Are you pregnant with your first baby? Do you have a friend or family member who is pregnant with her first?
Being pregnant with your first baby is a time of joy, and an exciting time. However, it is also a time for asking many big questions: What is happening to my body & and to me? Will I be a good mother? Who will be there to help me? What will labor be like – will it hurt? Maybe you know someone who is struggling with questions like these.
At the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, we help first-time mothers address these questions and provide them with support, through the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program. This program is free to first-time mothers who meet income qualifications. We find that enrolling a mother as early in the pregnancy as possible is key to being able to provide the best outcomes for both the baby and the mother.
NFP has been serving women and their families in Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt and Jackson counties since May 2001. During that time, NFP nurses have served over 380 families.
NFP focuses on the relationship between the family and the nurse, providing free support throughout the pregnancy and until the baby is two years old. In addition, NFP has statistically proven results, helping mothers and babies to have –
- Better health in pregnancy
- Improved child health & development
- Better school performance
- Stronger families
What do I enjoy most about working with first-time mothers in NFP? Well, for me it is getting to know each client and discovering her strengths. Many young women are not even aware of the wonderful strengths they possess. I try to point these out to my clients. Then I try to build on her individual strengths as she moves through the journey from young womanhood to motherhood. Motherhood is unique for each woman. She will need to access her unique strengths as she gets to know her baby and learns to guide the baby as he or she develops.
NFP is unique in that we meet frequently with each client. This gives the nurse the opportunity to get to know her clients and help them as their babies develop. I find working with first-time mothers to help them achieve their goals to be very rewarding and inspiring.
If you or someone you know and care about is pregnant with her first baby, or you would like more information on the Nurse-Family Partnership program, please call the VNA for more information at 970-871-7686.
Nurse-Family Partnership is about changing lives and empowering families.
Written by Diane Kelly, RN, BSN, Nurse Family Partnership, NWCOVNA. The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association has been a member of the Routt County Early Childhood Council since its inception in 1997. Visit https://www.blog.northwestcoloradohealth.org/nfp.php for more information on the Nurse Family Partnership.