Improving Accessibility of Mothers and Babies

The Northwestern University Mothers and Babies (MB) team, alongside colleagues at various institutions, are regularly developing and testing new innovations of the MB curriculum to better meet the needs of participating populations, improve accessibility, and promote skill utilization among participants. If you are interested in integrating one of these innovations into practice or are a researcher and would like to partner on a project, please contact our team: mothersandbabies@northwestern.edu

You can learn more about some of our adaptations below.

Adaptations of Mothers and Babies

Fathers and Babies (FAB)

Fathers and Babies (FAB) is a brief text-based intervention with the goals of supporting father mental health, promoting support of their partner’s mental health and supporting parent-child bonding, as participants become parents. FAB teaches skills to help fathers manage stress and to support their partner during pregnancy, after their baby is born, and throughout life. This cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention also supports healthy attachment and parenting behaviors. FAB can be delivered in conjunction with MB, or as a stand-alone intervention.

More About FAB

Fathers and Babies (FAB)

Fathers and Babies (FAB) development was initiated with input from home visiting stakeholders and engagement with infant mental health consultants, with FAB’s final content and delivery considerations being guided by qualitative data collected from home visiting staff, mothers and fathers. FAB was then pilot tested with 30 father-mother dads. This pilot study used mixed methods to assess FAB effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability. Pilot study results showed FAB effectiveness in reducing perceived stress among both mothers and fathers, and depressive symptoms among fathers.

FAB has the potential to have a significant impact on father mental health given the lack of other mental health supports available for new and expectant fathers. FAB was developed to be relevant for fathers in different roles and relationships, including biological and adoptive fathers, single parents, co-parents, and couples.

Mothers and Babies Text Messaging (MB-TXT)

MB-TXT is a text-based enhancement that allows service providers to send supplemental text messages to participants in between MB sessions to promote skill utilization and practice, completion of personal projects, and mood tracking and self-monitoring. Text messages are deployed via HealthySMS, a flexible, intuitive platform that sends automated messages. Messages are available in both English and Spanish and can supplement 1-on-1 or group delivery.

More About MB-TXT

Mothers and Babies Text Messaging (MB-TXT)

Contact Director of Innovations and Implementation, Jaime Hamil at jaime.hamil@northwestern.edu if you are interested in implementing MB-TXT at your organization.

Mothers and Babies Online (eMB)

Mothers and Babies Online (eMB) is a pilot study that started in 2023 in partnership with Palo Alto University and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). eMB is used as an online version of Mothers and Babies delivered to families enrolled in home visiting programs.

More About eMB

eMB examines how an internet-based version of MB (“eMB”) can be delivered in the context of home visiting (HV) programs that serve pregnant individuals and new mothers across the United States. Updates on utilizing eMB will be available soon!

Parents and Babies(PAB)

PAB is an MB innovation currently in the study phase. This study aims to describe sexual and gender minority (SGM) birthing parent experiences with mental health during the perinatal period, identifying factors at the individual, family, community, and health system levels that protect against or exacerbate perinatal depression and associated functional impact.

More About PAB

PAB seeks to understand experiences related to stigma, prejudice, and discrimination, and how these did or did not impact mental health during the perinatal period. The specific aim of this study will be to gather the above information for use in the adaptation of a perinatal depression preventive intervention for use with SGM parents. The existing intervention, Mothers and Babies, is recognized nationally as an effective intervention for depression during pregnancy and postpartum. However, the language used and topics covered are not always inclusive of people from diverse family constellations. Both facilitators and patients have provided feedback that an adaptation for SGM parents would be helpful. The data gathered in this study will provide useful information for manual adaptation such as strengths of SGM parents to highlight (e.g., chosen family) and necessary psychoeducation (e.g., impact of minority stress). Updates on utilizing PAB will be available soon!

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MB Adaptations

Improving Accessibility of Mothers and Babies

Adaptations of Mothers and Babies

Fathers and Babies (FAB)

Fathers and Babies (FAB)

Mothers and Babies Text Messaging (MB-TXT)

Mothers and Babies Text Messaging (MB-TXT)

Mothers and Babies Online (eMB)

Parents and Babies(PAB)

Ask us a question, we’re here to help you out.

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