When I tell people that I work for the Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP), they always ask, “What do you do?” That is a very good question, because what I do varies from day to day, hour by hour sometimes.

Here is just a snapshot of the day in the life of a MIHP home visitor:

First home visit: Being greeted by the smiling face of an 8-month-old infant — what a great way to start your day of work! You would never know it at first glance, but this little one was born prematurely and is recovering from physical abuse by one of his primary caregivers. He has been placed with relatives. So, my job today is to reassure his current caregiver, that despite his early start and traumatic first couple months of life, he is thriving and progressing developmentally due to her consistency, stimulation and excellent care of him.

Second home visit: A first time single mother who recently moved into her own apartment after living in a shelter. She recently obtained a job and enrolled her son in daycare. However, she is not satisfied with the quality of care her son is receiving from his current daycare provider. She states that she feels “stuck”. This is all new: living on her own, being a mom, working, finding daycare. She is doing her best to try to make ends meet and provide for her infant son, but this is hard work and comes with difficult choices sometimes.

I am reminded of my own transition into motherhood and how overwhelming it was to balance the needs of my baby with work…and I had more resources available to me. So my job today is to validate her as a mother and her struggle to make these difficult choices. To praise her for looking out for her son’s best interest and refer her to community resources, like Child Care Network, who can assist her in finding a more appropriate provider for her son.

Third home visit: Sometimes the neighborhoods where we do home visits can carry safety concerns. I personally have never had any problems, but I am also very mindful of the environment I am in. Today I’m visiting a mother who is recovering from physical injuries and emotional scars, after she was assaulted in her own neighborhood.

I am meeting her at a different location today, and she is unsure how she will be able to go back into that neighborhood to collect her belongings. Her fear is very real. So, today I am a sympathetic listening ear, a caring voice and a problem solver as I help her try to move forward as we explore natural supports and community resources including Housing Access of Washtenaw County and local shelters in an effort to assist her in finding a safer living environment for herself and her family.

Fourth home visit: My initial visit with a pregnant woman who has a chronic illness. She is just in her first trimester, but she is already carrying worries about potential bed rest, which occurred during her last pregnancy. We discuss the importance of regular prenatal care.

However, she has bigger immediate worries. She was recently laid off from her job and is now wondering how she is going to keep a roof over her head and food on the table for her family. So, today I am an educator on community resources, like DHS food and cash assistance and WIC, which might help her family during this difficult time.

Fifth home visit: My final visit of the day, and it will be a tricky one. I’m trying to engage a family who is somewhat resistant to participating in MIHP. I first met this mother following the delivery of her baby and, at that time, she was tearful and overwhelmed with her responsibilities of being a single parent of now four children.

Today, she has adjusted to this role and I admit, appears a little apathetic to my visit, until I ask her if we can complete a developmental screening with her baby. As we go through the screening together, the mother begins to smile and is engaged and animated. We both begin to celebrate this little one’s developmental accomplishments and the visit ends with the mother giving her baby a joyful kiss on the cheek. Ah…success!

So, when I am asked, “What do I do?” there really isn’t just one answer. Today I was a reassuring observer, a validating voice, a compassionate listener, a problem solver, an educator and a cheerleader. Let’s see what tomorrow brings…

The Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP) is a home visiting program for all Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and infants up to age one. The overall goal of the program is to provide support to promote healthy pregnancies, positive birth outcomes and healthy infants. An Evaluation Summary Report was recently released showing the positive effects the MIHP program can have on mothers, infants and families.

In 2012, two full-time nurses, 2.5 full-time social workers and one part-time dietitian made 1,927 home visits to pregnant women and infants in Washtenaw County. Washtenaw County Public Health's MIHP program can be reached at 734-544-9749.

Christina Katka is the Supervisor of the Maternal Infant Health Program at Washtenaw County Public Health. She can be reached at katkac@ewashtenaw.org.