Baby Yourself is the free program that supported this AL mom through 3 pregnancies—learn more

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Baby Yourself is an incredible program through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama that provides educational resources, emotional support and more to Alabama women through all stages of their pregnancy. Read on to learn more about this program and the FREE corresponding app.

What is Baby Yourself?

Baby Yourself is a comprehensive program, provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, that offers care throughout all stages of pregnancy. From prenatal nutrition and education to birth, lactation and navigating life with a newborn postpartum, Baby Yourself is there each step of the way.

Within the program, women are matched with a dedicated nurse who they can call for questions and support. Whether it’s a question you didn’t have a chance to go over with your doctor, a nutrition concern or you’re just looking for someone to talk to, they’ve got you covered.

Alabama’s need for education and support

According to Alabama Department of Public Health‘s last publicly facing data (released in 2016):

• Pregnancy-associated mortality ratio was 38.9 deaths per 100,000 live births
• Pregnancy-related mortality ratio 22.0 deaths per 100,000 live births. 

Perhaps the most staggering statistic is that nearly 70% of these pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths were deemed preventable. 

Baby Yourself supports Alabama moms

According to the study, two of the key contributors (responsible for almost half of the deaths) were mental health and substance use disorders. Through the Baby Yourself Program, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama hopes to mitigate some of these preventable deaths with educational materials and resources, including:

• 1-1 phone support with a personalized nurse
• healthy pregnancy books
• baby gifts
• and more

How to access materials

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama members can easily enroll in the program online. Not a member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, but interested in accessing similar resources?

You have a few options….

1. Download the FREE app—available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
2. If you live in Macon, Montgomery or Russell county, check out ALL Babies, a partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Public Health

Melanie’s story

I caught up with Melanie Taunton, who very graciously gave me a few minutes of her time (even though she has a BRAND-NEW baby at home… just look at that sweet face!).

Melanie utilized the Baby Yourself program throughout all three of her pregnancies, and was paired with the same nurse each time. She loved the bond they were able to form, and found her to be an incredible resource for questions, support and more. This personal connection allowed Melanie to receive more customized and impactful support.

“I got to grow a relationship with my nurse on a different level than I do at the doctor’s office. Through having a baby, growing your family, pregnancy, the hormones and everything, it is so nice to have added extra support and people who genuinely care.

She took a lot of extra time on our calls to talk to me and listen to me, and after the third pregnancy, it’s really like she’s part of the family. She knows us, our story and our boys, and that was really special, having her walk along that journey with us and checking in to make sure that I was doing okay.

It’s not just the physical healing but also questions like, How’s mama doing today? How are you feeling? What have you been thinking about?“

—Melanie Taunton, Participant, Baby Yourself

Do you know someone who would benefit from the Baby Yourself program or app? Head to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s website for full details.

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