The World's Greatest Baby Shower

The World’s Greatest Baby shower is coming on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Searstown Mall, 3550 South Washington Ave., Titusville. The FREE event will reassure new and expectant parents about their role as mom and dad with the help of experts in a variety of infant and child-related fields. More than 40 exhibitors will be on hand, plus seminars, comfortable air conditioning, and door prizes for participants, as well as convenient parking.

In addition to the resource booths, seminars will be held that cover topics such as Feeding Baby Safely, Child Car Seat Safety, Ask a Doc Panel, and HUG Your Baby. “There will be lots of wonderful door prizes and light refreshments,” promises Gayle Whitworth, exhibits chair for the event.

2014 seminars will include:

• Car Seat Safety: Gayle Whitworth, a certified child safety instructor, will discuss car seats safety issues, including proper installation, and infant car seat safety classes that are available locally. Whitworth has been with the University of Florida Brevard County Extension for 18 years and works with Brevard County residents in the areas of housing, child passenger safety, and family financial management.
• HUG Your Baby—Birth to One: Offered by Kimberly Spain Severson, HUG stands for hug, understanding, and guidance. Severson is a Safe Kids Worldwide certified child passenger safety technician, a certified Lactation counselor, labor doula, childbirth educator, and teen educator. She is the director of B.E.T.A. of Titusville, Inc.
• Feeding Your Baby Safely: Beth Shephard is a nutritionist with the Brevard County University of Florida Extension, and co-chair of the World’s Greatest Baby Shower. Shephard has specialized in nutrition and food safety with the Extension Service for 15 years.
• Financing for Newborns: Michael S. Gutter, PhD., holds a degree in family resource management. This seminar will offer tools to help parents face today’s economic-financial challenges with raising a baby. Gutter is an assistant professor in Family Youth and Community Science at the University of Florida.
• The “Ask a Doc” panel will present the opportunity to meet medical experts in North Brevard and gather a wealth of information about prenatal, delivery, and infant care. Panel members include:
• Christina Caito, DO, offers comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology care in Port St. John and Titusville. She is with the Parrish Medical Group and on medical staff at Parrish Medical Center.
• Pediatric dentistry will be addressed by Gregory Gullikson, DMD. Dr. Gullikson has practiced dentistry in Titusville since 1990, and has volunteered his time at The Children’s Center teaching children how to care for their teeth.
• Rita Jordan, an internationally certified lactation consultant, works at Parrish Medical Center. She “loves helping to empower new moms through education and assisting them to successfully breastfeed and care for their newborns."
• Erica O’Bryan, M.D., Parrish Pediatrics, will cover the care of that tiny bundle of joy. The wonders of infant development from birth are Dr. O’Bryan’s focus and delight. She belongs to the Parrish Medical Group and is on the medical staff at Parrish Medical Center.
• Cara Starkey, MSN, certified nurse-midwife, has worked as a labor and delivery nurse as well as high-risk obstetrics and has been in the midwifery field since 2007.

The World's Greatest Baby Shower organizational members are the University of Florida/Brevard County Extension Service, Brevard County Health Department, The Children’s Center, Parrish Medical Center, Kiwanis Club of Titusville, and B.E.T.A. of Titusville. The World’s Greatest Baby shower is sponsored by the Jess Parrish Medical Foundation and Tanya Itani Taival, DO.