Being There For Mom and Baby

“I didn’t think I would be needing the very agency that I was referring mothers to, but I did.”

Dear Friend of MOMS Orange County,

Cooing happily with her mom and big sister, 4-month-old Juliette is the picture of health. Yet, no one would have predicted such a healthy outcome when her mom, Diana, was pregnant. As with her first pregnancy, Diana had developed hyperemesis gravidarum – severe nausea and vomiting – and her body was preserving every ounce of nutrition for her developing baby. Diana’s weight was dropping dangerously low and a pre-existing heart condition complicated her struggle, increasing her heart rate and causing fatigue. At 24 weeks into her pregnancy, Diana weighed a mere 85 lbs. She was immediately hospitalized, placed on IV nutrition and closely monitored for the duration of her pregnancy. “I can’t believe I was able to sustain life at this weight,” she acknowledges. Yet, she was determined to support her baby’s gestation as long as possible and, at 8 months Juliette was born “in perfect health” at 6 lbs., 9 oz. Due to her heart condition, having a family had not been part of Diana plans.

She had earned a college degree – the first one in the family to do so – and began working for a social services agency. However, in 2020 she learned she was pregnant for the first time with her daughter, Natalie. After the shock wore off, she reached out to MOMS Orange County for support. “I didn’t think I would be needing the very agency that I was referring mothers to, but I did.” Lupe became Diana’s Maternal-Child Health Coordinator – or home visitor – and visited Diana each month with pregnancy education, risk screenings, encouragement and support. She connected Diana to a variety of resources to keep her health stable, and a MOMS’ RN closely monitored all of Diana’s test results, keeping in touch with Diana’s doctor.

After baby Natalie arrived, Lupe continued seeing Diana and baby each month, providing infant development and self-care education and resources, especially during the first few months when Natalie had intense sleep, fussiness and colic issues. Already thin and fatigued, Diana needed more nutrition for herself and help during that first year with Natalie. Lupe was able to help Diana secure dietician therapy through her health insurance. Lupe also connected her with mental health resources to help her cope and with home nursing visits through the OC Health Care Agency. Fast forward to last November. Still struggling with her health, Diana found out she was pregnant with her second child. She was worried, she confided, recalling the toll on her health with her first pregnancy. Yet, the first thing she did was call Lupe who was there for Diana’s second pregnancy, as well. Now that Juliette is four months old, Lupe will continue to visit Diana and her girls monthly through Juliette’s first year. Each visit will include maternal-child health education for mom and baby, connections to needed resources and someone who becomes a trusted coach, a listening ear. In this case, that is Lupe. This year, more than 2,500 moms and babies will receive much-needed support through the work of MOMS Orange County – at no cost to them. “Mom is doing better,” says Lupe. “We are still watching her health very closely and she is benefiting from the various resources we were able to connect her with. Here is a mom who is doing so much to improve her health and be a good mother to her children. I’m so proud of her hard work.”

(Photography donated by Luis Martinez)