Angelique Wilson, 43, of Williamsport, held her one-month-old daughter, Victoria, in her arms inside the River Valley Regional YMCA for a kind of “baby shower.”

The city mom was among those receiving what she described as a trick or treat bag of goodies for new and expectant mothers courtesy of AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania.

Actually, Wilson described it just like that, but it was far from candies and popcorn.

Instead, the treats were a bag of items necessary for new and expectant moms such as Wilson. It included such items as materials – all things mom-to-be and new moms would need for their babies.

Wilson, who spent seven years serving this nation in the U.S. Navy, has made Williamsport her home – and now it also will be Baby Victoria’s.

Because of AmeriHealth Caritas, Wilson won’t need to purchase baby teethers and many other infant products that can add up to put a real crimp in some expecting and new mom’s budgets.

“This is the first baby shower that I’ve been to,” Wilson said as Victoria stared intently at the blue bag with her items inside, not knowing at such a young age what was inside it.

The baby shower offered tables with experts giving literature and advice on how to have safe pregnancies and healthy babies. Along with the essential prenatal and postpartum care and resources, a packed lunch was offered.

AmeriHealth Caritas, a Medicaid health plan, hosted the baby shower, sponsored by its Bright Start program.

Bright Start is a maternal health program for AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania pregnant mothers, and it provides expectant mothers with health information, nutrition advice, and help in choosing an obstetrician doctor or nurse midwife for their prenatal care.

“I have a 5-year-old son, a nine-month old son, and I am currently expecting another baby,” said Melissa Lowmiller, who participated at the event.

“I am a full-time mom,” said Jasmin Wyatt, who joined Lowmiller on the table at the Baby Shower. “I have five children at home and one on the way,” Wyatt said. Her oldest is 10 years old, and she was mother to an 8-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 1/12 year old, she said.

“I am due in February,” she said.

“It’s been super helpful for me,” Wyatt said of the Baby Showers. “The resources and just talking with a lot of the (people),” she said. “Resources, for not just myself, but for my kids.”

“It helps families in need,” Lowmiller said, stressing how they provide things that they need like clothes, diapers, baby teethers – whatever you may need.”

“I think we need more stuff like this in the community to help out people,” Lowmiller said. Wyatt also was thinking about the mothers in the hospital who couldn’t attend.

“It’s a very helpful thing,” she said. “When I first had my daughter and they had the event last year it was very helpful. It got me through a real mental health and emotional moment. It was crucial for me. I was a single mom before at the time with a newborn and I feel like it is very helpful.”

“It’s good to have this in the community,” Wyatt said. “It’s good to know that people care.”

A growing number of studies indicate that Medicaid expansion has reduced the rate of women of childbearing age who are uninsured, improved health outcomes and helped to reduce disparities, including lower rates of premature birth and low birthweight for black infants in expansion states.

Pennsylvania received a “C” grade for preterm birth rates, with higher rates among Black and Hispanic infants, highlighting the importance of prenatal care and Medicaid expansion in improving birth outcomes and reducing disparities.