WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Pregnancy is nothing new to Karina Garcia.
“I felt like I was an expert,” the mother of four said.
While preparing for baby number four, she turned once again to Baby Talk.
“It helps you know that you’re doing the right thing to keep your babies healthy,” Garcia said.
Baby Talk is a free program that teaches people under 32 weeks pregnant how to have a healthy pregnancy. The course contains six two-hour sessions.
“Participants in Baby Talk, compared to other county births, have a 37% reduction in preterm birth, and that’s among other improvements we see in terms of outcomes,” said Cari Schmidt, director of the Center for Research for Infant Birth and Survival at KU School of Medicine Wichita.
The classes cover everything from labor and delivery to infant care and postpartum. The program’s started as a way to curb the infant mortality rate.
“We teach them to recognize warning signs. What is important enough that you should be calling your doctor? What’s important enough that you should seek out urgent care?” Schmidt said.
The lessons offer something for all expecting mothers.
“Even with three times doing the class, I learn new things each time,” Garcia said.
Schmidt says information is constantly improving, “We figure out better ways to do things, and new information comes out on how to best protect our babies. So we are updating the curriculum regularly.”
Over 10 years, Baby Talk has done its part to help more than 3,000 moms deliver healthy babies. They have expanded to reach rural Kansas communities through virtual classes, including some in Spanish.
Each person who completes the program gets a free safety item for their baby.
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