The Stork’s Nest is designed to increase the number of women who get early and regular prenatal care so that more babies get a healthy start in life. Stork’s Nest provides incentives to help pregnant women make and keep prenatal care appointment. It also teaches expectant parents about healthy pre natal and infant care practices.

How Does Stork’s Nest Work?

Pregnant women in Harlem are referred to the Stork’s Nest through the prenatal care program at the Baby Steps Home Visiting Program, a Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership Program. Criteria are very basic: women must be low income and need encouragement to keep prenatal appointments.

Stork’s Nest seeks to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies by providing:

Maternity and baby clothing and nursery items for women who use prenatal care and other support services early and regularly throughout their pregnancies.
An opportunity for pregnant women to attend educational sessions on pregnancy, birth and infant care.
Information and referrals to community resources to meet individual health and social services needs.

Women referred to the Nest “earn” points toward incentive items through a variety of health-promoting activities.

Why is Stork’s Nest Important?

The March of Dimes estimates that 12% of pregnant women—close to half a million a year—do not get adequate prenatal care. Prenatal care is vitally important for identifying and addressing medical and other risk factors for low birth weight, prematurity and other infant health problems.

Low birth weight and prematurity are among the leading causes of death for babies of all races and the leading causes for African-American babies. Babies born with low birth weight are 20 times more likely to die in the first year of life than babies born at normal weight. If they survive, these babies may face serious health problems throughout their lives

Locally Stork’s Nest is a cooperative project of The Five Pearl’s Foundation, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Baby Steps and the March of Dimes.

Stork's Nest Wish List

• Infant snow suits
• Winter pajamas
• Baby strollers

Make your contribution to or volunteer with Stork’s Nest today!

To participate in our Warm and Fuzzies Stork's Nest Knitting Circle visit us at Volunteermatch.org

For all other information e-mail us at StorksNest@FivePearlsFoundation.org