About Embrace

Embrace is a pregnancy care program designed to meet the needs of expectant refugee mothers. Quality pre-natal and post-natal education is vital for every woman. It is especially important that refugee women receive this type of education as most of them are unfamiliar with American healthcare procedures. Embrace provides workshops, hospital visits and tours, relationship networks with local healthcare organizations and more!

Vision

Refugee families experiencing healthy, empowered and culturally-sensitive pregnancy and birth in the US.

Mission

To support, advocate for and educate refugees throughout the pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience.

To empower and train refugee women to serve as childbirth assistants and educators within their ethnic communities.

Core Values

Cultural Sensitivity

Though childbirth is an experience connecting women from every culture in the world, childbirth is not void of culture.Embrace seeks to understand birth cultures and find ways to integrate a refugee’s home culture into her birth experience in America.

Empowerment

Birth has the potential to be an empowering or invalidating time in a woman’s life. In it’s work to help women achieve empowering birth experiences, Embrace provides refugees information about the options and procedures they will encounter so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their child.

Partnership

Recognizing that there is a wealth of knowledge, experience and resources in the Atlanta community, Embraceintentionally seeks partnership with refugees, volunteers, refugee resettlement organizations, care providers, doulas, childbirth educators and others across philosophical, ethnic and faith backgrounds.

Biblical Justice & Compassion

Our work is propelled by God’s priority for the poor and marginalized as expressed in the Old and New Testament. Though the founders of Embrace are followers of Jesus, we serve refugee women and welcome volunteers of all faith backgrounds.

Embrace is currently a program of Friends of Refugees, a non-profit organization serving the Clarkston community.

CLASSES

Childbirth Education Class – Refugees

  • This class is for refugee women desiring to understand what to expect and how to prepare for their pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience in the United States.
  • Currently, the class is held every fourth Saturday of the month from 10-12pm at Clarkston International Bible Church.
  • Pregnant refugees and anyone who might be attending the birth or translating for you is welcome

Childbirth Education Class – American partners

  • This class is for those who are assisting pregnant refugees in any manner (volunteers, case managers, etc)
  • Classes will begin Saturdays in September 2011

Breastfeeding & Baby Care Class

  • This class provides information on the benefits, methods and resources for breastfeeding.
  • This class provides helpful tips on how to care for your baby during the first days & months of life (feeding, diapering, sleeping, pediatrician, fussy babies, etc)

Doula Training

  • This class will provide you with an overview of the birth process, practical comfort techniques for laboring women, options during labor/birth, and how to advocate for refugee women during their perinatal experience.
  • This class is for refugees or volunteers

Mom-to-Mom Orientation

  • This orientation prepares you to help meet the needs of expectant refugee women during their pregnancy and when they return home from the hospital
  • Orientations are scheduled on as-needed basis

REGISTER FOR A CLASS CLICK HERE

PROGRAMS

Labor Assistants/Doulas

Provide informational, emotional and physical support to refugees throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience.
Refugee Childbirth Education Course
Course for refugees that provides an overview of what they will encounter during their pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience in the United States.
Taught by certified childbirth educators.
Currently, offered the 4th Saturday of each month.

Refugee Doula Training Program

Course for refugees preparing them to serve women in their ethnic/language communities.

Refugee Breastfeeding Course

Course for refugees covering the basics of breastfeeding and troubleshooting any breastfeeding problems.
Taught by a certified lactation consultant
Offered monthly beginning in Fall 2011

Mom-to-Mom Program

Provides an opportunity for American moms and refugee moms to connect in friendship
American moms can provide practical assistance to refugee mothers through helping in preparations for the arrival of a new baby. This may include everything from taking a mom to her prenatal appointments, helping secure baby supplies to providing emotional support during this transition into mommyhood.

American Partners Childbirth Education Course

Course for those desiring more information and training on how to serve pregnant refugee women.
Begins in Fall 2011.

Lunch-n-Learns for Care Providers

Gathering for those currently offering or interested in offering maternity services to refugees
Opportunity to share information and discuss ways Embrace can assist care providers in serving the refugee population.


PROGRAMS