DOH-Pinellas Celebrates Mother’s Day Each and Every Day

While May 14 is marked on the calendars as Mother’s Day, DOH-Pinellas celebrates the important role moms play in the lives of their families every single day. Some of the programs we offer to help moms-to-be, new moms and moms working to keep their children healthy and well-nourished include:

• Women, Infant and Children (WIC)Nutrition Program.Growing children need high quality nutrition to thrive, and their moms need the same to keep pace with their little ones. That’s why our WIC staff provide access to wholesome food, nutrition education, and referrals to health care services when necessary. For more information, visit our WIC page.
• WIC Breastfeeding Program.New moms sometimes need a little help getting started breastfeeding. That’s why our lactation consultant and peer counselors are available to offer advice, latch support, and breast pumps to qualifying clients and resources for moms looking to feed their babies.For more information, visit our Breastfeeding page.
• Home Visiting (Healthy Start, Healthy Families, and the Nurse-FamilyPartnership).Raising a thriving child begins in the earliest days of a pregnancy.Our team visits moms-to-be in their homes to assess specific concerns, especially ones which may lead to adverse birth, health, and developmental outcomes. After baby arrives, we continue to provide support, answering the many questions new moms have. These initiatives have made great strides in reducing infant and maternal mortality, decreasing the number of unsafe sleep deaths, and making for overall happier and healthier families.For more information, visit our Healthy Start page.

These services are offered in addition to no-cost childhood vaccinations, school-based health services and dental sealants, breast and cervical cancer early detection, childcare licensing, and many others. After all, a happy, healthy family is the best gift a mom can give her children.

About the Florida Department of Health

The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works
to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated
state, county, and community efforts.