Maternal & Child Health

The Maternal Health programs at Talbot County Health Department strive to promote equitable access to health care and other resources needed to create healthy moms, healthy babies, and healthy families. 

Assistance is based on families’ needs and is available by phone, at the Health Department, or by home visit. Eligible families can receive help locating community services, obtain information on health, safety, and child development, and receive assistance accessing medical care and services. We aim to empower the community and promote reproductive justice throughout all phases of family planning. 

Additionally, we offer the Family SPOT (Supporting Pregnancy Outcomes in Talbot) program. This is an intensive care coordination program for women who are at-risk or currently experiencing substance use disorder during pregnancy and through the first two years after birth. This program provides assistance to families navigating family health care systems and obtaining gap filling community-based services to address needs. To be eligible for this program, the birthing parent must be pregnant or have had a child within the past two years.

Contact

The goal of preconception health is to help women and men become the healthiest version of themselves during their reproductive years. Preconception care is an individualized approach to learning about your risk factors, preparing your body, and getting chronic health conditions under control. Preconception health is beneficial to everyone, not just those who are planning a pregnancy.

Preparing for Pregnancy

Deciding to start a family can be an exciting time and there are many steps you can take to prepare yourself for pregnancy and parenthood. 

It is important to discuss your medical conditions, medications, vaccinations, and lifestyle choices with your doctor prior to becoming pregnant. This can help improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy, and ultimately, a healthy baby!

Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and using other substances can have harmful effects on an unborn baby and quitting before pregnancy can greatly improve your baby’s health. Quitting is hard, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re struggling with cigarettes, alcohol, or substance use, check out the resources below.

• SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
• Addictions Program | Talbot County Health Department
• Smoking Cessation | Talbot County Health Department

Family Planning & Reproductive Health

Prenatal care is the care you get from a doctor, nurse, or midwife throughout your pregnancy to keep you and your baby healthy. 

You should seek prenatal care as soon as you know you’re pregnant. Your provider will monitor your baby’s development and do routine testing to help detect and prevent possible problems. These appointments are also a great time to learn and ask questions about your pregnancy and birth of your baby.

Resources

• Prenatal care and tests | Office on Women’s Health
• Maryland Medicaid Doula Program
• Prenatal Care Checkups | March of Dimes
• What Is Prenatal Care? | Health Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy Support

If you feel like you could use some additional support during your pregnancy, or more resources and education about parenting, Talbot County has several programs that may be able to help.

• Healthy Families Program | Talbot County Health Department
• Birthing Education and Support | UM Shore Regional Health

The postpartum period, often referred to as the “fourth trimester,” is the time after birth when your body is returning to its pre-pregnancy state. 

Many birthing people face physical and mental challenges as their body heals and they adjust to their new baby. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends contact with your health provider within three weeks of delivery and a comprehensive postpartum check-up within 12 weeks. These visits are a great time to discuss your healing process, ask questions, and inquire about birth control.

• Pregnant and Postpartum Women | CDC
• Your postpartum checkups | March of Dimes

Postpartum Depression

Many women experience “Baby Blues,” periods of weepiness and feelings of being overwhelmed in the first few weeks after delivery. This is due to large fluctuations in hormone levels a mother’s body experiences after childbirth. 

However, if you have strong feelings of sadness, emptiness, or anxiety, have trouble bonding with your baby, or have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, you may have postpartum depression. 

Postpartum depression affects as many as 1 in 7 women and even 1 in 10 men following the birth of a new baby. If you are feeling this way, you don’t have to face it alone. Finding a support group, starting counseling, or being prescribed medication can help.

• Depression During and After Pregnancy
• Postpartum Support International
• National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline
• For All Seasons, Inc.

Breastfeeding & Lactation

As a new or expecting parent, you may have heard about the benefits of breastfeeding. Breast milk is filled with nutrients and antibodies specific to your baby and can be easier for them to digest than infant formula. You may find that breastfeeding can reduce stress, save time and money, as well as serve as an organic way to bond with your baby. 

However, creating and maintaining a successful breastfeeding relationship with your newborn can be difficult and no two family’s journeys are the same. Finding support in your community or seeking professional assistance can help you achieve your lactation goals.

• Breastfeeding Peer Support Program – Maryland Mid-Shore WIC
• Find an IBCLC Lactation Consultant | USLCA

Shore Regional Health offers outpatient lactation consultations, free of charge, to members of the Mid-Shore community, regardless of whether they delivered in Easton, Salisbury or Annapolis. For more information, call (410) 822-1000, extension 5535. 

Caring for yourself and your baby doesn’t end after you come home from your 6-week postpartum checkup. Parenting is a lifelong commitment to promote the health and wellbeing of your child. 

Your baby needs regular health check screenings with their pediatrician, a series of important childhood vaccinations, and a safe place to sleep, play, and ride in the car. Additionally, continuing to see a primary care provider for routine checkups, management of chronic health conditions, and critical cancer screenings is a key part of maintaining a healthy family. 

Whether or not you are planning on having more children, learning about, and selecting the right birth control option is an important part of your reproductive health.

• Birthing Education and Support | UM Shore Regional Health
• Immunizations | Talbot County Health Department

Safe Sleep

Every year, thousands of babies die suddenly and unexpectedly, termed Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). These deaths occur in children younger than one year old and include all unexpected deaths: those without a clear cause, such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and those from a known cause, such as suffocation. 

Sleep is often one of the first challenges families face when welcoming a new baby, but creating and utilizing a safe sleep environment lowers the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Check out the resources below to learn how your baby can sleep safely so that you can sleep soundly.

Safe to Sleep Brochure | NICHD

Safe Sleep For Your Baby — 60 Seconds

Safe Infant Sleep for Grandparents and Other Trusted Caregivers – 2 Minutes 10 Seconds

Sueño seguro para su bebé (10 acta)