First-Time Mom Finds Positivity Through Support
Category: Client Story
March 4, 2020
Mary was ready to start a family. She was 24 and, although her life wasn’t exactly perfect, Mary knew she wanted to become a mother. When she found out she was pregnant, a friend connected her to Any Baby Can’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program which matches a first-time mom with a free, personal nurse who is available to the mother until the child turns two years old.
Mary was living with her parents because her housing situation had fallen through. She had a degree from a junior college but was working at a thrift store to get by. Mary’s nurse began visiting her and guided her through the rest of her pregnancy and early parenthood. Mary found great comfort in the steady presence and relationship she built with her nurses.
“Everything outside of the pregnancy was stressful. But if I had any doubts or stress about the pregnancy, I knew my nurse would be there,” says Mary.
Her NFP nurse helped her get connected with local housing resources, and eventually an apartment and stable housing. She encouraged her to seek out better employment. Mary got a certificate in medical assisting and started working at a private practice.
Mary had a healthy pregnancy, but when she was 37 weeks pregnant, she found out her daughter was breech. Her nurse was supportive through the process. Her doctor tried an external version, a procedure to attempt to flip the baby into position. But it didn’t work and Mary ended up having a c-section. With the added stress of recovering from surgery and taking care of her newborn, Mary had recurring feelings of anxiety.
As Mary pushed aside her grief, her nurse identified that she was down a difficult path toward depression. Mary got connected with Any Baby Can’s in-home counseling program, No Estás Solo.
“No Estás Solo opened my eyes to things I didn’t even see. They offered new ways to think about my life and helped me create concrete plans to move forward toward my goals,” says Mary.
With the help of her NFP nurse, mental health counseling and her primary care doctor, things slowly improved.
Around her daughter’s first birthday, Mary and her long-time boyfriend separated. But she was in a more stable place in her life and still had a nurse by her side to provide much-needed support.
“It’s difficult to put into words what my nurses did for me and my daughter. They were reliable, and while everything seemed to be falling apart, they were there to make sure it all got rebuilt,” recalls Mary.
In 2019, Mary heard about a job opening at Any Baby Can. She applied and then joined the finance team as a Medical Billing Specialist.
With a steady job at the same organization that provided her with so much support, connection and confidence, Mary has a positive outlook on her future.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t been for Any Baby Can. I wouldn’t have the confidence in being a mother without the program. And although things aren’t easy, having my daughter has put me on a better path,” says Mary.
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