Healthy Steps for Teen Parents

Presenting a good overview of the physical changes that teen mothers experience, this excellent series combines colorful graphics, animation, and an "MTV" style as it follows five teen mothers of different backgrounds through their pregnancies and deliveries. Focusing on prenatal care, the first volume emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. Volume two walks the viewer through the process of labor and delivery (both Caesarian and vaginal births are shown), examining the various roles of the mother, health care professional, and support person. The last volume looks at newborn care and the physical and emotional changes that take place as the mother's body returns to normal, as well as touching on childcare options, staying in school, changing relationships with parents and friends, being a responsible dad, and birth control. Healthy Steps is aimed at pregnant teens and is presented in an upbeat, positive format that will inspire a "yes, I can get through this" attitude in adolescent viewers. The series also includes a 24-page facilitator's guide (and 14 reproducible masters for handouts), with discussion questions for each volume and suggested related activities, as well as a resources page. Sure to be useful in secondary schools, teen pregnancy classes, hospitals, and general parenting collections, Healthy Steps is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (L. Stevens)