Family Birth Place

Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait

UI Health is partnering with March of Dimes to reduce preterm births in our community. The "Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait" effort will provide support services to patients who are deemed at risk for preterm labor. Some patients will receive additional services, including a home visit from community health workers and weekly phone calls from a certified nurse midwife who supports these patients throughout the pregnancy.

A preterm birth is when a baby is born before 37 complete weeks of pregnancy; a full-term pregnancy is approximately 40 weeks.

Here's how the program works:

1. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, visit your primary care physician or schedule a visit at one our UI Health locations: Family Medicine Center at University Village, Outpatient Care Center, or one of our Mile Square Health Centers.
2. During your first visit, a UI Health provider will obtain your health history and complete the new PRE-ME pregnancy assessment tool to evaluate your pregnancy risks. Your provider will revisit your plan and complete a new assessment at 18 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
3. If you are determined to have a low-risk pregnancy, you will be cared for by your physician and our comprehensive Labor and Delivery team, who will create a pregnancy plan and continue to care for you during and post-pregnancy.
4. If you are determined to be high-risk during pregnancy, you will be given additional resources provided by UI Health and our partners during your pregnancy. These resources include support services ranging from advanced practice nurses, social workers, community workers, and possible enrollment into our PRE-ME Birth Prevention Clinic.
5. If you are referred for an appointment for the PRE-ME Birth Prevention Clinic, you will be provided a community health worker who will conduct home visits to assess access barriers, transportation, and any other social needs you might require. Additionally, a certified nurse midwife will contact you on a weekly basis to assess for signs or symptoms of preterm labor.
6. When you begin showing signs of labor, you will be assessed at UI Health.