Home health for mother and newborn

Some mothers need extra medical care during pregnancy, in addition to their clinic visits. Depending on the situation and needs, an Allina Health Home Health - Mother & Newborn nurse can come to your home or workplace. Visits are typically once or twice a week, but can be daily, if needed. Your family and others in your support system are welcome to be part of each visit. These visits address concerns like fetal monitoring, nausea and vomiting treatment, preterm labor prevention, high blood pressure management and treatment for diabetes during pregnancy.

During pregnancy services

The nurse will take vital signs for you and your unborn baby and review the doctor's plan of care and instructions.

Their skilled care can also include:

• Non-stress tests and ultrasounds to measure fluid volume, watch baby's movements and hear baby's heartbeat.
• IV fluids, medicine and pharmacy consultations if nausea and vomiting does not respond to initial treatment. The nurse also can teach you how to manage severe nausea and vomiting.
• If you're having or at risk of preterm labor, an Allina Health Home Health - Mother & Newborn nurse can:
  • monitor contractions during home visits or remotely
  • give weekly 17P injections to help prevent preterm delivery
  • teach you about preterm labor and when to call your doctor
  • coordinate care with your health care team.
• If you develop high blood pressure during pregnancy, the nurse will monitor your blood pressure, offer guidance and answer questions.
• If you develop gestational diabetes, the nurse will teach you how your diet affects blood sugar and show you how to use insulin.

Allina Health Home Health - Mother & Newborn coordinates a nursing visit to a new mom's home, usually within a few days of leaving the hospital. The goal is to check on mom's and baby's health, answer questions about health concerns or infant care, and, if needed, arrange ongoing support through community services. 

Information about a home care visit typically is given to new moms while they are still in the hospital. If a visit is ordered, an Allina Health Home Health - Mother & Newborn nurse will call you to schedule a visit.

During a typical postpartum visit, a registered nurse:

• assesses the health of mom and baby
• answers questions and gives support about breast- or bottle-feeding
• checks the newborn's weight, assesses feeding and removes the cord clamp
• performs any lab services as ordered by your physician, including checking bilirubin level if the baby appears jaundiced

Newborns with jaundice may need light therapy, also called phototherapy, that helps them eliminate build-up of bilirubin. Allina Health Home Health - Mother & Newborn can coordinate delivery of phototherapy equipment and provide nursing services with the family's clinic care team.

Nurses visiting moms who had a Cesarean birth, needing wound care, will:

• check the incision area and change the bandages
• educate about wound care
• answer any questions

Many moms and newborns qualify for one home health visit at no additional cost when they leave the hospital within:

• 48 hours following a vaginal birth
• 96 hours following a Cesarean birth.

While many home health services for mother and newborn are covered by insurance, coverage varies by health plan. Check with your insurance provider to learn which home care services are covered by your plan.

If you have questions about any of these services, call our office at 612-863-4478.