Thriving with support

When my husband and I found out I was pregnant, we were both scared, excited, and about every emotion you could possibly feel because it was not planned or expected at all.

I found out about Choices Health through a friend who found their post on Facebook for a free ultrasound. When she sent me the post, I called right away to get set up for it because I knew that my normal doctor wasn't going to give me very many ultrasound opportunities, which I wanted more of, seeing that this is my first child.

My first appointment was an ultrasound, which I was nervous about seeing that I was around new people, but they made me feel more comfortable, and they were there to answer any questions that my husband or I may have had. When I saw my baby on the screen, I was excited because she was so cute! She was so small at the time because I was 8-9 weeks when I had the ultrasound. I also found out at that appointment that they also do parenting classes. I didn't know anyone around where I live had any classes other than what the doctor’s office had to offer.

Choices has helped me know what my body is doing because this is my first pregnancy, so I was nervous and anxious about everything, because everything felt foreign. Anytime I had questions, I could always get ahold of them and they would answer them to the best of their abilities.

I have learned so much from the parenting classes because I didn't know much about pregnancy in general. There are so many videos that they go through, because they pick the best video that goes along with how far along you are. So if you start the classes right when you find out you are pregnant, then they will show you a video starting from the beginning of the pregnancy. The videos are nice and short, that way it's not so overwhelming with information. There are worksheets and a homework page for the videos, and the staff will go through the worksheets and homework before you leave the office. You can usually follow along with the video and worksheet and answer the questions as the video plays. There are other parts of the classes, like if you tell the staff that you plan on going unmedicated/natural birth, they will switch you to a different portion of the classes that will help you get prepared for birthing your child.

What I would like to say to the people who make it possible for people like me to have these services is that it is a great way for people to come together and help each other out. It should be made more public because if it wasn't for my friend finding the post on Facebook, I wouldn't have known that this was even a thing. When I talk to other pregnant couples/moms, I recommend it to people. I absolutely love the people that work at the office and see them as family because my family hasn't really been a part of my pregnancy. The staff at the office have become my support people because all I had before them was my husband and my friend. Having more people to support you makes going through your pregnancy so much easier. I would highly recommend that this keep going because it is an amazing resource to help families/parents in need.

By A Choices Health Network Client