Today I asked a long time friend of mine what it was like working at a Pregnancy Resource Center for seventeen years. In answer, she shared this story:A young woman had had a positive pregnancy test and had come in for a first-trimester ultrasound. My friend, a nurse trained in limited ultrasound, took the young mother into the ultrasound room. The mother was nervous and admitted that she didn’t know if she could continue the pregnancy because a child would put her at risk of losing her present housing. When the ultrasound screen displayed not one, but two babies, her indecision increased. She was torn between the natural bond of a mother and her unborn made stronger by the sight of her two babies, and the pressure of her housing situation and lack of family support.
My friend listened carefully to the mother’s fears and feelings. She offered the support of the Resource Center which could provide social services including help with finding housing, baby supplies, prenatal classes and parenting classes. But my friend had been trained to never pressure a mother for a decision. The decision was a private affair made alone. In the weeks following, a peer counselor checked on the mother and offered moral support. Sometime later, the mother returned to the Resource Center for back-up in her decision to carry the twins. On the day the sex of the babies was determined, a donor brought matching much-needed baby equipment in just the right color! After the birth of healthy twins, the help of baby supplies and personal encouragement from the center made for a smoother adjustment and everyone was delighted to hear that the housing and family situation had been resolved.
Not all stories have such happy endings. In fact, my friend in her role as ultrasound nurse didn’t often hear the end of the story.
So what kept you serving for 17 years? I asked.
“I realized the mothers were hurting and often damaged women in need of being listened to. I could offer a listening ear. They are craving personal interest and care. I found that any truth, any compassion, any love has an impact.”
“He (Jesus) had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. . . So he began teaching them many things.” Matthew 9:36, Mark 6:34
What did your experiences at the resource center teach you?
“I learned not to judge someone by their appearance. I learned to listen to their hearts. I remember being put off by a woman’s appearance and yet after listening to her heart, I was so attracted to her. We hugged before she left.”
“’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.” James 2:9
What was your job at the pregnancy resource center?
“The first two years I worked as a peer counsellor on a volunteer basis.The last 15 years I have worked as a nurse trained in limited ultrasound. I did ultrasounds for women with a positive pregnancy test after they were 8 weeks along.”
Why did your center offer free ultrasounds?
“We served mothers by checking the viability of their unborn child. Checking for correct location of the fetus- making sure it wasn’t an ectopic pregnancy and recording the size of the fetus. If the mother wanted to see the ultrasound image, she could see the development of the fetus. Seeing their living, human baby encouraged mothers to carry their child in spite of often difficult situations.Many mothers were uninformed about fetal development. They simply didn’t know how the baby was forming in the uterus. Often they were surprised to see arms and legs, head, eyes, and beating heart. They assumed it was just a cluster of tissue.”
What reactions did the mothers have to their ultrasound?
“Every single mother reacts differently. But in general there is a mother/child bond that is strengthened by the mother seeing the child via ultrasound.”
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Luke 10:2
What can we do to help these hurting moms?
“Prayer is so vital to the continuing service of Pregnancy Resource Centers. We would appreciate a commitment to pray one day a month for the work of helping mothers and babies.Many people give their time to wash donated clothing and return it folded and ready to give away. Others take time to make up layettes, do diaper drives, do maintenance and repair on the building, or organize the clothing, diapers, formula, carseats, strollers, and supplies. Some big hearted women mentor moms who need someone to walk alongside them to become better moms.”
“There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor .
. . showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.” Acts 9:36,39