Ensuring the health and well-being of birthing people and their partners of child-bearing age before, during, and after pregnancy are all important.  Strengthening this continuum for equitable access to quality care greatly increases positive maternal health outcomes. 

Preconception health begins with planning and spacing children to create a healthy environment for a baby to develop. During pregnancy, early access to quality maternity care that is free of implicit bias and discrimination optimizes maternal health outcomes.  After a pregnancy, ensuring a birthing person is linked to primary care to manage chronic health conditions and her overall health and well-being between pregnancies sets the stage for a healthy subsequent pregnancy.  

 Every Baby Guilford is strengthening the continuum of care by:

• Using Perinatal Health Ambassadors to assist us in disseminating information to the community.  For more information email bgrant@guilfordcountync.gov, Perinatal Health Coordinator.  
• Implementing education and awareness campaigns, inclusive of Baby Steps for a Health Family and Future with messages across the continuum of care. 
• Promoting healthcare access and referrals for care and support by leveraging existing partnerships and local navigation services.
• Promoting and implementing racial equity and implicit bias capacity building with providers to improve quality of care
• Co-designing a Community "Checklist" that promotes self advocacy for building trust between patients and providers

Every Baby Guilford has developed Core Partnerships with the following organizations to amplify their work in promoting preconception health in Guilford County to improve maternal health outcomes:

• The Peculiar Dad Network 
• March of Dimes Ready for Life NC Campaign
• American Heart Association, Heart, Hair, Health Initiative
• UNC Show Your Love Today Social Media Campaign
• Preconception Peer Education Program
• Ready For School, Ready For Life's Get Ready Guilford Initiative, Navigation Program