Free program provides keys to a healthy pregnancy

Through a grant from the March of Dimes, the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center is launching a new program called Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien. It is designed to teach women about having a healthy pregnancy. The program will offer a series of six sessions/courses that are free and open to the public.

The first session will feature a two-hour class every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Nov. 5 to Dec. 17. No class on Nov. 26. Participants will receive a free lunch each week. The location is the Health Department's North Chicago Community Health Center, 2215 14th St. in North Chicago. For those unavailable to attend the first session, five additional six-week sessions/courses will be offered.

Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk of lifelong disabilities. The premature birthrate for Lake County is 9.3 percent.

Taught by medical professionals, community health workers and trained volunteers, the program offers a bilingual curriculum with the following goals:

• To teach women about having a healthy pregnancy.

• To create supportive environments that promote healthy behaviors and positive birth outcomes.

• To help participants overcome barriers to care and become assertive and informed consumers of prenatal care services.

• To evaluate and produce positive knowledge-based and behavioral changes in participants.

• To promote social support through mutual interaction among and between participants and facilitators.

To register or for more information, call (847) 377-8050.

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