Lansing baby shower connects families to supplies, support services

More than 60 Ingham County families registered for Lansing’s fourth annual Community Baby Shower, turning a Saturday afternoon at The Cadillac Room into a direct access point for baby supplies and support services. Held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 25 at 1115 S Washington Ave., the event paired free items for birth and postpartum with raffle prizes, food, games and free massages, but its sharper purpose was practical: helping expectant and new parents connect with resources that can be hard to find when the cost of preparing for a baby is already climbing.

North Star Birthing Services, led by doulas Domonique Brace and Sharde Burton, framed the shower as an act of love and action rather than charity. Their event materials said the gathering was designed to engage BIPOC parents, who face higher risks of poor maternal and infant health outcomes, and to make support feel welcoming instead of clinical. Families who registered could access health screenings, chair massages, financial literacy support, lactation support, doula information, infant massage techniques and support groups, all in one room.

That mix matters in Lansing, where North Star says it serves the greater Lansing area and families within a 30-mile radius, regardless of financial barriers. The baby shower gave parents an entry point into a broader network of care, especially for families who may not know what is available until someone places the information in their hands. For many attendees, the value was not only the diapers and supplies, but the chance to leave with contacts, next steps and a clearer map of where to turn during pregnancy and the months after birth.

The local public-health system is built around the same idea. The Ingham County Health Department says its Infant Mortality Coalition works to reduce infant-health inequities before, during and after birth, and its Maternal Infant Health Program is the largest home-visiting program in Michigan for pregnant women and infants up to age 1 receiving Medicaid in Ingham County. MIHP is free for Medicaid families and can connect them with nurses, social workers, dietitians, transportation help and referrals to community services.

The Lansing shower is part of a model North Star has used before. A similar community baby shower in 2023 drew hundreds and distributed diapers, clothing, formula, education, advocacy resources and community connections. In a city where maternal-health outreach often depends on whether families can find the right doorway, this kind of event is becoming one of the most visible ways to open it.