PITTSBURGH, July 21, 2006 — Pregnant women who visit the Mount Oliver Neighborhood Health Center will be able to take advantage of “Womancare Childbirth with You,” a new program from Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center aimed at providing pregnancy support and funded by the March of Dimes.
“This program integrates group support, childbirth education and prenatal care with concentrated individual support,” said Pam Dodge, R.N., M.S.N., director of ambulatory services at Magee. “We also have provided the services of a community-based doula for additional support during pregnancy and the early postpartum period.”
The word “doula,” from the Greek, meaning the most important female servant in the household, describes a woman who probably helped the lady of the house through childbearing. The word has come to refer to a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. For the Magee program, childbirth doulas also are trained to be “community ambassadors” who provide ongoing social support for the birthing family.
“Our goal is to increase accessibility to Magee’s quality Womancare programming through direct community outreach,” said Jill Enyeart, R.N., nurse coordinator at the Mount Oliver Neighborhood Health Center, which is located at 1630 Arlington Ave. “The evidence is clear that social support improves the health of women and infants. We welcome this opportunity to enhance pregnancy services for underserved women, where they live, as a way to improve healthy pregnancy behaviors and birth outcomes.”
Along with information on what to expect during and after pregnancy, participants receive dietary instruction and help with exercise and stress reduction. Each session includes a key topic and focused messages, group discussion and questions as well as time for midwifery care, monitoring and self-care activities.
“Group prenatal visits give women a different experience than individual visits. Such a program has not been available in the Pittsburgh area before, and doula care has been available only for those who have the financial ability to pay,” said Ms. Dodge. “Our setting will emphasize that, for most women, pregnancy is a normal, healthy event. This is important because low socioeconomic status alone is associated with low birth weight and other undesirable birth outcomes.”
Groups began meeting at the Mount Oliver location early in April, according to Ms. Dodge. So far, two groups with about 10 women each have formed, and a third will begin soon. The Mount Oliver Neighborhood Health Center primarily serves the neighborhoods of Mount Oliver, Belzhoover, Knoxville, Arlington Heights, Carrick and South Side slopes and flats. There is no charge to participate in “Womancare Childbirth with You.” More information is available by calling the health center at 412-488-2690.
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