Program helps moms adjust to life with new baby
At first, inviting a stranger into her home felt a little awkward for Ashley Hill.
After her son Natalio was born, Hill joined a program called Right Track that' s designed to help moms adjust to the struggles of bringing a new baby home. The program pairs moms with a parent educator who meets with them in their home on an ongoing basis to offer developmental tools, tips and support.
Now, that “stranger” has become a friend, and Hill looks forward to her visits. So does her 2-year-old daughter, Eveie.
“You feel like you have help for that little bit of time,” said Hill, 30, of Oklahoma City. “It takes a little bit of stress off.”
Parent Promise and Integris Baptist Medical Center started the Right Track program to provide an immediate introduction to home-based parent education and support to families who deliver at the hospital's Women's Center. A parent educator is embedded there to talk to women about the services before they leave the hospital.
The Right Track program is a direct way to reach new moms, said Sherry Fair, executive director of Parent Promise. The Women's Center at Integris Baptist has been
one of Parent Promise's biggest referral sources.
The program is free for patients through grants from the Arnall Family Foundation and the Integris Foundation.
Parent Promise offers three home-based education programs designed to help parents in Oklahoma County create a loving, nurturing and safe home for their children. Women who give birth somewhere other than Integris can still participate in the programs.
“Every positive outcome we say we want in Oklahoma begins with raising healthy and resilient children,” said Cindy Allen, external rel ations director for Parent Promise.
Parents who participate in the Right Track program meet with a parent educator at home on a regular basis. The parent educators provide developmental information and bring age-appropriate activities to help moms interact and bond with their children.
Fair said the program takes a whole family approach. Parent educators work with clients to set goals. For many of their clients, those goals involve child development, employment and education. They've included obtaining a GED, saving for a car, moving into their own home, re-establishing relationships with family members and learning to cook healthier.
Another benefit of the program is that the parent educator can help recognize signs of post partum depression and make referrals for moms who are experiencing symptoms.
In 2017, about 15% of Oklahoma mothers reported postpartum depression symptoms, according to the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a survey that collects data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy. Postpartum depression affects men and women, and some people don't develop symptoms until months after the birth.
Amber Hid al go, a parent educator for Parent Promise, said the program is a partnership between the educator and the parent. The parent educator is there to support the parent, not to judge or to dictate. She tries to fit the program curriculum into each family's environment and lifestyle.
“The idea for us is to come in very open, very positive,” Hidalgo said. “We try to reiterate to the families that it's very parent led. We bring things for them, but we're not there to be in charge. We're here to just support and communicate and interact.”
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Hidalgo and Hill sat cross-legged on the floor inside the Parent Promise office in northwest Oklahoma City.
Hill's daughter, Eveie, toddled around them on a colorful rug with letters and numbers. The young girl reached into a bag of blocks, pulled one out and inspected it. Then she handed it to Hidalgo, pointing to a picture on one side.
“Can you say yarn?” Hidalgo asked.
Nearby, Hill cradled her then 2- month- old son, Natalio, enjoying the one-on-one time with her two youngest children and the welcome relief of Hidalgo's company.
“On days like this, I don't have to juggle everything,” she said. “I get to sit on the floor and have help.”
That day, they used a “tracking toy” — a paper plate with black- andwhite patterns — to help develop the muscles in Natal io' s eyes by moving the plate back and forth for the baby to follow.
Hill, a stay-at-home mom of five, said things have changed significantly since her oldest child, now 14, was a baby. She said Hidalgo is helping her learn new ways to interact with her baby and to help his development.
Much of their meetings focus on the children, but Hidalgo also wants to know how Hill is doing. That simple question means a lot to the mom.
“It makes me feel like a person because as a mom, you get pushed to the back,” Hill said. “When somebody comes in and asks a genuine question — How are you today?— you feel like a person.”
Having five kids is a constant juggling act. It can also feel lonely.
Sometimes Hill is so excited to spend time with another adult that the words flow out of her. She enjoys having someone to share her children's milestones and exciting moments with, like when Natalio started rolling from his tummy to his back.
“I just hope that other moms see this as a helping tool and prosper from the program because it really is a great program,” Hill said. “And don't be scared if you're a mom of multiples. You deserve help just as much as a firsttime mom.”