Amanda Braverman-Brohn’s second child nearly died as a stillborn.
The founder and director of the Moving Forward Foundation, Amanda spoke to the Waunakee Rotary Club about how that experience inspired her work to prevent stillbirths.
Amanda was in the third trimester of her pregnancy when she noticed a change in the baby’s movement. Though others said this might be normal, Amanda said she knew the irregularity meant something was wrong. Even her first child, a toddler at the time, said he believed the baby needed help.
Amanda had an emergency C-section and it was revealed that her son had had a stroke in vitro. Fortunately, doctors were able to revive him and he survived; now he’s 18 and majoring in music composition at UW-Milwaukee, she said.
Saying she feels luck should not determine whether a baby survives, Amanda went on to launch the Moving Forward Foundation which advocates for educating parents and obstetricians about the importance of monitoring normal movement patterns for fetuses and how to detect irregularities.
Just as every adults’ movement patterns vary – some get up and exercise before work while others hit the snooze button on the alarm clock – so do infants’.
Parents can monitor fetal movements in the third trimester, when it is safe to deliver a baby. European countries already do such monitoring.
Amanda has worked with the Department of Health Services on a stillbirth prevention campaign, and she did the same in Iowa, where a 30% reduction in stillbirths was seen afterwards, demonstrating the effectiveness of tracking fetal movement patterns.
The efforts in Wisconsin have been underway for just a couple of years, but already a reduction in stillbirths has been seen.
Amanda said between 25-30% of stillbirths are preventative.
“We should not have to rely on luck to bring a baby home safely,” she said.
Other news:
Ken Pesik received permission from the Village of Waunakee Parks Committee to repaint the concession stand at Murphy Field and already got the work done. Way to go, Ken!
James of SOAR Kenya will visit next week and present at our meeting. He’ll be around for a few days fundraising, and Mick Holm said Rotarians interested in joining them for a dinner party are welcome. Just talk to Mick.
The Interact Club is planning a community share at Lundy’s for their clean water project. Rotarians can donate to their campaign. The students also are selling Culver’s Calendars with coupons to raise funds.
Coming Up
Oct. 11: Food for Kidz
Oct. 13: Sunrise Fellowship at Grace Coffee at 7 a.m.
Oct. 17: Halloween on the Farm
Nov. 16: Rotary Arch ribbon cutting
Nov. 22-Jan. 1: Rotary Lights
Greeters: Oct. 15, Shelley Moffett and David May; Oct. 22, David Rupp and Bernie Kennedy; Oct. 29, Katie Ujdak and Carol Bleifield; Nov. 5, Nick Mischler and Tom Kennedy.
To sign up to greet or to find out when you are greeting, visit:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054CAAAA2CA7F85-44320149-2023#/
