Posted: Monday, February 29, 2016
The team decided that a 1.5 hour weekly group would be the best format for Baby on Board. At the first group meeting, the staff handed out a questionnaire to find out more about each woman; many of them were going through the same things. “When designing the group, we wanted the subject matter to be need-based and tailored to what the women want to know. We come prepared with topics but it very often leads to discussion,” said Aussant.
The curriculum helps the mothers deal with common pregnancy and post-partum issues like:
“We leave the last half hour open as an opportunity for the women to share with each other about their experiences and struggles in the previous week,” said Aussant. When one of the women, Ashley, was about to deliver, the rest of the group voted unanimously to leave the group open to new moms and their babies, which them a chance to discuss things like breastfeeding and the “fourth trimester” of pregnancy.
The program also presents opportunities to connect the women with other resources. Healthy Families America (HFA) contributes about 30 minutes of material to each group, covering things like prenatal care and development. After Ashley delivered her baby at Women and Infants Hospital, the Baby on Board staff was able to go and visit with her.
When they got to the hospital, Aussant noticed that Ashley had been given Tylenol with Codeine, which could present a problem given her substance use history. She called Anchor Recovery Community Center and got a recovery coach to come out and discuss how to avoid a risk of relapse.
Aussant was thrilled to see one of her clients putting the things they had learned into practice. “Ashley has experienced past challenges that lead her to sign over custody of her then 2-year-old daughter, so this was a big win for her. It gave her a second chance to show DCYF that she is capable of doing things the right way.”
In the program’s ninth week, she thought of a way to help their moms even more. “Deb O’Brien, TPC’s VP and Chief Operating Officer, heard about our program and brought in some donations from a friend. That got me thinking: is there an opportunity here to do something more?” She approached her supervisor about having a baby shower at TPC with donations from staff.
Within three days of a TPC-wide email being sent out, Baby on Board had more than enough clothes, toys, and supplies for a baby shower on February 17th. “The response was completely overwhelming, and we loved being able to do this as a way of honoring these women’s commitment to healthy pregnancies. One of moms remarked that this was the only shower she was going to have.”
Aussant couldn’t be happier with how the program has turned out. “I’m really proud of our moms. These women have created strong bonds with each other, and I’ve loved connecting with them on a personal level. I’m also a mom, so I can say: ‘I have kids, and I don’t have all the answers, either,’” said Aussant.
As for the future of program, she hopes to get more referrals and a second round of weekly groups. For the current moms, she wants to create a mom and toddler support group, so programming can grow with their children as their needs change.