Bloom 2020 was a great success! Thank you to our sponsors and to all of the moms who participated. In addition to our VIP experience opportunities, we had over 100 moms join us online for our 4th Annual (1st ever virtual) Bloom for New and Expecting Mothers! We appreciate the support SO much, especially during these times when we’re all needing community and connection.
Even though we missed seeing everyone in person at the beautiful Clyde, and missed hosting a larger variety of shopping and resources, one of the many positive aspects of evolving Bloom into a virtual event this year was that we were able to capture great commentary about real, raw motherhood from moms right here in our community. We’ll be sharing that content throughout our social media posts in the near future, so keep a look out! For starters, check out these ADORABLE local baby bumps!
:: VIP Experience Sponsors ::
Ekso Trails
Painting Nursery Decor- Who knew that baby wipes were such a great tool to spread paint evenly on wood?! We had so much fun painting our signs with Amy from Esko Trails, and the loft at Wild State Cider made it that much more enjoyable. A huge thank you to them for allowing us to use their space! When we polled moms polled on their nursery colors and themes, we found that a lot of you are on board with trends like woodland creatures, florals, elephants, pinks and, mints.
American Red Cross
Pediatric First Aid and CPR
Partnering with the American Red Cross to offer a Pediatric First Aid and CPR certificate class was so important to Duluth Mom. We often see moms inquiring about these types of classes in our community group. We are so proud of these mamas-to-be and their desire to acquire new skills to enhance the safety of their family.
Runa Yoga
Pre- and Postnatal Yoga
I think it is safe to say that when we all left Chester Park after a yoga session lead by Jessie {Also known as “Miss Jessie” in our house} of Runa Yoga, we were on an incredible high! The weather was perfect, the park was gorgeous, and we were able to have great conversation. She taught us to trust and validate our bodies’ abilities, to be aware of when something doesn’t feel good and modify accordingly, and to be kind to our bodies in general!
My favorite realization was when Jessie told us to massage our tummies! As moms it’s usually a part of us that we want to ignore and tuck away. She mentioned that when we comfort our stomachs, we calm our nervous system. Which totally makes sense – think about when you are upset and in the fetal position, or how relaxing a warm beverage feels in your stomach. I cant wait to experience another class!
HealthSource
What mom doesn’t need a massage?! Between hauling baby equipment or the baby itself, our upper body suffers a lot of wear and tear daily. HealthSource offered all Bloom mamas free chair massages at their clinic – socially distant, temperature checks, and masks on!
Dr. Danae can treat women all throughout their pregnancy and postpartum!
:: Q & A With the Experts ::
Not only is St. Luke’s one of Duluth Mom’s and Bloom’s longest supporting sponsor, they always send the BEST professionals to speak to our moms and answer their questions! If you missed out, and would like to tune in, you can view Part One and Part Two on our YouTube channel.
Moms heard from the following health care professionals and had the opportunity to ask questions:
Dr. Amanda Webb
Dr. Amanda Webb is a pediatrician at St. Luke’s Pediatric Associates. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Dr. Webb is board certified in general pediatrics and is a certified lactation counselor. She cares for children from newborns to young adults. Her clinical interests include breastfeeding promotion, early childhood literacy, cavity prevention, vaccinations, and development and mental health screening.
Brenda Schwerdt, RDN, LD, CNSC
Brenda Schwerdt, RDN, LD, CNSC
Sara Behning, PT, DPT
St. Luke’s Pelvic Floor Therapist
Sara Behning, PT, DPT, graduated from the College of Saint Scholastica with a Bachelor of Science in exercise physiology and from Concordia Saint Paul with a doctorate in physical therapy. She has completed post-doctorate coursework in pelvic orthopedic care, women’s health and advanced manual therapy techniques. She specializes in treating men and women with pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction.
:: Swag ::
Swag bags looked a little different this year, but they still were full of awesome items for moms! We had 3 different drive-thru pick-up times for moms at the St. Luke’s Mount Royal Clinic. Thanks to our parent company, City Mom Collective, for providing the For All Momkind totes!
:: Giveaways ::
We had over thirteen different giveaways for our Bloom mamas! Thank you to all of the generous sponsors for providing these packages for our local ladies!
Clint Edwards from Daddy Blogger was one of the giveaway sponsors, you can check out two of his books; Silence is a Scary Sound and I’m Sorry… Love, Your Husband.
{These book links are affiliate links and Duluth Mom may receive a small percentage of earnings from books purchased through these links at no additional cost to you, the customer.}
:: Community Connection ::
We are so thankful that, because of our generous event sponsors, Duluth Mom was able to donate extra swag (BeechNut pouches and MAM bottles) to the Women’s Care Center and The Fruit of the Vine Food Shelf! The items will be distributed to moms-in-need right here in the Northland.
To learn about future Duluth Mom events, make sure you are subscribed to our email list, and check out our events page here! We cant wait to connect with you again soon!
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