Naomi Martin from California

Teenage Nancy came to us for prenatal care and was not gaining any weight. She said she ate well. While doing nutritional education, and encouraging questions and discussion, I discovered that Nancy was a high school cheerleader. Using the educational materials, and nutritional requirements as common ground, I found Nancy had not told anyone that she was pregnant. Nancy worried that other young girls would see her as a role model and think pregnancy was something that was “cool” to do. Nancy was about to become single parent, but because her pregnancy was a secret she was not connected with any resources and was having difficulty moving forward. I helped Nancy explore how she might break the news to her parents and perhaps some close friends at first. We also made a plan for her to have a note for cheerleading to limit her ariel stunts. Nancy soon started to gain weight. After only a couple of sessions she was able to break the news first to her parents and then to close friends. She talked to her coach and school counselor and told me she felt a great sense of relief. Nancy now was able to focus on the task of becoming a parent. Nancy became a competent young mother. She delivered a beautiful baby and stayed connected with baby’s father. I feel that Nancy represents a tremendous success story. She illustrates how education can not only change peoples lives, but the lives of those around them.