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Young Mother Finds Support Through Love & Learn Program

August 9, 2017 | VNA Staff | Story

Much of Nancy’s childhood was spent in foster care. When she became pregnant at 17 years old, she didn’t have a supportive family to depend on, so she enrolled in the Love & Learn program.

Through the Love & Learn program, Nancy was able to prepare for the birth of her baby and learn parenting skills. She also got personalized support from the nurse and parenting coach that visited her home monthly.

When an ultrasound showed that her baby was not gaining as much weight as she should, Nancy turned to her nurse for information on changes she could make to her diet to help her baby grow.

Nancy and her parent coach worked on self-esteem activities and identifying goals and dreams for her future. Nancy also learned important self-care techniques that she uses for her own health, and she completed several goals she set for herself during her pregnancy.

And, she accomplished her most important goal to-date: Nancy gave birth to a full-term, healthy baby girl. Nancy has demonstrated a strong bond with her daughter, and is exclusively breastfeeding her thanks in part to the support she received from a VNA lactation consultant.

Nancy has big dreams for herself and her daughter, and even though she doesn’t have a strong family support system, she knows she has a community of support available to her through VNA.

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