“I’m a full-time student and work full-time, just busy all the time, and then I found out I was pregnant.”
Shakira, a mom of 6, was shocked when she found out she was pregnant. “I took like 7 tests.”
She was scared.
Shakira already had a lot on her plate. She wasn’t married, and she wasn’t sure how she’d fit another baby in. Josh, the father of the baby, was supportive from the beginning. While Shakira felt overwhelmed, Josh was “overwhelmed with happiness.”
Shakira began looking for resources to help.
“I started Googling things, researching resources that would help me with support and finding prenatal care, someone to calm me down because I am literally going crazy… and then I found The Pregnancy Network. They made me feel very comfortable.”
When Shakira came in to confirm her pregnancy with a free pregnancy test and ultrasound, she met Charlotte, a staff registered nurse at The Pregnancy Network. As Shakira and Josh watched the ultrasound screen, they saw two heartbeats. Shakira and Josh were expecting twins.
“After my first appointment, I wanted to see what else they had to offer. Anything to be around these people. I ended up falling in love with The Pregnancy Network and the way they told me – ‘You’ve got this.’”
Not only did Shakira and Josh receive The Pregnancy Network’s free medical services, but they also signed up for Pregnancy 101, a class that covers the essentials for healthy eating during pregnancy, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and more. They received material resources like diapers, wipes, and baby clothes through each class they attended.
Shakira stayed in touch with Charlotte, the registered nurse she met at her appointment. She and Josh began attending church with Charlotte, and in the months that followed, they were baptized and married.
Shakira and Josh have eight beautiful children, and Shakira says each of her children taught her something different.
“All my kids changed me, and the twins gave me another strength and sent my life in a different direction. To see how much of a blessing they are, the people I have met because of the twins, I’m just blessed I feel like.”
If you’re unexpectedly pregnant, you don’t have to walk this road alone. We’re here for you every step of the way with free medical services, education, and resources.
“The Pregnancy Network helped my mindset. They made me feel like I was still that woman; I could still have those kids and still do what I needed to do. We’re just happy now.”
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Chloe Belk
Chloe is the Communications Coordinator at The Pregnancy Network.