Healthy Beginnings Plus in Lancaster

You qualify for this program if you meet all the following criteria:

• A Pennsylvania resident
• Eligible for medical assistance. You’re also eligible if you have primary insurance but are underinsured. We can help you apply for benefits.
• Pregnant (ideally less than 36 weeks)

Advantages of the Healthy Beginnings Plus program include:

• Experienced health-care providers: A nurse, social worker and a doctor or certified midwife work together to provide the health checkups, education, and support you need. You also have access to registered dietitians and board-certified lactation consultants.
• Improved outcomes: Early and regular prenatal care can decrease your chances of having a baby with low-birthweight or a pre-term (before 36 weeks) birth. Breastfeeding education and lactation support can help new mothers breastfeed longer. A healthy baby can better meet developmental milestones.
• Programs and services: Choose from a wide range of programs, such as free breastfeeding classes, prenatal yoga, nutrition classes, and substance use recovery for pregnant and postpartum women. We offer many opportunities for you to socialize and connect with other expectant or new mothers.
• Convenient care: Your personal nurse and social worker visit you in your home throughout your pregnancy, at times that work for your schedule. You can also choose to receive prenatal care at any of the Healthy Beginnings Plus-credentialed providers located throughout Lancaster County.

The Healthy Beginnings Plus program begins with a comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessment. This initial visit lasts about one hour and takes place with your nurse at your prenatal care provider’s office. It includes:

• Pregnancy testing and determining your due date
• Review of your medical and general health screenings
• Screenings for anxiety, depression and domestic partner violence
• Scheduling your first prenatal visit and any necessary lab tests or imaging exams
• Education about warning signs during pregnancy
• Assistance applying for medical benefits
• Referral to a registered dietitian
• Referral to the Nurse-Family Partnership program for first-time moms-to-be

Your nurse and social worker visit you as often as needed and are always just a phone call away. Additional services include:

• Breastfeeding education
• Childbirth classes
• Drug and alcohol counseling
• Help to quit smoking
• Nutritional counseling
• Preparation for labor and delivery
• Referrals to community resources, such as WIC (nutritional support)
• Regular blood pressure checks
• Transportation assistance

Labor and delivery

Women enrolled in Healthy Beginnings Plus deliver at the nationally recognized Women & Babies Hospital in Lancaster. Women & Babies features:

• A state-of-the-art Special Care Unit for high-risk pregnancies
• An expert team of obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other specialists
• Eat, Sleep, Console therapy for infants with withdrawal symptoms
• The only Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Lancaster County

Women enrolled in Healthy Beginnings Plus deliver at the nationally recognized Women & Babies Hospital in Lancaster. Women & Babies features:

• A state-of-the-art Special Care Unit for high-risk pregnancies
• An expert team of obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other specialists
• Eat, Sleep, Console therapy for infants with withdrawal symptoms
• The only Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Lancaster County

After birth, we continue to support you and your baby for eight weeks. You’ll receive two home visits from your nurse during this time and as many visits from your social worker as you need.

Postpartum services include:

• Breastfeeding support from a lactation consultant
• Car seat safety
• Family planning and contraceptives
• Newborn care education
• Regular blood pressure checks
• Safe sleep techniques for baby
• Screenings for postpartum depression

CenteringPregnancy® is a nationally recognized model of group prenatal care that brings together women with similar due dates and their healthcare providers. Women build relationships, discuss challenges and get answers to questions about pregnancy, birth, newborn care, breastfeeding and stress management. CenteringPregnancy® gives women vital information about self-care during pregnancy. This knowledge can lead to better outcomes for mother and baby, such as reduced risk of pre-term birth and higher birth weight. The one-hour virtual sessions occur throughout the length of your pregnancy.

Have peace of mind by learning CPR skills to use during an emergency. Our infant CPR class provides education on the lifesaving skills of infant CPR and infant choking relief. This class is taught by a registered nurse and includes a CPR manikin, practice DVD, and a skills reminder card. Classes are available in English and Spanish.

Have you heard about the benefits of infant massage, but are unsure how to incorporate it into your daily routine? This class will take you and your baby on a relaxing journey through loving touch, teaching you basic strokes to calm and soothe your little bundle. Not only is the practice of infant massage a wonderful way to deepen the bond you have with your child, but this ancient art may also help promote better digestion, enhance brain and nervous system development, improve blood circulation, and stimulate stronger sleep patterns.

Yoga is an ideal way to get in touch with your changing body and deepen your connection with your baby. Our free prenatal yoga and baby-and-me yoga classes focus on safe, gentle techniques for stretching, strengthening, breathing and relaxation. A certified yoga instructor from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health leads this four-week program and tailors your practice to your gestation period. You learn poses and techniques for relieving discomfort and stress, as well as how to use yoga to prepare for your labor and delivery.

STEPS provides care and support for moms-to-be with a history of substance use. STEPS offers case management, nurse navigation, and peer support during pregnancy and through one year after delivery.

Wellness Wednesday includes a four-week seasonal program that encourages wellness through diet and exercise.