Mother-To-Be Program

All About the Newborn Visit:

The first few weeks of a baby’s life are an exciting and demanding time for both the baby and the newly expanded family. The newborn visit, required by the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), focuses on the well-being of both mother and baby and is to be scheduled within two weeks after a baby’s birth.

45 CFR §1302.80(d)
A program must provide a newborn visit with each mother and baby to offer support and identify family needs. A program must schedule the newborn visit within two weeks after the infant’s birth.

What Is the Newborn Visit?

This visit does not take the place of well-baby checks or replace medical care for the mother. At the newborn visit, staff:

  • Address families’ questions
  • Assess the health of mother and baby
  • Offer resources and provide referrals as necessary
  • Offer support outside of medical appointments

Timing and Length of the Visit

To the extent possible, staff should plan the newborn visit with a family when the woman is pregnant. Plans must be flexible, however, as family preferences for the visit may change after the baby’s birth.

The HSPPS do not specify a required length of time for the newborn visit. During the visit, staff should take cues from each family. For example, life with a newborn can be exhausting; therefore, staff should plan for a short visit unless a family asks for more time. Staff should avoid overwhelming families with information and instead offer them an opportunity to share how things have been going since the birth and ask any questions.

Key Goals of the Visit

Evaluate Safety and Address Concerns

Many safety issues (for example, issues related to sleeping and feeding practices or exposure to secondhand smoke) can be discussed before the baby is born. During the newborn visit, staff should address only issues of immediate concern. Any discussions about safety should be approached in a respectful and sensitive manner.

Ensure the Baby Has a Medical Home

One important goal of the visit is to ensure the baby has a medical home. Often, this is done when the mother is pregnant, as parents have to identify and make an appointment with a provider before being discharged from the hospital. The baby may have already had a 2-day-old visit with the health care provider before the newborn visit. Staff should reinforce the importance of routine well-baby visits and make sure the family has a medical home. Staff should also provide information about what to expect at well-baby visits. They can also encourage parents to share any concerns with their child’s health care provider.

Assess Postpartum Recovery and Answer Questions

An important goal of the newborn visit is to make sure families have the information and resources they need to care for their new baby. Staff can encourage new mothers to consider how they can take care of their own recovery needs and gain support from their partner, family, or friends. Staff can also address families’ needs for support for emotional well-being, nurturing and responsive caregiving, and father or partner engagement. And staff can ask families if they have questions about recovering from the birth.

Support Infant Feeding

Staff can provide information on the benefits of breastfeeding and support mothers in their decision to breastfeed. If necessary, staff can provide referrals to lactation consultants and counselors.

Referrals

Staff may not have the expertise to respond to all family concerns. Staff should bring information on community resources that can support families to the visit. In addition, if families are not already connected to primary care and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), this visit is a great opportunity to make those important referrals. Families with newborns might also request or benefit from information on:

  • Local lactation consultants
  • New parents’ groups for parent education and support
  • Mental health services related to postpartum issues and attachment
  • Resources for support in accessing food
  • Furniture or items for the baby that they might need
  • Early intervention programs

Physical Health

  • Mother’s recovery
  • Breastfeeding concerns (for example, mastitis, pain in the breasts, chapped nipples)
  • Postpartum care (including any health concerns for the baby or mother)
  • Newborn’s growth
  • Newborn’s movement (including reflexes)
  • Newborn’s temperature
  • Newborn’s cord care
  • Newborn’s sleeping
  • Jaundice
  • Newborn’s hearing and vision
  • When to call the doctor

Nutrition

  • Nutrition for breastfeeding mother
  • Family access to nutritious food
  • Breastfeeding questions
  • Family access to lactation support or breast pumps
  • Making and storing formula and/or breast milk
  • Newborn’s eating
  • Newborn’s weight gain
  • Newborn’s elimination patterns
  • Newborn’s burping or spitting

Mental Health

  • Maternal and paternal depression
  • Parental responsiveness to the baby
  • Adjustment of all family members (including siblings) to the newborn
  • Family sense of competence
  • Social support for the family
  • Stress related to upcoming return to work or school and plans for the baby’s care
  • Newborn crying and self-care strategies when the baby cannot be soothed
  • Substance use

Get in touch

We at the Mamáy’asnim Hitéemenwees are always available for collaborations and talks. If you want to chat about MTB, or anything else, don’t hesitate in reaching out.

Contact US:

208-843-7330 to talk with Family Services

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