Philly-Area Midwives Collecting Supplies For Mothers, Babies In Puerto Rico
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia area midwives are organizing to help collect supplies for mothers and babies in need in Puerto Rico.
Fishtown based homebirth midwife Terri Simmons says the island of Puerto Rico was so badly damaged by Hurricane Maria that medical care is scarce -- and this it's a concern for new and expecting mothers.
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"It's not a big concern that they can't get to a hospital per say, but it's more of a concern if they have no access to any help at all," she said.
So she and some other Philadelphia area midwives are putting together care packages and they're asking for new or gently used pregnancy, postpartum and infant supplies.
"Normally we think of things that are opened or half-used would not be something that we would want to give, but I think the need is so great," she said. "Often, people have stuff left over from their birth and they don't know what to do with it."
Some of the items being collected include:
- Underwear
- Nursing Bras,
- Newborn Clothes,
- Prenatal Vitamins
- Suturing Material,
- Anti-Hemorrhagic Meds and Herbs
- Battery or Manual Breast Pumps
- Organic seeds for fruit trees and vegetables,
- Receiving Blankets (used are perfect and preferred)
Also needed are herbal tinctures, medicinal, adaptogenic, supplements, homeopathy kits, flower remedies, dry herbs to supplement nutrient depleted food donations people are relying upon, lemon eucalyptus essential oil (CDC approved), mosquito repellent, oils of lavender, thieves/on guard, oregeno, tea tree or any.
With any money collected, they'll be buying $17 water filtration straws.
"In a small straw, that's literally the size of a straw, over 200 gallons can be filtered safely," Simmons said. "It's used in emergency situations, it's used for backpacking, foreign travel."
Monetary donations can be made through the secure email account: lunaysolmidwifery@gmail.com.
Simmons will be personally collecting donations on Saturday, October 14 at 2316 E. Norris Street in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All donations will be sent to Puerto Rico the following week with a fellow midwife.