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LEARN MORE

There are many places you can go to learn more about having a baby. Your doctor’s office and hospital can help you, too. Below are some more web sites.

BEFORE YOUR BABY IS BORN
Check the Money and Insurance section to learn about financial help.
Check the Education and Services section for links such as staying healthy, birth defects and breastfeeding.
Check the Doctors and Nurses section if you have questions about your medical care provider.

AFTER YOUR BABY IS BORN
There’s a section on Birth-Related Trauma and Injury, if you need that resource. Check the Education and Services heading for crib safety, breastfeeding and car seat safety.

BIRTH-RELATED TRAUMA and INJURY
Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Fund is a program to provide lifelong care for infants with serious birth-related injuries. It applies to those babies born at a participating hospital or cared for by a participating doctor.
Learn more 1-800-260-5352
(Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
www.vabirthinjury.com

Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program
9100 Arboretum Parkway, Suite 365
Richmond, Virginia 23236
804-330-2471

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (VSDVAA)
Phone: 804.377.0335
Toll-free phone number: (800) 838-8238
www.vsdvalliance.org/

National 24-hour toll-free hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) and 1-800-787-3224 (TDD)

EDUCATION AND SERVICES
Birth Defects and Prevention
March of Dimes
www.marchofdimes.com

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/default.htm

Folic acid is important, even before you get pregnant. It can help prevent birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine. The simple step of taking folic acid every day can cut birth defects in half! Learn more about folic acid at
www.vahealth.org/folicacid
www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyPregnancy
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.html

Breastfeeding
If you want to breastfeed your baby, learn as much as you can before the baby is born. Let the hospital nurses know you want to breastfeed even if it means waking you up. Many hospitals have a breastfeeding consultant who will help you get started. And there are community groups, like La Leche League, who provide a support network for once you leave the hospital.

For help with breastfeeding learn what services your hospital offers.

La Leche League International promotes the benefits of breastfeeding and offers training materials.
1-800-LA LECHE (1-800-525-3243)
www.lalecheleague.org

Breastfeeding information from Virginia WIC
www.vahealth.org/wic/breastfeed/wic/bfpc/aboutbf.htm

International Lactation Consultant Association
Professional association for lactation consultants and breastfeeding promotion advocates
www.ilca.org

General Breastfeeding Information
www.breastfeeding.com

To learn more about breastfeeding and what medical professionals think about it:
Car Safety Seats
Make sure you select the right kind of car seat to keep your new baby and older children safe in a car. www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
www.car-safety.org

Cesarean Birth
American College of Gynecology
www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp006.cfm

Childbirthconnection
www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ClickedLink=274&ck=10168&area=27

Crib and Sleep Safety
Cribs should be safe, but older ones can be dangerous. Watch out for chipping paint, splinters or rails more than 2 and 3/8 apart. Learn more about choosing a safe crib at the American Academy of Pediatrics web site www.aap.org/family/inffurn.htm

Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS) Babies should go to sleep on their backs. Read the Parent’s Guide to Safe Sleep brochure at www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSparentsafesleep.pdf
Learn more on the SIDS: "Back to Sleep" Campaign at www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/sids.cfm

Doctors and Nurses
State of Virginia/Board of Medicine/Verification Line for Medical Doctors 1-804-367-4451 (Only to verify M.D.)

Department of Health Professions
Richmond, Virginia 23233
Automated License Verification: (804) 270-6836
www.vahealthprovider.com

American Board of American Specialists (ABMS) provides consumer callers with Board Certification information or will confirm a doctor’s specialty or subspecialty:
1-866-ASK-ABMS
(866)-275-2267
www.abms.org

American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Resources, links, education
www.abog.org/

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. Resources, links, education and publications.
www.acog.org

American College of Nurse-Midwives
www.mymidwife.org

General Education
Commonwealth of Virginia has educational programs through the Virginia Department of Health.

Division of Women's & Infants' Health (WIH) Department of Health Information and Referral System
109 Governor St. 8th Floor Madison Bldg
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804)864-7772
Fax: (804)864-7771
1-800-230-6977
(Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
www.vahealth.org/wih

Division of WIC & Community Nutrition Services including Breast Feeding
109 Governor St. 8th Floor Madison Bldg
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804)864-7772
Fax: (804)864-7771
www.vahealth.org/wic

The Federal Centers for Disease Control also has a section on its web site about having a health baby.
Visit www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/bd/abc.htm
ABC's...Pregnancy Tips (A-Z). You can sign up for CDC’s pregnancy-planning education program by
  • 1. Logging on to www.ihealthrecord.org
  • 2. Signing up for a free iHealthRecord
  • 3. Going to the "Education Programs" page
  • 4. Checking the box next to “Pregnancy Planning: What To Know About Your Health Before You Get Pregnant”

    • The iHealthRecord was developed and is managed by Medem, a secure patient-physician communication network; the American Medical Association and other U.S. medical societies and organizations.

    Women’s Health
    Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)
    A not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving perinatal care.
    www.smfm.org

    The National Women's Health Information Center
    Sponsored by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy

    National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Pregnancy & Perinatology (PP) Branch
    www.nichd.gov/about/org/cdbpm/pp

    MONEY and INSURANCE
    If you have insurance, your insurance company may have a web site and most have a helpline where you can call. Remember, your insurance company wants you to have a healthy baby, so they may have information and services just for you.

    State financial services: Virginia has a family and children’s health insurance program called Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS.) It is available to families whose income meets the state Medicaid income requirements. These two Virginia Department of Social Service web sites can help you learn more.

    FAMIS
    www.dss.state.va.us/benefit/me_famis

    Medicaid & Medical Insurance
    www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/medical_assistance.html

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