AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new food pharmacy is helping pregnant and postpartum mothers make sure they get the right resources for nutrition. 

We spoke with a mom about how this is helping her and other moms in our area. 

The National Institute of Health ranks Georgia as number two in the country for maternal mortality. 

What’s the biggest issue they face here in Augusta? Access to healthy food and knowledge of how to take care of their body both before and after the baby is here.  

Augusta University, the HUB and Augusta Locally Grown are all teaming up to find solutions and teaching moms to use food as medicine. 

Pregnancy complications were never in the cards for first-time mom Sara Clark. 

“My blood pressure skyrocketed. And I didn’t really know a whole lot about that. But I do know now that it is part of pre-eclampsia, which I have the MTHFR gene, which is very common nowadays. But you are predisposed to preeclampsia,” said Clark. 

When she brought baby Trace home, she says her health took the backseat. 

Trace continued to pass milestones and because Clark’s blood pressure was rarely checked, it continued to rise. 

Without proper follow-up care, Dr. Marlo Vernon says moms like Clark can develop chronic health issues leading to death. 

“We have one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the country. And the way we look at maternal mortality is not just during pregnancy, but throughout the first year postpartum. And people forget that moms still need to be monitoring their own health and ensuring that they have healthy lifestyles after those first six weeks postpartum,” said Vernon. 

This is why this food Farmacy at the HUB was created. 

Tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce are just a few of the items that come from our local area farms straight to the table of new and expecting moms along with recipes for a happier and healthier lifestyle. 

“We provide that to moms enrolled in our program, alongside teaching methods, how to make healthy meals for yourself how to shop for healthy, healthy foods and how to access healthy meals,” said Vernon. 

Vernon says once-a-week cooking classes target blood sugar, gestational diabetes and postpartum health control. 

“One thing we’re trying to teach moms is and providing them the tools to get there right, is that a healthy diet can also be your medicine. Being physically active, and eating well, are two key factors to reducing your risk of a lot of diseases,” said Vernon. 

It’s helping moms just like Clark flip the script to use food as medicine. 

Clark said: “Learning that that puts the focus back on the mom and just being like, what can you do after pregnancy? Or after you have the baby? What are some safe ways that you can, you know, also take care of your baby, but take care of yourself.” 

The next class cooking class is on Wednesday. 

Leaders say they are looking for women with chronic health conditions, food insecure and expecting or recently postpartum. It is set to run for the next six months and comes at no cost to those who qualify. 

20 women have already signed up, and they’re looking for 20 more. 

If you want to sign up, click here.  

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