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WiNGS strives to help first-time mothers

Mesquite News - 11/3/2017

"Where you have an opportunity to really make an impact is at pregnancy and through age 2, because during that time period that's when the baby's brain develops the most."? Jennifer Ware, WiNGS CEO

WiNGS of Dallas has teamed up with Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) to provide first-time mothers with their own personal nurse for free, with the goal of providing the mothers with support throughout their pregnancy and the first two years of their baby's life.

When a woman is pregnant for the first time, she undoubtedly has many questions and will no doubt receive many advices from friends and family. With a personal nurse she will learn to make the best choices for her and her baby.

One local mother, 16-year-old Genesis Cruz, has been receiving support and guidance from her own personal NFP nurse, Suzanne Borman, since she was 15 and 22 weeks pregnant. She stayed with Cruz until the baby came.

"After that I started coming out weekly for about six weeks just to make sure the baby was on the right track," she said. "She started out breastfeeding and doing a great job which is very crazy for such a young girl."

The visits then went to every two weeks so she could check on the baby to ensure everything was going well with him and the mother, as well as perform assessments at certain development periods to ensure he's on target with all of his milestones.

"They don't go to the doctor every two weeks, so sometimes they'll have these questions ? is it something that I have to talk to the doctor about? So we'll discuss it and see if that's something they really need," Borman said.

She said in the beginning Cruz would call her often, but as she grew more comfortable with the baby and felt she was able to handle things herself, the calls became less frequent.

Borman noted that Cruz's circumstances are unique in that she has a strong family support system and her boyfriend is very involved, which is not the case for many young mothers.

Cruz said she found out about the NFP program through Medicaid. She was also initially unsure how the program would work and meeting Borman at her home.

"She made me feel comfortable and I soon knew I could trust her. If I have problems, then she answers them. I can get her on the phone at any time and tell her anything," she said.

Cruz mentioned that Borman helped made sure she received the care she needed when her amniotic fluid was low in the third trimester and she was induced at 39 weeks.

Jayden was born a healthy baby and now seven months old and doing well.

Aside from providing support and advice on caring for babies, Borman also helps Cruz by creating a foundation to achieve her long-term goals so that she can provide and care for her son after Borman is gone.

"We met down at Texas Workforce one day and I showed them the ropes on how to look for a job," Borman said. "Whatever is going on in their life we try to address it and see if we can find an answer."

"She's also like a friend I can talk to about things that I can't tell my mom or Courtney (boyfriend)," Cruz said.

The program is open to first-time mothers who are qualified for Medicaid, under 28 weeks pregnant and a resident of Dallas County.

WiNGS partnered with NFP in 2007 and is one of two NFP partner agencies in Dallas, which also includes Parkland Health and Hospital System.

The NFP program is based on over 40 years of research that has shown the positive impacts for parents which include an 18 percent reduction in preterm deliveries, 82 percent increase in mothers' employment, 68 percent increase in the father's presence in the household, 48 percent reduction in child abuse and neglect, 59 percent reduction in juvenile arrests at age 15, and a 67 percent reduction in behavioral and intellectual problems by the age of 6.

"The reason why Nurse-Family Partnership starts at pregnancy is because the gentleman that created this program worked at a child care center and did some social work with families that were financially struggling, and he found that by preschool age it was too late," said Jennifer Ware, chief executive officer with WiNGS. "Where you have an opportunity to really make an impact is at pregnancy and through age 2, because during that time period that's when the baby's brain develops the most."

"If we can lay the foundation from pregnancy to 2 then you're in a much better position moving forward," she added.

A new study by Nobel Laureate James Heckman reported the benefits of NFP to include improved birth weight for infant boys, healthier home environments, and improved social and emotional skills for girls.

For more information on the program visit txnfp.org.