Birth Education for 1400 new mothers in Albania

She didn’t know she had it

When her baby was taken to the NICU, she looked lost—tired, scared, unsure where to begin. Our midwife Esmeralda sat beside her and gently reassured her that she wasn’t alone.

She explained how breast pumping could help keep her milk supply, especially while her tiny baby couldn’t nurse yet. The mother had never heard of colostrum before. Together, they expressed a little—and her eyes lit up when she saw it for the first time. She took that colostrum down to the NICU to help her baby.

In that moment, she didn’t just discover the first milk her baby needed—she found hope and possibility.

This is what your support makes possible.

Through our Prenatal Education program, you’re not just funding classes—you’re giving mothers confidence, knowledge, and someone to lean on when they need it most. For mothers of premature babies, this means one-on-one care in the most vulnerable days of their lives.

Because of the impact you’ve made, one partner hospital has invited us to increase the number of prenatal classes we run, so we can reach more mothers before they give birth. Another hospital has asked us to continue our NICU mothers’ support group, where women share their fears, gain strength from one another, and receive expert guidance.

We’ve also started preparing 100 more “Boxes of Joy”—filled with practical items and comfort gifts—for mothers in need at both hospitals and at a new partner hospital outside Tirana. These boxes are often the only source of essentials for new mothers struggling financially.

Every donation you give on GlobalGiving translates into an immediate, life-changing difference: more mothers reached, more babies given the best start in life, more hope delivered exactly when it’s needed most.

From all of us at The Mother and Child Hosptial Foundation, and from every mother and baby you’ve touched—thank you for making this work possible.

With gratitude,
Elizabeth Grezda

Links:

• Website

Greetings!

We wanted to invite you into the vital work with mothers and newborn babies in two maternity hospitals.  Perhaps you remember back to when you or a loved one of yours first gave birth and what it was like?

Classes for moms on the Maternity Ward

Daily Report

Mothers helped one-on-one: 4

Mothers taught as a group: 10

"Today in the maternity ward, as it was a Saturday and a weekend, extra help was needed for mothers. I helped many new mothers with breastfeeding. What I would like to highlight was the help I provided to the new mother, who was trying to put the baby to the breast. The baby was struggling and crying as the mother tried.

I suggested that she pick the baby up and hold him to burp. The baby burped twice, which was a good thing, it was one of the reasons why he was crying.

Then I helped the mom change his diaper as the baby had passed meconium. The second reason why the baby was crying.

We swaddled him, and finally we wrapped him in an extra layer as the baby was cold. The third reason why the baby was crying.

After explaining to the mother why a baby cries and what to do, I put the baby to the breast. The baby did not want to feed, he was awake and calm but kept his mouth shut. The baby was full of formula milk.  This was the fourth reason why the baby was crying at that moment.

I suggested to the mother to hold the baby at the breast for comfort and warmth regardless of whether he drinks or not. Then the mother will try again. The young mother felt very happy with the step-by-step instructions she received. She now knows why a baby cries and the steps she needs to take to calm him down. The mother was very grateful for the help provided."

Boxes of Joy: A package of newborn basics for needy famiilies. 

Albania has a great deal of income inequality, and many families live on less than $20 a day. This makes it very difficult to afford baby clothes, diapers, wipes, and other essentials for caring for a new baby.  Our Boxes of Joy program has partnered with medical staff to identify and provide a "Box of Joy" for each mother who comes from an economically weak family. 

Each box has a small selection of new baby clothes, a package of diapers, wipes, shampoo, sanitary pads for the mother, and a blanket for the new baby. Approximately two new mothers a week have received a box of joy for the past 12 years. 

Window of Opportunity 

The short period that the new mothers are at the hospital after birth is a critical window to help improve long-term health outcomes. Your generous giving makes it possible for us to keep Esmeralda actively working with moms and medical staff on supporting new moms in the first days after birth, and the Boxes of Joy allow both medical staff and the new family to get a very beautiful and beneficial package to celebrate the new birth. 

We are privileged to partner with you in making a difference in the lives of mothers and babies in Albania.  The needs are great, and it sometimes feels like a drop in the bucket, but the joy that your giving makes posssible spreads health, hope and joy in the maternity hospitals. 

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely, 

Links:

• Website
• MamiCare website
• Instagram