By Heather Butscher, March of Dimes
November 4, 2020
If you’ve ever been a new mother or been close to a loved one who is becoming a new mother, you know that there are a myriad of new things to learn and health tips and appointments to remember, not to mention preparing financially and mentally for a baby to come. During this critical prenatal time, it’s more important than ever for expecting mothers to receive adequate support and education no matter their backgrounds.
Working towards addressing this problem, March of Dimes’ Becoming a Mom/Comenzando Bien© is a bilingual prenatal curriculum delivered in a supportive setting for pregnant women to learn about having a healthy pregnancy. These include nine sessions that present information on prenatal care, nutrition, stress, things to avoid during pregnancy, labor and birth, postpartum care, and newborn care.
Beyond the conventional health facts included in prenatal education, Becoming a Mom/Comenzando Bien© goes deeper into the psychosocial issues to expect and how women can address them. For example, the curriculum includes helping women identify a social support team for themselves; preparing them to ask the right questions during an often rushed doctors’ visit; and empowering them with tools to determine their own birth plan and subsequent contraception plan if that is applicable.
While the program is designed for expecting mothers, ample discussion is had about how to maintain overall women’s health as well. In this way, education at a critical time can build upon itself and manifest as numerous benefits for future health outcomes. The program also includes suggestions for adapting the curriculum for use with specific cultural groups.
The key to Becoming a Mom is fostering a warm, welcoming, and supportive setting where mothers feel welcome to participate in conversations and connect with others going through similar journeys.
Texas has 74 participating sites, with several sites around Houston, including Legacy Community Health, LBJ Hospital, and AccessHealth already implementing the program.
Many clinics are currently not holding Becoming A Mom/Comenzando Bien© groups in-person due to the pandemic; however, it may be offered virtually, still allowing women the opportunity to connect socially with other moms. Contact your local clinic for more information.
Contact March of Dimes for more information, including how to bring this program to your site today.
