Pandemic or no, babies still don’t come with instructions.
So when COVID-19 social distancing guidelines went into effect in March, Princeton Health Community Wellness needed a way to continue providing education and support to new or expecting parents.
Video conferencing emerged as a logical solution, and by late March, Community Wellness instructors were moderating pregnancy and postpartum support groups and teaching virtual versions of classes such as birthing basics and prenatal breastfeeding. More specialized offerings, such as prenatal yoga, HypnoBirthing® and the UNITE perinatal loss bereavement support group, also were revived using the video conferencing technology.
Community Wellness expanded its virtual offerings to include Total Control® classes for individuals with pelvic floor disorders; Mental Health First Aid and other behavioral-health-related topics; various types of at-home yoga; nutrition and cooking tips; and educational programs related to a wide array of illnesses, injuries, and chronic conditions.
One of the newest programs — titled Stronger Together: Staying Connected While We’re Apart — is essentially an online support group for people dealing with isolation and anxieties related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The sessions are moderated by professionals from Princeton House Behavioral Health.
Debbie Millar, director, Community Wellness and Engagement, said video conferencing will continue at least into June, and some programs may be offered virtually beyond the time of coronavirus.
“We are always looking for new or better ways to engage our community members,” Millar said. “If reaching people remotely proves to be effective — and so far, the experience has been good — we may be able to use this more widely moving forward.”
To find available Community Wellness programs, visit www.princetonhcs.org/calendar and search the keyword virtual.