The Four Perinatal Periods

Healthy Start strives to ensure access to community-based, culturally sensitive, family-centered and comprehensive health and social services to women, infants and their families, before pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. Healthy Start works with its participants across the four perinatal periods: Preconception/Interconception, Prenatal, Postpartum, and Parenting. Utilizing the EPIC principles assists grantees in their efforts to strengthen community service systems to best meet participant needs across the perinatal period.

Postpartum

This phase refers to the time period from birth to six months of age.  During this phase, Healthy Start works with mothers, infants and families to optimize maternal and newborn health.

Some key aims for HS grantees during this phase:

  • Ensure quality of care for newborns
  • Ensure access to quality postpartum care
  • Assess for and manage mood disorders/screen for postpartum depression
  • Facilitate reproductive life planning
  • Provide lactation counseling and support
  • Promote safe sleep

Resources

Inventory of Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) for Healthy Start Programs – A collection of evidence-based programs, practices and tools, searchable by phase of the perinatal period, topic and resource type.  HS EPIC Center.