Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies of Mississippi Programs offer a variety of supportive care and home visiting programs tailored to meet the needs of pregnant women, infants, and families. Each care management program is voluntary. Availability varies across the state.
Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies of Mississippi
The Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies of MS (HM/HB) program is a support program for pregnant women and their babies less than one year old. This program partners with patients, communities, and medical providers to provide enhanced access to health care, nutritional and psychosocial support, home visits, and health education.
Support and Care Coordination
The Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies of Mississippi program, formerly known as PHRM/ISS, also provides a multidisciplinary support team to assist moms and babies who have identified health risks. The HM/HB team may help with:
- Finding a medical home for mom and her baby
- Identifying family and community supports
- Referrals for services such as Medicaid, food stamps (SNAP) and WIC
- Referrals for family planning, mental health, transportation, housing, medical services, childcare, employment services, and breastfeeding assistance
- Health information such as preparing for the hospital, postbirth warning signs, postpartum depression, caring for baby, infant safety, and healthy infant development
- Nutritional information
Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby: Help for Pregnant and Parenting Teens
If you are 19 or younger and pregnant or have a new baby, we have free health services that can benefit you and your baby.
How to Enroll
You can qualify for the MSDH Pregnant and Parenting Teens program if you are 19 or younger, pregnant or have a child younger than 1, and you are in high school or would like to re-enroll to work toward a diploma or GED. To enroll, you can contact:
- Your county health department.
Find a county health department near you - Your school guidance counselor or school nurse
- Your hospital nurse
- Your family doctor or nurse
All services in this program are free.
Questions?
If you need more information, call a county health department near you, or contact our Pregnant and Parenting Teens program at 800-721-7222 or, if you're in central Mississippi, 601-576-7463
Benefits
How You Benefit
- Healthy food: We help you enroll in the free WIC program. It provides you monthly food packages for a balanced and complete diet
- Nutrition counseling: to make sure you're getting important nutrients for your health and for the healthy development of your baby.
- Tips on preparing for birth: to help you understand changes in your body and how your baby is developing, what to expect during delivery, recovery after having a baby.
- Family planning waiver: If you do not have health insurance, you may be able to receive free checkups, birth control supplies, and family planning services.
- Pregnancy planning: Birth control choices you have after delivery, and how to time your next pregnancy so it's best for you and the baby.
- Help in continuing your education : Help in staying in school and reaching your educational goals during pregnancy and after your child is born.
How Your Baby Benefits
- Breastfeeding support from a lactation specialist. Breastmilk is the ideal food for a new baby, and gives it the best start in life.
- Safe sleep education: How to prepare a crib and choose the right clothing and sleep position for your baby to make sure it sleeps safely.
- Parenting preparation: How to care for your baby and meet his or her nutritional goals; how to recognize proper growth and development, and care for a baby with special medical needs; how to deal with the changes a baby brings to a family.
Fathers, Too
Fathers get the same safe sleep education, breastfeeding education, and parenting preparation that mothers do. This helps them support you as you raise your baby together, and helps keep them involved in the care and growth of your child. You also get:
- Referral to classes on job readiness skills
- A support group on becoming a better father
More Information
About Pregnancy and Birth
- Stages of pregnancy Parenting.com
- Breastfeeding
From WomensHealth.gov
- Pregnancy: Before, during and after
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Prenatal care and tests
- Pregnancy complications
- Labor and birth
- Birthing, breastfeeding, and parenting classes
About Babies
- Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Bathing an Infant MedlinePlus
- Crib Safety Tips Consumer Products Safety Commission
From WomensHealth.gov
For Fathers
- Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Brothers United – Safe Sleep Video
- Brothers United – Breastfeeding Video
- Brothers United – A Father's Breastfeeding Journey (video)
- How the Law Plays a Role in the Lives of Young Parents
- Fatherhood.gov
The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program for pregnant and parenting teens is supported by grant number SP1AH000038-01-00 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Adolescent Health, pregnancy Assistance Fund. Content described is solely the responsibility of MSDH and does not necessarily represent the official views of HHS.
