SUCCESS STORY: “I would say the most beneficial thing for us from the class was understanding how to breathe and what works for you during active labor. You really don’t know until that time comes but knowing how to breathe during those contractions was helpful. I would also recommend the peanut ball with an epidural as well as the wonderful educational materials you gave us. They really helped me a lot. Also just understanding the whole process of what is going to happen was beneficial because when they were telling us I could visualize what we went through during the class.” SUCCESS STORY: A patient expressed gratitude to her childbirth educator, Ginnene, for the valuable knowledge gained in her class. Despite facing complications similar to her previous pregnancy, including a C-section after a long labor, she felt more in control and remained calm due to the understanding she acquired in Ginnene’s class. The patient emphasized the importance of the class in navigating the unexpected and acknowledged that the health of both mother and baby ultimately defines a successful birth. Perinatal Kit Program with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies In the 2022 CHNA Implementation Plan, Wellstar committed to distributing perinatal care packages monthly during the prenatal and postpartum period as an early intervention to maternal mortality and the effects of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and other key drivers of maternal morbidity. In 2022, Wellstar Community Health established a partnership with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia (HMHBGA) to assist HMHBGA in expanding its Perinatal Care Package Project.
Currently, the Wellstar Community Health and HMHBGA partnership distributes up to 200 care packages each month across the state of Georgia to people in need. Perinatal Care Packages provide the following essential items and education to package recipients: ■ blood pressure monitoring device ■ breast feeding storage bags ■ compression stockings ■ education surrounding maternal mental
Click or scan the QR Code for more information on how to access HMHBGA perinatal care packages.
health, postpartum care planning, and accessing support groups and classes through the digital platform offered by HMHBGA known as Pickles and Ice Cream
5,037 total perinatal kits distributed from FY2022 to FY2024
245 total community-based organizations received and distributed perinatal care packages across the state from FY2022 to FY2024
$ 138,005 in total financial investment in perinatal care packages from FY2022 to FY2024
SUCCESS STORY: In fiscal year 2024, a doula of the Wellstar Doula Program distributed one of the HMHBGA perinatal kit packages to a family receiving care at Wellstar. The mother delivered over the weekend and was discharged but began feeling sick soon after. She used the blood pressure cuff within her care package and found her pressure to be quite elevated. The doula advised that she return to the hospital for a check-up. Douglas Hospital readmitted the mother for several days over Thanksgiving due to postpartum preeclampsia. Thankfully, she was also able to have her baby remain with her during the stay. Wellstar takes pride in providing a perinatal care package, alongside a trusted relationship with a doula to guide quality care and safe health outcomes for families.
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