LaShay's Story - Sedgwick County, Kansas Health Department

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Emily's Story

Emily I was a single college graduate working for minimum wage without health insurance when I learned I was pregnant. After the shock and fear subsided, excitement and worry overcame me. I went to the Sedgwick County Health Department for a pregnancy test and to apply for SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). The SCHIP provider referred me to Healthy Babies and I was enrolled in the program within a week.

During my pregnancy I did everything my Healthy Babies Nurse, Jerri, told me to do. I was desperate to breastfeed my baby. I wanted to provide the best nutrition for him and savor the bonding that breastfeeding would bring, but I feared it would be painful. Jerri calmed my fears and supported my intentions to breastfeed and even came to the hospital to provide encouragement.

I felt confident when I went home. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The first night home from the hospital was a breastfeeding nightmare. Braden was not latching on properly—I was frustrated, sleep deprived, and failing. The next morning I called Jerri in tears. She was at my house within an hour and calmed me down and helped me to successfully breastfeed my baby, which I was able to do for 14 months.

Another major hurdle Jerri helped me overcome was my career and how I was going to be able to provide a stable environment for myself and Braden. I voiced the same concerns about my financial situation that I had voiced to Jerri during my pregnancy. After continued frustrations with my current employer, Jerri called me about a position I would be “perfect” for at Healthy Babies. I applied, interviewed and was hired as an Administrative Specialist for the Healthy Babies program that same week. The women at Healthy Babies were just like Jerri - kind, supportive, and genuinely cared about me and Braden.

A big part of my job at Healthy Babies is contacting every potential client from the referrals we receive. My experience as a client makes explaining the program to potential clients easy and exciting. I’m working for a program I truly believe in and have benefited from personally. I work hard for the women of my community because Healthy Babies worked hard for me.

Group Success

In 2008 Healthy Babies changed from an individual visitation program to a group-focused model of care. On Christmas Eve 2008, three members of our very first group delivered their babies. All three enrolled in the blue prenatal group in October 2008 and had become friends. Upon getting settled at the hospital they began to call each other with the good news that they were each in labor and they found out they were all at the same hospital. After delivery, they took turns visiting each other in the hospital and held their own little group session. After they were dismissed, they all attended the next group session at Healthy Babies and shared their story with the rest of the group members. They were excited that they were able to share their hospital experience with each other and said the support and encouragement they offered one another was so helpful and important. Clearly the group model of care is successful!

The Story of Ellie

Ellie was referred to Healthy Babies due to inadequate pregnancy weight gain and Cerebral Palsy. During the pregnancy, a RN educated Ellie about maternal care and safety, fetal growth and development, labor and delivery and the newborn/postpartum period. In addition, she helped connect Ellie to other community resources that could assist her with maintaining her independence.

Ellie had a limited support system so the RN arranged for a physical therapist (PT) to come to Ellie’s home throughout her pregnancy and for the first three months after delivery. The therapist taught Ellie to use a special walking device to stabilize her pregnancy weight gain and keep her from being confined to a wheelchair. In addition, Ellie was fitted with a baby sling so that she would be able to carry her baby while having her hands free to use her crutches or walker.

With the support and education provided by her Healthy Babies RN, Ellie gained adequate weight and she delivered a healthy baby girl via a scheduled caesarean at 38 weeks gestation. Because of the information and education provided by her Healthy Babies RN on the importance of breastfeeding, this was one of Ellie’s goals as a new mother. Ellie and her RN worked through a number of obstacles and Ellie was able to successfully breastfeed her daughter until her first birthday.

Upon graduation from the Healthy Babies program when her daughter turned two years old, Ellie was transitioned to Early Head Start and Parents as Teachers. In addition, Ellie still regularly attends Healthy Babies Community Forums and other events. She has befriended other clients that have attended, acting as a mentor with parenting and breastfeeding support. Ellie has often told other clients in the program, “If I can successfully parent and breastfeed a child as a single parent with all the obstacles I had to face over the last 2-years, anyone can!”

When Ellie enrolled in the Healthy Babies program, she was attending Wichita State University but had to withdraw for financial reasons. After encouragement and support provided by her nurse, Ellie enrolled at the School of Adaptive Computer Training for the Disabled and successfully completed an 8-week course that enabled her to acquire a data entry position. Ellie has often stated that if it were not for the support and guidance of her Healthy Babies RN to motivate and support her with her goals, she would not have been as successful.