Every Child Inc. - A Mother's Story

A Mother's Story

When I found myself unexpectedly pregnant for the first time at 42, I felt panicked. I have recurrent major depression much of my adult life, and had just come through several difficult years. The baby’s father was not interested in being a parent, and begged me to end my pregnancy. Although I felt confused and unsure of myself, one thing was crystal clear in my mind…there was absolutely no way that I could end the pregnancy. I was going to be a good mother, and I was going to need a lot of help to do it.

Without the support of the baby’s father, the fear that I would be alone while I gave birth loomed large in my imagination. Even more frightening was the news that my age and history of high blood pressure meant that I was a “high-risk” pregnancy, and I that I would have to undergo extensive monitoring throughout my pregnancy. Feeling overwhelmed and very alone, I called the social work department at Magee Hospital in Pittsburgh. They put me in touch with an agency called Every Child.

From that point on, everything changed. A manager from Every Child contacted me immediately. I soon met the two Every Child employees who would turn out to be huge sources of support in the months to follow: my caseworker and my doula. My caseworker visited me at my home every week throughout my pregnancy, and our conversations slowly built my confidence. She seemed to know a lot about everything I was going through, and she shared stories with me of other women in my situation. Between visits, she found community resources to help me—everything from finding me a crib to getting information on government programs that might help me get back to work once the baby arrived.

The doula’s help was immeasurable. She made sure that I didn’t miss a single prenatal appointment, and all of my tests went as scheduled. Between tests, she educated me on everything from how to care for a newborn to the role music can play in a baby’s development. When the time for the birth came, the doula held my beautiful baby in the delivery room and when we were ready to leave the hospital, she brought us home. Both my caseworker and my doula visited me often in the weeks after the birth, as I learned to cope with single motherhood and the demands of an infant.

It is now a year and a half later, and I am the proud mother of a beautiful, healthy, happy toddler. When I look back, it is clear to me that the early involvement of Every Child in my pregnancy made it possible for me to not only deliver a healthy baby but become a much better parent.

To help mothers in need call donate to Every Child online: