Bronx Healthy Start Services

When families choose to participate in local home visiting programs, they receive valuable support from health, social service, and child development professionals. Through regular, planned home visits, parents are empowered to enhance their family's health and create better opportunities for their children's future.

The home visits may include:

• Supporting preventive health and prenatal care practices
• Assisting mothers with breastfeeding and infant care
• Educating parents on child development milestones and behaviors
• Promoting positive parenting techniques, including the use of praise
• Helping mothers set goals for their future, including continuing their education, finding employment, and securing child care solutions

These services provide personalized guidance to foster a healthier, stronger family environment.

As a parent or caregiver, you have an important job - ensuring your baby is safe when sleeping, whether in the day or night. But there are risks that can put your baby in danger while sleeping.

Here are some tips to keep your baby safe:

• Babies should sleep alone, on their back, on a firm, flat surface such as a crib, bassinet or cradle. The area should be smoke-free. Adult beds, couches, chairs, waterbeds and the like are not safe for babies to sleep in.
• The crib mattress should be covered with a tightly fitted sheet that tucks well under the mattress pad. Use a sleep sack instead of a blanket and keep pillows and stuffed animals out of baby’s bed.
• Babies should sleep on their backs during naps and at night until age 1, unless the baby’s doctors says another position is better. Don’t forget to remove the bib before putting baby to bed.
• Do not use a drop-side crib when putting your baby to sleep. These cribs have been recalled by the federal government because a baby can get trapped in the slats and suffocate.
• Parents should talk about safe sleeping to anyone who cares for their baby, such as grandparents, babysitters and others.

For more information, view the Safe Sleep for Babies video.

There are the baby blues and then there’s depression. The risks can start even before a baby is born and can extend into the school-age years. Knowing the difference can be tough but getting help is a priority. So how can you tell the difference between baby blues and depression?

Look for these clues:

• Changes in appetite and/or sleep patterns
• Lack of energy
• Feelings of great sadness, hopelessness or worthlessness
• Crying for no reason
• Feeling little interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy
• Feelings of inadequacy or not being able to meet the basic needs of your infant
• Extreme anxiety or panic
• Having trouble making decisions
• Feeling out of control

If you’re worried about how you’re feeling or reacting to your baby, please discuss this with your doctor. You’re not alone. Help is available.

Postpartum Depression FAQ from March of Dimes
American Psychological Association Brochure: What is postpartum depression ? (Spanish)

Did you know spacing your pregnancies at least two years apart benefits you, your babies and your family? By giving your body time to recover between pregnancies, you’re reducing such risks as:

• High blood pressure and excess protein in your urine
• Uterine rupture in women who attempt a vaginal birth
• Low birth weight, premature birth, or dying within the first year.
• Baby not getting sufficient nutrients.

So whenever possible, try to wait at least two years.

NYS Comprehensive Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care Services Program

Parenting is a deeply rewarding experience, but it can also come with its challenges. Positive parenting involves using practical strategies to reduce stress and effectively address everyday parenting concerns.

Here are some key principles of positive parenting:

• Here are some examples of positive parenting:
• Create a stable, supportive, and peaceful home environment
• Foster positive relationships with your children
• Address problem behaviors clearly, calmly, and consistently
• Encourage and reinforce the behaviors you want to see
• Set realistic expectations for both yourself and your children
• Prioritize self-care as a parent

By embracing these approaches, you can build a nurturing and balanced family life.

Need some support? Get more information at the following links

Zero to Three: Parenting
PBS Parents: Strategies for Managing Stress & Anxiety
CDC: Learn the Signs, Act Early
Safer Spaces for Baby (Spanish)