5.10.2
Prenatal Home Visits
Once an expecting mother is enrolled, the Home Visitor will schedule prenatal home visits with the expecting mother. Prenatal home visits are held to ensure that the expecting mother receives the necessary support and education resources prior to the baby’s birth.
Note: Fathers should also be included in home visits to receive support during the pregnancy.
During the prenatal home visits, the Home Visitor will develop and execute an appropriate transition plan for the family.
We provide information and resources related to the five areas listed below. Refer to the appropriate Prenatal Home Visit Record for more details on the information and resources covered under each of these areas.
- Education
- Nutrition/Dental
- Health/Safety
- PFCE/School Readiness/Transitions
- Mental Health/Social Services
Prenatal Curricula
Parents are provided with education through the use of the prenatal curricula.
Social services staff utilize the Parents as Teachers curriculum and the Partners for a Healthy Baby curriculum during home visits. Each enrolled pregnant woman will receive the handout “My Pregnancy month by month” and a set of “Partners for a Healthy Baby Handouts for Expectant Parents”, as well as a county specific resource packet. Additional resources may be utilized at home visits to educate pregnant parents.
In addition to completing the home visit record, Home Visitors will work with the mother to set up the Family Partnership Agreement & School Readiness Goals. Refer to Family Partnership Process for more information.
Prenatal Home Visit Records
The Prenatal Home Visit Records are used by Home Visitors to manage prenatal home visits with expecting mothers. At each visit with the expecting mother, Home Visitors work through the list of activities listed in the record, which are based on the current trimester of pregnancy.
Prior to the home visit, Home Visitors should print the relevant Prenatal Home Visit Record corresponding to the trimester of pregnancy:
Note: Each record should be printed on different colors of paper: pink for the first trimester, yellow for the second trimester, and blue for the third trimester. As the mother moves into the next trimester, print the next record and use it over the course of the trimester.
To complete the form, enter the home visit number and date each item is completed and have the mother sign and date the record once you have completed the curriculum for the relevant trimester. Continue completing the appropriate home visit record for each trimester as the pregnancy progresses.
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is administered both prenatal and postpartum to assess expecting mothers/mothers for depression. The assessment is listed on all three of the Prenatal Home Visit Record forms (see Mental Health/Social Services section) and is administered during each trimester of the pregnancy.
For detailed information, see The Postpartum Visit
First Prenatal Home Visit
At the first prenatal home visit, Home Visitors will do the following:
- Refer to a Comprehensive Perinatal Service Provider (CPSP), if pregnant woman is not receiving prenatal care.
- Refer to other services as identified in the Prenatal Risk Assessment Questionnaire
- Develop a health educational plan based on needs identified.
- Home Visitors will use the “EHS Prenatal Home Visit Record” for the appropriate trimester to track the visits.
Prenatal Transition Plan
A Prenatal ITP is developed within the first couple of prenatal home visits. This starts the process of planning what type of placement (e.g. center, Home-based, FCC) the mother wants for the child when they are born.
Refer to SOP Prenatal to Early Head Start
Once the child is born, the Home Visitor holds a postpartum visit with the mother where the birth proof and name and birthday of the child is obtained. The mother (?) must submit an application to ERSEA with the birth proof document (birth certificate?).
A record is created in Child Plus and regular home visits will begin instead of prenatal home visits. At this point the parent is being served with child.
Refer to the SOP The Postpartum Visit for more information on what takes place at the postpartum visit.
Resources
- Prenatal Home Visit Records:
- Pedestrian Safety for EHS Prenatal Enrollments – Packet | Sign-off Sheet
- The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Buckling Up
- Parents as Teachers
- Partners for a Healthy Baby
- My Pregnancy Month-by-month
- Partners for a Healthy Baby – Handouts for Expectant Mothers