AIR DATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
Title: New and Expecting Parents
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Guests and Locations
Healthy Start Coalition of Orange County, Executive Director – Thelisha Thomas
Commonsense Childbirth, Licensed Midwife, Founder, Executive Director – Jennie Joseph
Adding to Your Family Doesn’t Need to Be an Overwhelming Experience
The average cost to raise a child in Central Florida is approximately $300,000. That figure represents everything from the hospital costs when they are born to the high school athletic fees you might pay during their senior year.
It can feel overwhelming knowing that you’re facing so many life changes. Thelisha Thomas is the Executive Director for the Healthy Start Coalition in Orange County, and she supervises several programs for new and expecting parents.
“It does take a village,” she told me during a recent interview, “and we’re part of that village. We say mothers and babies, but it’s inclusive of the whole family. Your family is what you make it: friends, grandparents, uncles, and aunts make up family.”
Thomas says several programs and activities are available when they start working with the coalition. They’re accepting numerous donations, including diapers, wipes, and brand-new, unused items that families need.
Saving Money Can Be Emphasized from Day One
Although hospital births are still the most common way for expectant mothers to have children, other choices exist. I spoke with Jennie Joseph, a world-renowned midwife and one of Time Magazine’s 12 women chosen as the 2022 Women of the Year.
Joseph also serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth.
“We have a midwifery school where we educate, train, and prepare midwives to license as out of hospital, community-based providers,” she said. “We train doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation educators… so, we’ve got a lot going on, but our goal is always to ensure that mothers, families, and the community have access to the birth experiences they want.”
Jennie says that no one is turned away at Commonsense Childbirth, even if they don’t have insurance. “If you have funds to pay or you can’t, we will still see you,” she said. “We offer that open door, but then we also provide prenatal care if you choose to stay with us. That’s the regular care you’d get at any other OB.”
Thomas adds that her goal is to help expectant mothers start checking off the things they need, even if that’s just someone who can spend time listening to concerns. “You definitely get a real person,” she told me. “Not an automated call – you’ll get engagement, referrals to resources, and a network of professionals that care and understand.”
The Available Resources Provide a No-Judgment Zone
I had a doctor, a pediatrician for my son, who wasn’t listening to me. “I think my son has a milk allergy,” I remember saying. The doctor actually replied, “There’s no such thing.”
Even though I kept asking for allergy tests, my doctor refused because my insurance wouldn’t pay for them. Even when I offered to pay for everything out-of-pocket, they still didn’t provide the service.
It took advocating for a new doctor to get what I needed for my family. It turned out that my son not only had a milk allergy, but he also had a severe peanut allergy that could have killed him.
“Your story is not uncommon,” Jennie told me. “And it’s so sad that even happened because you can’t take away the feeling it brings – the fear, the frustration, and just to overwhelm.”
Jennie says that there is bureaucratic racism and classism built into the health insurance industry. Her goal is to change that. Parents need someone who will listen, point them toward resources, and help them start their families in ways that make them comfortable. Jennie and Thelisha are working hard to accomplish those goals in our community.
More information about the Healthy Start Coalition can be found on their website at https://www.healthystartflorida.com. You can reach Commonsense Childbirth at https://commonsensechildbirth.org or talk to Jennie directly at https://jenniejoseph.com.
The Time profile on the 2022 Women of the Year can be viewed through this link.
