The Support She Needed
When Schree was undecided about having her baby, her patient advocate encouraged her to come back multiple times for ultrasounds. Find out how seeing her baby on the ultrasound screen changed her mind.
I knew about CPC for years. I heard about it from one of my friends who had gotten pregnant. I came to CPC for my first pregnancy five years ago, when I was 29 and engaged. I wasn’t contemplating abortion that time. I went because my friend told me it was a resource center. I took the parenting classes and stayed in communication.
This pregnancy was different for me, though, because the circumstances were different. I was 34 and pregnant, and Storii’s dad and I were off and on. At the beginning, he was not supportive. He didn’t want me to keep the baby. And I wasn’t sure, because, when you plan your life, you plan it a certain way, and when it doesn’t go that way, what do you do? So, I reached out to CPC to have an ultrasound.
My patient advocate sat with me, and we talked, and she asked me, “What do you want to do?” She encouraged me to take the pressure of what everybody else expected off the table and asked me what I wanted to do.
I told her that if the circumstances were different, I would keep my baby. She told me I should trust God. I still couldn’t make my mind up, though, because when I would go home and talk with Storii’s dad, he just wasn’t budging.
My advocate told me to come back and have another ultrasound. The first time it was so early that we didn’t see anything. So, I came back for another ultrasound, and we did see something, and she had a very strong heartbeat.
She scheduled many ultrasounds until I made my decision. She said, “Have you made up your mind yet?” I told her, “No, not yet.” “Come on back and look at your baby again.”
By that third ultrasound, I knew I was going to keep her. I knew that if it was meant for me to not keep her, I would have done it already by then. I was given the opportunity to express myself, to be understood without judgement. I felt very appreciated and very understood.
I don’t regret my decision. CPC has been so supportive. People came by the house to pray over my daughter. I got phone calls throughout my whole pregnancy. I’ve gotten so much stuff: my bassinet, car seat, stroller, diapers, and a gently used crib. It’s been a very beautiful experience.
Her dad has come around. He loves his daughter and was there for her birth. He’s very supportive now.
Everybody has been very supportive—from my family to CPC. It’s been a blessing and a lot of relief. As a mom, things do get hard, but I know that if my back is against the wall, and even if I just need to talk, I know I can call my advocate. I know I can come to CPC. You all will make a space for me, and I really appreciate that.
It’s been a collective amount of community support, and it’s just wonderful. It really takes the mental stress of motherhood and makes it lighter for you so that you can keep going.
I am glad I chose LIFE. In that moment, it’s like, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I’m forever thankful.
When you support CPC, your money is going to support moms and babies. I didn’t have any money to buy my car seat, and it took a lot of stress off me to be able to go to the hospital and have my car seat ready.
When you support CPC, you’re changing a life.
Testimony has been edited for brevity and clarity.