Baby Your Baby is a program that focuses on making sure expecting mothers get recommended prenatal care. From financial help to preparing for pregnancy, Baby Your Baby helps guide new parents through the pregnancy process, birth, as well as the first few years of being a parent. 

In this first episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast, Holly Menino talks with Marie Nagata from the Utah Department of Health about the history of the Baby Your Baby program, resources available to new and expecting moms, as well as financial help available for low income women. 

What is Baby Your Baby?

Baby Your Baby is a program at the Utah Department of Health to help low income women receive prenatal care early on in their pregnancy. Baby Your Baby pays for doctor’s visits until a woman can get on Medicaid. Every woman should see her doctor as soon as she knows she’s pregnant. The program does not want anyone to wait to see a doctor, while she is waiting on paperwork to go through.

Thirteen Weeks and Thirteen Visits:

All pregnant women should have their first doctor’s appointment by their 13th week of pregnancy and visit their doctor at least 13 times throughout their pregnancy.

Most first time moms are good about going to their doctor throughout their pregnancy. The problem most often seen with women not getting the prenatal care they need, usually comes with moms who are having their 2nd, 3rd or 4th baby. Sometimes women think that because their other pregnancies were fine, this one will be the same. Every pregnancy, and every baby, are different.

It is important that with every pregnancy, a woman sees her doctor before the 13th week of pregnancy, and at least 13 times throughout her pregnancy. Testing for things like Gestational Diabetes and other health problems that often occur during pregnancy is important to the health of your baby. Using Gestational Diabetes as an example, we see many women who haven’t had Gestational Diabetes during previous pregnancies, who get it during their 3rd or 4th pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes can have severe health effects on both mother and baby, so it’s important to see your doctor and make sure you are getting the right tests. This is just one example of something that could show up in one pregnancy and not have occurred in another. That is why it is so important to make sure you are seeing your doctor 13 times during your pregnancy.

Getting signed up for Baby Your Baby:

Getting signed up for Baby Your Baby is easy. You can call 1-800-826-9662 or apply online. 

Resources:

Even if you don’t qualify for financial help through the Baby Your Baby program, there are many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah.

The Baby Your Baby website contains resources with information from before you get pregnant, until your baby is 5 years old.

There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.