Why home visits

Have you ever been worried about your baby in the middle of winter but dreaded packing her up to bring her to her doctor’s office in the middle of cold and flu season?

Do you have a ton of questions about your newborn or preemie but are having difficulty finding good resources and answers?

Are you struggling with the transition from life in the NICU to being at home with your preemie?

Have you been looking for someone to check in on your loved one, who is a new mom in the Cleveland area, to make sure that her and her newborn are okay?

Do you need help finding local specialists who do home visits (i.e. lactation and breastfeeding experts, infant and postpartum massage providers, and therapists) and have experience working with parents of preemies, full-term newborns, and NICU graduates?

If so, we can help!

We understand that having a new baby can be much more stressful and exhausting than anticipated. In the past new mothers got most of their help from a “village” of mothers, sisters, aunts, and other family members but today’s mothers often live away from their extended families. Geographic distance and lack of help with newborn care can contribute to parents feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and anxious in the care of their newborns. 

In addition, more women than in the past have “high risk” pregnancies and/or give birth prematurely. Premature babies and infants born to first-time moms (or both!) are at risk of having problems with feeding, weight gain, and jaundice, which may persist to some degree after hospital discharge. In much of Europe home visiting programs are in place for all mothers and newborns, including those who are born full-term and healthy, while this is not currently the norm in the U.S. 

How We Can Help

Dr. Madden is one of the first physicians in the U.S. to offer in-home neonatology visits. She is very experienced in the care of all newborns, including those born prematurely. Dr. Madden works around new parents’ schedules and can visit homes anytime from early morning until late at night. She diagnoses newborn problems, such as jaundice and poor weight gain, and maternal problems, such as postpartum depression, and intervenes quickly to prevent complications such as hospital readmission. After the initial home visit Dr. Madden is available to clients for ongoing follow-up via phone calls, text messages, video calls, and repeat home visits. She maintains contact with her clients' pediatricians via phone calls and/or written reports after every visit.