About Us

Chubby Cheeks "Chi Chi" named because our daughter had the chubbiest cheeks we have ever seen, and “chi chi”, which the pet name used for babies in Costa Rica, where the ministry operates. In June of 2012 Katie gave birth to our daughter in the social hospital and saw firsthand the need for new mother care and ministry there. Many mothers are teenagers and unmarried. do not have the basic necessities for their baby or a water bottle to use for themselves during their 24 to 48 hour stay in the hospital. The hospital provides good medical care for both mother and child however, many mothers are not aware of what exactly they will need to bring or have to care for their newborn of whom you take complete charge of after birth. Outside of a c-section the mom is alone during her stay at the hospital. Visiting hours are from 4 until 6 PM, even for the father, so if the mom doesn’t have something, she has to borrow it, if one of the other 5 or 6 women in the common recovery room has it. The main thing that we found Katie lacked, as did most of the others in her room, was a way to stay hydrated. In an effort to ensure babies get the best nutrition, and mother and baby bond, bottle feeding is not an option during the hospital stay nor is a pacifier to sooth them. Outside of preemies, mothers must nurse their child both for nutrition and to calm them when they cry. If you do not have a water bottle or cup to refill you must constantly get up and walk to the sink to drink with your hands The hospital provides the first diaper and a robe for both mother and child during the stay, which you are not to change out of, but you are allowed to put on a hat and socks for the baby and socks yourself. After the birth, outside of medical attention the mom is responsible for all care of the baby who will stay with you at all times in the bed. We were also informed by hospital administration when they granted us permission to begin Chubby Cheeks Chi Chi, that since the providence of Heredia goes to the border of Nicaragua, that when Nicaraguans come across to have their babies in Costa Rica, this is mostly where they are transported to and many of these do not even have a outfit to take their babies out of the hospital in.

That’s where Chubby Cheeks Chi Chi gets involved. We put together new mother care packages to provide mom with basic necessities for their child and themselves for their hospital stay. Though these packages can vary, the idea is to give 2 diapers, an infant knitted hat and or receiving blanket, a baby soap, a wash cloth, water bottle for mommy and Christian literature. We believe that this is a great way to share the love of Christ to these mothers, while helping them adjust to the demands of motherhood.

Chubby Cheeks uses U.S. based knitting circles to help with the making of hats for the newborns and accepts donations of both supplies and or monitarily from churches and individuals who want to support the outreach and ministry that we are involved in.