Pregnant, Alone, and Nowhere to Turn near Lawrenceville, GA
I first found Obria when it was at its old location near Lawrenceville, GA. I had googled “free ultrasounds near me.” It wasn’t a good time for me. I had just lost my job and my boyfriend and I had just broken up. I didn’t know what to do and was thinking that if I could have an abortion, life would return to normal. Thankfully, I didn’t have to decide at that time because when I went back for my second ultrasound, we couldn’t see a baby. The pregnancy ended with a miscarriage. I was relieved and went on with life, working, and going to school to be a nurse.
Then in March of 2018, history repeated itself. I knew I was late and I was terrified that I might be pregnant. My boyfriend and I bought a home pregnancy test, went to Burger King, and I took the test while he sat and ate a hamburger. The line popped up immediately, and I immediately panicked. I was shocked and scared and had no idea how to tell my mom. I had no idea how to figure this out.
I remembered Obria from before, so my boyfriend and I went together. I was thinking again that if I just had an abortion, I could just go on with my life and no one would ever know. No one would judge me for being a single mom. It just seemed like the easiest thing to do.
My boyfriend kept telling me that we could do it…that it would be okay. I scheduled an ultrasound for when I would be eight weeks. In the time between my first appointment and the ultrasound, my world fell apart. My boyfriend had been on work release, and he ended up going back to jail for a parole violation. To top that off, I learned that he had been unfaithful. I had never felt so alone or so scared.
I went back for my ultrasound and this time brought a friend. As I was laying on the table, I was trying to figure out how much an abortion would cost, how I would get the money, and then I would think about how much it would cost to raise the baby. My thoughts were all over the place. When I saw the baby’s heartbeat, I started to cry. My friend kept saying, “You can do this,” but I felt like my world was crumbling.
Angela, the Patient Care Manager, took my friend and me into a room, and we just talked. She told me about adoption, but that just didn’t feel right. She also told me about the Thrive program at Obria. When she told me about that, I realized that I could at least get things that my baby would need.
I cried off and on. Before I knew it, we had spent about 2 ½ hours together just talking through everything. Angela told me that it is okay to grieve the loss of my relationship. She also explained that in deciding to parent I would be grieving the loss of what I thought my life would be like. She also told me that there were worse things than being alone. Being with someone who isn’t good for you just to not be alone would be much worse. I kept thinking, “Why me?” and kept worrying about being judged and telling my mom. I couldn’t collect my thoughts. But then I thought that there are people in a lot worse situations than the one I am in. I started thinking that maybe I could do this.
At the end of our time together, I decided to parent and join the Thrive program. Then the very next day I had to go to the hospital for hyperemesis. I couldn’t believe it. I had just decided to keep my baby, and then I got hit with that. During my time in the hospital both Robyn, the sonographer from Obria, and Angela kept checking on me. I made it through that whole stay without my mom finding out.
Angela continued to follow-up with me and check-in to see if I was doing okay. Then I had to be hospitalized again for hyperemesis. This time my mom found out, and she wasn’t happy. Because I was so sick, I started taking video courses with a mentor from Obria. I would get videos sent to my phone, do the homework, and then talk to my mentor. I quickly earned about 90 points. I had also done some online classes. Those points translated into items I could buy from the Baby Boutique.
The first time I went to the Baby Boutique, I got so many things for the baby. When my mom saw everything, she was happy and told me that I better keep on working. Then I earned a car seat for the baby. I could see a change in my mom. I noticed that she was starting to keep track of how many weeks pregnant I was, and she was less angry. When I had planned a trip to California, I could tell she cared about the baby. She was so worried about me flying and something happening to the baby.
I appreciate Obria so much because of the friendliness, openness, and how they helped me through the process. Without them, I would have nothing for my baby. The videos are educational and help a lot. It is different from reading. I could read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” all day long and not learn what I have learned in the videos I have watched. If you are pregnant and feel like you don’t know where to turn, call Obria. They exist to support you through this time.
If you are pregnant and need to learn more about all of your options, call or text Obria Medical Clinics at 770 338 1680..