Healthy Babies
Healthy Babies addresses the health and well-being of mom and baby during pregnancy and the first few months of life. Through subsidized prenatal medical care, supportive mental health services, transportation to these vital medical appointments, childbirth education, and lactation support services we are able to ensure babies are born healthy to prepared parents.
Prenatal Care:
FKHSC works in partnership with local OB/GYNs who provide ten prenatal and one postpartum visits to Healthy Babies clients. Studies have shown that proper prenatal care is essential to preventing low-birth weight infants and fetal/infant mortality and morbidity. To participate in this program, you must be an active Healthy Start client.
Transportation Services:
FKHSC provides transportation for pregnant women and infants to their necessary prenatal, postpartum, and infant wellness medical appointments.
Mental Health:
FKHSC also works in partnership with four local mental health professionals who provide counseling sessions for parents and families that are experiencing challenges related to PMAD and loss. PMAD stands for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, encompassing a wider variety of diagnoses formerly known as postpartum depression.
Virtual Breastfeeding and Childbirth Education Classes:
FKHSC offers virtual Childbirth and Breastfeeding Education Classes on a quarterly basis. Pre-registration is required: Click here to learn more.
Labor Doula Services:
If you are planning to have your baby at Lower Keys Medical Center and are interested in working with a labor doula, please click here to complete our form. Someone from our team will contact you. Labor Doulas provide support while a family is pregnant, during labor and the birth of your baby, and for a few weeks following the birth of your baby.
For more information about Healthy Babies or to get started on becoming a Healthy Start client, contact Jessica Lariz at 305-676-3841.
Why Healthy Babies Matters:
The need for these services in the Florida Keys is significant. During our financial year of 2020- 2021, we provided transportation to 139 pregnant women to 446 subsidized prenatal care appointments, driving a total of 17,880 miles to ensure that they received prenatal care. We provided over 206 hours of one-on-one counseling sessions with our mental health professional to 18 mothers experiencing PMAD (previously known as postpartum depression). We coached 29 moms and their partners to meet their breastfeeding goals and empowered 26 families for their childbirth experience through childbirth class. Over the next year, this program will grow to include labor and bereavement doula support. We will also be partnering with local agencies and the hospitals to address the OBGYN and Pediatric crisis in our community.
Mental Health Program
This subsidized program works in partnership with highly trained mental health providers to assist uninsured or underinsured pregnant and postpartum families copy with PMADs and loss.
PMAD stands for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, encompassing a wider variety of diagnoses formerly known as postpartum depression. Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition is passionate about having resources to address PMADs in the Keys, as it comes to the forefront of maternal and child health in our community.
We have four mental professionals in our community who contract with the Coalition to provide individual and group counseling services for families in need of support. They work both in person and virtually and speak English, Spanish and Creole. No matter where you are in Monroe County, we are here for you.
If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or feel like talking to someone would be helpful, please contact our office 305-293-8424 or click here to request an initial session.
Transportation Services
FKHSC provides transportation for pregnant women and infants to their necessary prenatal, postpartum, and infant wellness medical appointments. To request transportation help, fill out the form here.
