Healthy Expectations: Supporting Moms and Babies
At Variety Care, we believe every child deserves a healthy start. That’s why we offer Healthy Expectations, a program that supports families from pregnancy until their child turns five. This program provides education, medical care, and helpful resources for moms and babies to stay healthy and happy.
What is the Healthy Expectations Program?
Healthy Expectations is a two-part program that follows families from pregnancy until their child turns five years old. The two parts include: prenatal care and pediatric care.
- Prenatal care includes six educational sessions where parents meet with doctors, dietitians, and mental health specialists.
- Pediatric care starts after the baby is born and lasts until the child turns five. This stage helps children reach important developmental milestones.
What Do Parents Learn?
Each session covers important topics to help parents feel confident and informed. Some topics include:
- For pregnancy: Nutrition, safe sleep, breastfeeding, CPR, postpartum depression, and stress management.
- For young children: Growth milestones, potty training, positive discipline, and school readiness.
- Extra support: Families can talk to a behavioral health therapist, a dietitian, and guest speakers like dental hygienists and therapists.
How Does Healthy Expectations Help Families?
Parents get access to valuable resources and a safe space to ask questions. Each wellness check is a chance to talk with experts and get guidance. If families need extra services, we connect them with trusted community partners.
We also use the Bracken Assessment for children ages 3-5 to see if they are ready for school. This helps parents and teachers know how to support their child’s learning.
Who Can Join?
Pregnant patients of Shana Solis, APRN-CNM and Alexis Shelton, APRN, FNP-C are eligible to join the program at no cost. Patients may enter part two of the Health Expectations program if they complete part one and see Dr. Carlie Pearson, MD or Dr. Mona Bahavar, DO as their pediatrician. Most moms enroll during their first trimester, around 12 to 16 weeks of pregnancy.
How Healthy Expectations Makes a Difference
Many families have participated in Healthy Expectations. The program helps by:
- Lowering the number of preterm births and low birth weight babies
- Reducing postpartum depression and other mental health concerns
- Encouraging strong mother-baby bonding
- Increasing immunization rates
- Reducing ER visits for minor illnesses
- Helping children get ready for school
- Offering support for parents and children dealing with tough experiences
Join Healthy Expectations
If you or someone you know is expecting and could benefit from the Healthy Expectations program, we encourage you to reach out. At Variety Care, we are committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care to families, ensuring every child has the opportunity for a healthy start in life.
For more information or to see if you qualify, visit Variety Care or speak with your provider today!