RN home visit

When we were getting discharged from the hospital last week, one of the nurses told us about a program that we're eligible for called "Welcome Home Baby." It's a grant-funded project through the San Diego First 5 coalition that provides free in-home visits by pediatric RNs to first-time mothers in San Diego county. A nurse comes to the home during the first two week's of the baby's life, and then periodically throughout the year.

The hospital must have provided my information to the program because one of their staff called me yesterday to see if one of their RNs could stop by our house today. Even though I didn't feel a strong need to utilize the program, particularly because our pediatrician is so great at answering our questions and relieving our paranoia, I figured it couldn't hurt.

The nurse, Cindy, came over this morning and gave me a ton of educational material, including a growth chart, developmental milestones, a nutritional guide for the first 12 months, a comprehensive "taking care of baby" type book for new parents, and DVDs covering a wide range of topics like playing with your baby and disciplining your toddler. She also provided a list of community resources that we can take advantage of.

All in all it seems like a great program. It won't take the place of our pediatrician but I think that for a lot of new moms, particularly those who don't have good access to health care, it's pretty valuable.