Wyoming programs

We help moms get the information and care they need before, during and after pregnancy. If something goes wrong, we support families in the NICU. Learn more about some of our community programs below.

NICU Family Support

When a baby is born too soon or very sick and starts life in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), the March of Dimes is there to support the family. One in every 10 babies born in the United States is admitted to a NICU. Some babies spend just a couple of days, others many long months and our state is unique in the fact that we are the only state in the nation that does not have a Level III NICU due to our low population. Babies born needing more help than our hospitals can provide in our state are flown to Denver, Billing and Salt Lake City. Having a baby hospitalized in a NICU can be frightening, confusing and overwhelming and even more so if the baby or mom is transported out of the state. NICU Family Support offers information and comfort. We enhance family-centered care practices in partner hospitals to address the needs of families and provide professional education to NICU staff. 

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait       

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait (HBWW) is a preterm birth prevention initiative with a focus on “preventable” late preterm birth. Through partnerships and collaborations between hospitals, health departments and community organizations, HBWW provides education for pregnant patients, health care providers and the greater community to understand the problem of preterm birth and what measures can be taken to reduce the risks of it occurring.

The Coming of the Blessing / A Pathway to Healthy Pregnancy

American Indian and Alaska Native families receive the gift of knowledge and the peace of knowing how to care for themselves and their baby during the sacred cycle of childbearing. The American Indian symbol of the Medicine Wheel is used to describe the cycle, including preparation of pregnancy, each trimester of pregnancy and infant care.  This booklet shares knowledge that respects the traditional beliefs and ancestral wisdom that are important in many native cultures.

Backpacks for Babies

Because no Wyoming hospital has a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies who are born weighing less than 3 pounds and need long-term, intense care must be transported out of the state for services.

The March of Dimes Wyoming Chapter has teamed up with Wyoming Medical Center, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Campbell County Memorial Hospital, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, Sheridan Memorial Hospital and Lander Valley Medical Center to provide these families with some support.

The backpacks are filled with an assortment of items, including lists of community resources, various toiletries, disposable cameras, and information on NICU terminology, what to expect in the NICU and a Baby Book because premature babies have different ‘firsts’ than full term babies. The backpacks are designed to help parents get through the first 24 hours.The information helps parents get through the first hours, days and months with the baby. It links them to other state chapters of March of Dimes and helps them find resources when the family returns home to Wyoming.

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