A woman can experience a wide range of emotions when she learns she is pregnant.  Excitement and joy are common feelings, but there can also be anxiety about the many life changes that are about to occur.  It is natural for a woman to be concerned about her baby’s health, her adjustment to parenthood, and other demands of raising a child.  Licking Memorial Health Systems offers a Prenatal Patient Centering program called M.O.M.S. (Maximizing Outcomes with Maternal Support) to provide assistance and prenatal care for qualifying expectant mothers.

The Patient Centering Program offers more personalized care for mothers-to-be and provides a space for women to voice their concerns, share their experiences, and promote self-care.  Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) launched the program in the fall of 2019 to promote healthy birth outcomes by providing educational experiences and more healthcare provider contact to pregnant women.  

When a woman attends her initial prenatal appointment with her provider, she meets with an LMH Perinatal Nurse Navigator who offers her the opportunity to participate in the M.O.M.S. program.  The program groups 8 to 12 women with similar due dates to participate in nurse-led meetings beginning around their 14th week of pregnancy.  The group meets once a month for the first four meetings, then twice a month for the last four meetings to complete the program around their 36th week of pregnancy.

Each session bundles the prenatal appointment, prenatal education, and social support into a two-hour visit.  In the first hour, each woman meets individually with a midwife who checks blood pressure, records weight, and assesses the baby’s growth.  Individual concerns are also discussed at this time.  The group has the opportunity to socialize, discuss concerns, and provide support to one another while waiting for their individual appointments.

The second hour consists of prenatal education that focuses on all aspects of wellness during pregnancy.  Topics for discussion include understanding pregnancy, nutrition, breastfeeding, stress management, exercise, birth, newborn care, child safety, and new mothering issues.  Guest speakers, such as LMH dietitians and lactation consultants, attend meetings to discuss their area of expertise and answer questions.  The group also receives a tour of the Labor & Delivery Department to view the facilities and learn more about the maternity services that LMH offers to patients.

In addition to the Patient Centering Program, LMH offers a home visit to every first-time mother, every breastfeeding mother, or a mother who is referred by a physician or nurse, and may need a little assistance or reassurance after delivery.  During the visit, a Home Visiting Nurse will complete a blood pressure check, depression screening, and offer breastfeeding support.  The nurse will also complete a newborn assessment, weight check, and answer general newborn questions.

M.O.M.S. meetings are held in the lobby of Licking Memorial Women’s Health – Newark, located at 15 Messimer Drive.  For additional information about the program, please contact Megan Layman or Kaylissa Smith at (220) 564-3685 or email mlayman@LMHealth.org or kbsmith@LMHealth.org.