Babies First! Prenatal
Babies First! Prenatal program is a public health nursing program in Oregon. Home visitors are nurses and Community Health Specialists (CHS) who support families throughout their pregnancy to help them have a healthy pregnancy and birth by seeking prenatal care early and helping families access the resources they need in the community.
The goal of the Babies First! Prenatal program is to support families through the changes they are going through with a new pregnancy, and to lower risks for the woman and her baby. The program helps assure that women have early access to prenatal care by a health care provider such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, or midwife.
When a woman sees a Babies First Prenatal! Nurse or CHS, she is helped to deal with health, social, economic, and dietary parts of her life that are important for a healthy pregnancy and in planning for her labor and delivery. Babies First! Prenatal services include seeing the woman's strengths and referring her to community services she may need.
Educational topics and resources that are included in the Babies First! Prenatal program include:
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug exposure information, prevention, and referrals for care
- Improving oral health and helping families obtain dental services
- Breastfeeding promotion and assistance
- Helping you cope with the emotional changes in pregnancy and new parenting
- Prematurity and pre-term births prevention through education and health monitoring
- Information about preventing and treating infections
- Nutrition, healthy weight, and physical activity information and support for a healthy lifestyle
- Assistance with obtaining insurance and utilizing the WIC and SNAP program
- Intimate partner violence resources and relationship support
- Help with community resource usage for families the help you may need for their family and household
Babies First! Prenatal staff conduct prenatal and postpartum (after the baby is born) visits with their client, usually in the client's home. They visit the home and determine safety, nutrition status, emotional needs, and relationship support, and provide education, counseling, and referral as needed. Babies First! Prenatal staff help clients set goals for making healthy lifestyle choices and fostering personal growth.
Babies First! Prenatal services are covered by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) for women who have incomes up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Babies First! Prenatal providers visit families in their home or at Jefferson County Public Health.
