the different options that I had when I was gonna come and give birth,” she said. “I didn’t realize that you can kind of — not so much plan everything. It made me feel really good to know what to expect, and if it doesn’t go the way that I plan, what is the other option that I have. So it just gave me a lot of confidence.”

Doctors say communication between patients and providers is a key part of that preparation.

Dr. Katina Brown Burgess, chair of the Department of OBGYN at Broward Health Medical Center, encouraged expectant parents to ask questions and share their concerns.

“Communicate with your doctor,” she said. “Tell them what your worries are, what your desires are, what you’re afraid of, because a lot of times we have the resources and the answers they need.”

For Speicher, preparing for motherhood isn’t about having every answer — it’s about knowing where to find them.

“The more that you inform yourself the less scary it is. Don’t get your information from TikTok University,” she added. “Come to the people who know what they’re talking about and reach out to your community because you need to have people you can trust.”

Broward Health plans to make the Bump, Baby and Beyond Fair an annual event. Many of the resources shared during the event are also available year-round to expectant families.

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