Baby Bottle Prop

Idea created by Teresa Kellerman

Here is the idea that seems to have made the biggest impact in my presentations, according to evaluations:

 

Empty baby bottle (small one is okay).

Mini liquor bottle (filled with fake booze made with tea or diluted coffee)

Fan-folded paper with 39 images of large baby bottle filled with booze (see later below).

Pour the booze into the baby bottle.

Say that alcohol causes more damage to the baby's developing brain than any other substance (Institute of Medicine Report to Congress).  The reason for this is the specific size and shape of the alcohol molecule, which fits into the brain's receptor cells like a key into a lock.

 

Explain that the alcohol molecule is small and passes easily through the placenta into the baby's blood stream and that the baby has a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) same as Mom within minutes.

 

Then say that some doctors are still telling their pregnant patients that one drink a day is okay, but that all credible sources (March of Dimes, NOFAS, American Academy of Pediatrics, etc.) all say there is no safe amount, zero alcohol during pregnancy.

Then, as you unfold the 39-bottle fan-folded paper graphic, say slowly and repeat:

"If a pregnant woman drinks just one drink every day of her pregnancy, that adds up to 39 baby bottles full of booze."  

(You don't actually need 39 bottles in the fan, just enough to look like a lot of bottles, 20 or 25 will do.)

Use this image, put as many on one page as you can fit, then make several copies of the page of multiple bottles, and tape together, then fan fold.  I use five pages of five bottles side by side on each page, printed sideways on regular paper (landscape mode) with narrow margins.  Each page looks like this: