More than 100 new and expectant moms will receive an early Mother’s Day present: a special kind of pillow for moms and babies.
The low-income moms, all participants in the County’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, will receive the pillows thanks to an ongoing partnership between the NFP and The Boppy Company.
A total of 112 pillows, which can be used when feeding babies and as a support for infants during their first year, will be handed out by County public health nurses May 1-12 during their regular visits with the moms.
“We are committed to helping families in need and this is a great way to help new mothers and their babies,” said Chairman Greg Cox, County Board of Supervisors.
In addition, for every Boppy Slipcovered Pillow purchased at Babies“R”Us stores and Babiesrus.com during the month of May, the company will donate one to NFP agencies, which will distribute them to their clients.
The NFP program pairs a first-time mom with a registered nurse, who makes regular home visits throughout the pregnancy and until the child’s second birthday.
The program improves pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and the family’s economic self-sufficiency. Nationally the program has served 150,941 at-risk families, and is currently working with close to 22,000 families in 42 states.
Locally, the NFP program has helped more than 3,300 vulnerable families since 2002. The program has increased the number of babies born at a healthy weight, the percentage of mothers who breast-feed, and the immunization rates among children under age two.
“The Nurse-Family Partnership program is transforming the lives of vulnerable first-time moms and their babies,” said Nick Macchione, director of the County Health and Human Services Agency. “It is helping to improve the health of local residents, which is a primary goal of the County’s Live Well, San Diego! initiative.”
