Spotlight: First Months Project at Premier Pediatrics

As a new parent, even with all of my experience and knowledge about babies, I still found myself looking to my daughter's pediatrician for support. Like many parents, the first few months with my baby were a time when days and nights ran into each other, and the little nucleus that was myself, my husband and my baby filled every moment. It was difficult to step back, take a breath, and find some greater perspective on the experience because it was all encompassing. So we found ourselves looking to the experts around us. Other parents, my doula, my midwives, colleagues, and our pediatrician.

It was a support network that we had to create. We were able to do so because we had the resources and education to do it. And because of my professional experience, when I was confronted with advice and screenings that were misinformed, misguided, or that simply didn't fit our family I was able to discard the information in favor of my intuition and knowledge. I did not always feel comfortable advocating for my family, but I always felt confident about my decisions. Not all families have this privilege.

Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to offer families support because they are often the primary point of contact for new parents. Babies are in the office every couple of weeks or months in the first year. Progress can be tracked. Parents and babies can be observed. And when an office is equipped to offer the kinds of support that new families need (including lactation experts, postpartum mental health specialists, developmentally sound advice rather than opinions, community, and inclusivity), babies and families thrive. Care can be holistic, compassionate, and transformative.

This is why I am encouraged by Premier Pediatric's new pilot program, The First Month Project. It is a collaboration between this pediatric practice and a robust group of local professionals including psychologists, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, early childhood specialists, social workers and more. By bringing together a network of resources in the community, The First Month project aims to "ease the transition and address the needs of your young family." Premier Pediatrics is committed to supporting babies and children by supporting their families. Offering the First Month Project is a way to help start parents on their journey from a place that is grounded in community and care.

I am happy to be a partner with the First Month Project at Premier Pediatric's Brooklyn office, where I collaborate with Dr. Jon Sarnoff to support families through the early years. 


You can read more about the project at www.thefirstmonth.org and about Premier Pediatrics at www.premierpedsny.com