WBWC expectant parents Tracy and Bradley Bethel made their
television debut this summer on “Baby Makes 3,” an HGTV-style home improvement
show on PBS that helps first-time parents-to-be make over a room into a
nursery. The Bethels live in Pacifica, a co-housing community in Carrboro,
which is an environmentally sensitive, intentional community. Residents live
separately but share community gardens and a common house for events and are
expected to devote hours to community service every month.
The Bethels have a strong sense of environmental awareness
and community that led them to their neighborhood community. Bradley was an AmeriCorps member and now
works part-time in the film industry and outdoor retailing. Tracy is employed at a non-profit with a focus
on child welfare. The values that led them to Pacifica also influenced Tracy’s
decision to choose WBWC when she learned she was pregnant.
“My degree is in public health and I work at Duke coordinating
research,” Tracy says. “My idea of healthcare is client-centered and
patient-informed with patient education built in. The Birth Center really does
that. To have such a resource in a community, I had to use it.”
Each “Baby Makes 3” episode features a different nursery
theme. For the Bethels’ nursery, the team tapped into their environmental
consciousness and did a gender-neutral “book-ish baby” design. The design team
bought organic bedding, used reclaimed wood, and designed pieces that could grow
with baby and be useful for years to come.
"My favorite part of the room is the bookshelf turned
desk – they made it out of galvanized pipes and reclaimed pine," says
Tracy. "The way they did the bookshelf, it is fully functional storage
unit now and will serve as a desk when she needs a desk. Sort of modern and
pretty cool – a one of a kind piece they built just for us."
Tracy and Bradley were put to work on the nursery as well. Bradley made a lamp, and Tracy made a Mason jar storage rack for the bathroom. They worked as a team on a craft project that turned a window into a stained glass window, and they also made a toy bin.
It can be a bizarre experience to see oneself on television,
but Tracy felt comfortable with how they were portrayed.
“.” Tracy said. “There were a few times the camera was
running and caught our banter. They kept those moments in and really captured
our personalities. In those moments, I feel like they got our playfulness and
sense of humor well.”
Tracy gave birth to their daughter Flannery at Women’s Birth
and Wellness on November 12 and their episode aired locally in August. Reflecting
back on the experience, Tracy was grateful.
"I got a great nursery out of it that is beyond
anything I would have done. I got a great space that will grow up with her and
more creative than I would have come up with," says Tracy.
To view clips from their episode or check the local
broadcast schedule, visit https://www.babymakes3.tv. If you’re interested in
appearing on the show and getting your own free nursery, check out more details
at www.babymakes3.tv/content/join-us-tv-and-get-free-nursery.
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