Focused... Assured...Confident?
Julia* was going to carry to term this time. Her relationship was solid, she was steadily employed and confident that she was ready to parent. This was not her first unplanned pregnancy, she had two prior pregnancies both ending in abortion, but this time, she said it was different. When Julia left Southside, we felt confident that she was going to carry this baby to term and marked our calendars for follow up.
On the follow up call with the Patient Advocate, Julia shocked us all with the news stating "I just don't want to move forward, I'm going to schedule an abortion."
What changed in just 3 short weeks??? Two words... FINANCIAL MISFORTUNE…unfortunately, the father of the baby had lost his job and Julia no longer felt confident in her decision to parent, she was devastated.
So many plans were collapsing—she had wanted to buy a home, get married, live the dream. But now, faced with these circumstances, having a baby no longer fit in the equation. The Patient Advocate quickly checked the Ultrasound schedule and offered Julia a follow up appointment to check for viability and growth. She assured Julia that an Ultrasound would be the best way to check the status of the pregnancy and help her in the decision-making process.
Upon Julia’s return to Southside, the Advocate assured her and offered to attend the Ultrasound alongside her. As the Sonographer described the fetal growth, Julia’s eyes were opened when she saw just how much the baby had grown since her initial visit three weeks earlier. The father of the baby was also in attendance and when he saw the baby he took Julia by the hand and smiled. While wiping a tear away he whispered "thank you" to the Patient Advocate as he was leaving the room. Just one more look at her unborn baby, and her confidence to carry on with the pregnancy had returned!
*Name changed to protect identity
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