May Mom of the Month

Meet Marcela, our May Mom of the Month who was paired with her case manager, A’Tiyanna. In their visits, Marcela was excited to learn everything from prenatal nutrition to breastfeeding to goal-setting and more. Her favorite visit was when she learned about car seat safety and safe sleep. With her first child, her partner had handled all of the car seat installations. One of our licensed car seat technicians was able to educate and demonstrate, giving Marcela independence and confidence.

Throughout her pregnancy, Marcela’s relationships and family life underwent some changes. She began meeting with our Maternal Mental Health Director, Glenis. In their sessions, Marcela worked on her self-worth, prioritizing her mental and physical health, as well as advocating for herself in her relationships. Thanks to the encouragement and empowerment from Glenis, Marcela was able to establish a healthy co-parenting situation. Her case manager, A’Tiyanna has also been with her every step of the way, supporting and advocating for her. Marcela is grateful for her network of support within Healthier Moms and Babies; she says that through her programing, she has “found love in myself and independence.”

In July of 2021, her son Draco was born happy and healthy. She is looking forward to watching him grow—and celebrating his first birthday next month! Marcela will continue to meet with A’Tiyanna until Draco is 18 month old, monitoring milestones and getting connected with other community resources.

Marcela encourages all moms to take advantage of the resources that are available. She is grateful for her experience with Healthier Moms and Babies, saying “I feel if I didn’t have Healthier Moms and Babies, I don’t think I could’ve handled everything on my own.” It was important to Marcela to have a cheerleader to a understand her experience and provide knowledge and education.

We are so proud of Marcela and can’t wait to see her and her family flourish!