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Ashton Henry
Becca Yantz
Assistant Director Ashton Henry and Administrative Assistant Becca
Yantz serve at the Lincoln location while Orns oversees the centers
in both Lincoln and Bloomington.
Lincoln partners with Bloomington to provide medical services with
Nurse Manager Staci Rutledge overseeing these services.
One service Rutledge provides is pregnancy testing, which the PRC
site says is 99.8% accurate. If a woman is far enough along in the
pregnancy, an ultrasound is done.
The ultrasound exam/scanning is done by a nurse to help determine
the gestational age or how far along a woman is in the pregnancy.
The ultrasound also helps confirm the presence of a viable pregnancy
and cardiac activity.
Once the scan is done, Orns said it is reviewed by a physician. The
physician helps oversee the facilities too.
Everything done at Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Centers is
based on best practices for medical services and follows HIPPA
guidelines.
Orns said the center aims to excel whether someone is at the center
for a medical appointment or just services.
Another service the Pregnancy Resource Center offers
is information to women about pregnancy that will prepare them for
the birth of their baby. Classes can be taken at the center or
accessed online. Topics include pregnancy expectations, healthy
eating while pregnant, the emotions of pregnancy, fetal development,
labor & delivery and much more. Trained mentors are available to
coach women through the curriculum, answer questions and encourage
them throughout their pregnancy.
The H.O.P.E. program (Helping Others Parent through Education)
offered by the Pregnancy Resource Center is an educational program
that goes through all the stages of pregnancy and what someone
should know when the baby is born.
The program is led by trained mentors who are available to answer
questions and support women throughout their pregnancy and first
stages of parenthood.
A web-based program provides a series of videos for
each trimester. Videos for the first trimester describe what to
expect in the trimester, what is safe in pregnancy, prenatal care
and eating for two.
Second trimester videos describe what to expect
during that trimester, the emotions of pregnancy, bonding with your
unborn baby and infant expectations.
For the third trimester, there are videos on what to
expect in the third trimester plus videos on getting ready for labor
and delivery, the goals and benefits of simply breastfeeding and
medical pain and relief during labor and delivery. [to top of second
column]
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The final pregnancy education videos show what one
might encounter after going home such as postpartum depression.
Other videos are on car seat safety, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome) and Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Once the baby is born, there are education programs for the first
year of the baby’s life. These include video lessons on infant
expectations from 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and then 9-12
months.
Videos for the 0-3 month stage address crying, getting your baby to
sleep and newborn sickness. Lessons for the 3-6 month stage include
ones on infant nutrition, infant and child CPR and quality
childcare.
For the 6-9 month stage, there are lessons on baby on the move,
being a super mom and mommy nutrition. Lessons for the 9-12 month
stage include preventing child sexual abuse, mommy milestones and
mommy work.
There are quizzes and discussion questions after each lesson. The
program helps prepare someone to be a successful parent. They are
another way for the PRC to help clients know someone cares and they
are not alone.
Clients can earn “baby bucks” to be used in the PRC boutique before
and after the baby is delivered. Diapers and wipes are given out to
whoever needs them.
Women are strong and smart, so Orns said it is important to note
staff and volunteers at Living Alternatives value the mom as much as
they value the baby.
Another resource offered at the Pregnancy Resource
Center is STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) testing. Orns said
they are trying to partner with the Logan County Public Health
Department for this testing.
For women who have gone through an abortion, post-abortion support
is available. Orns said they will love and support the women and not
judge them.
With all the resources offered, their website says, “Living
Alternatives can only meet its mission to the extent that
individuals in the community are willing to donate their time and
energy to the functions of the ministry.”
It is the hard work of the PRC staff and volunteers that keep this
ministry going. The staff equips and trains all volunteers “to work
with the PRC clients, participate in fundraisers to strengthen the
financial position of the center, and assist the ministry with
maintaining the beauty and health of the building.”
As the Living Alternatives website says, “The beauty of the PRC
ministry comes not only from promoting life-affirming options, but
also from sacrificially being willing to walk beside (a woman)
through her experience to the other side.”
As a nondenominational, faith-based not-for-profit organization,
Living Alternatives relies on private donations and fundraisers.
On Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Living
Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center will hold “The WALK” at the
Lincoln Park District Recreational Center to raise funds for the PRC
mission. The WALK is one of their biggest annual fundraisers.
It is the hope of Orn and the staff at the Lincoln center that the
community will come out and show their support for the work of the
PRC.
[Angela Reiners] |
