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Month: March 2021

My First OB Appointment Isn’t For Weeks! What Do I Do?

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What happens when you get back a positive test, but have to wait weeks to get in for your first doctor’s appointment? This can add stress to an already uncertain time. And on top of that, you know that stress isn’t good for your baby! So what do you do?

You start exactly where this pregnant mom did . . . with an Early Pregnancy Consultation at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid). Read on to hear about all the help she got (some she didn’t even know she needed – but found very valuable!).

The pregnancy test came back positive and I had decided on a doctor, but when I called to make an appointment, I found out they couldn’t see me for four weeks! Weren’t there things I needed to know about my pregnancy before that?! I tried doing an internet search but was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, with some sites giving different advice than others.

Who should I trust during this very critical time of early pregnancy?

Thankfully, Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) had me covered! I called for an Early Pregnancy Consultation appointment. At that appointment, I got to meet with a nurse, who told me what to expect during my first trimester, answered all my questions, and gave me helpful tips about everything from nutrition and nausea, to common pregnancy symptoms and safe medications. We talked about fetal development, pregnancy apps, and things to avoid while pregnant. She gave me lots of information to take with me and even gave me a goodie bag with some fun reminders of what we talked about.

After that, I met with a Case Manager, who spent time getting to know me and my unique needs. We talked about insurance, my education goals, my living situation, and some other concerns I had. She had helpful advice and helped me make a plan for how to accomplish some really important things on my to-do list. It turns out that I was eligible for some community resources I hadn’t even heard of! She promised to follow up with me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful about the future.

When it was time for my doctor’s appointment, I had the peace of mind of knowing I had a head start on caring for my baby and making decisions for my life that would make it easier to welcome her when she arrives! When I first found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t even sure if I could be a mother. I didn’t feel ready for that responsibility and I had so much turmoil in my life already. The Early Pregnancy Consultation at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) helped me rethink what was possible. They broke things down into small steps that I could easily accomplish and have encouraged me every step of the way!

Questions answered, medical advice given, community resources lined up and emotional support . . . all from one, free visit.

If you are pregnant – whether it’s planned or unplanned – and are waiting to see your doctor, give us a call. We’re here with all kinds of help to get you on the road to a happy, healthy pregnancy!

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Almost Undone: What Happens When a Beautiful Thing Isn’t Given a Chance

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There is substantial evidence that what are possibly some of the most beautiful things in the world almost weren’t in the world because they weren’t given a chance.  They were almost not here.  They were almost undone. 

Consider your favorite, most moving musical score or song.  Think about that book that you read over and over again.  How about the influencer you follow the most or that person you’ll never be able to thank enough for what they did… or for who they’ve been to you?  What would life be like without the talents of the inventor of the Oreo cookie or even something as overlooked as vanilla extract?

What if these things that inspire our senses had never been valued by the ones that worked to develop them?  What if the chance had never been offered to humans that have inspired us in countless ways because they were prematurely judged to be disposable or simply not worth the work?

There are stories out there that give us pause to consider what our world would be like had some of it’s more inspiring people not been given a chance.  Famous stories have been shared about unknown mothers that almost aborted children that have beautifully shaped the world.  Justin Bieber, Andrea Bocelli and Tim Tebow are only a few of the close calls.  They, and so many others that we may never realize, were almost victims of abortion.  Their influence was almost cut off.  Their imprint on our lives almost wasn’t because their lives were almost undone.

Consider also the children that are born into arms that know they cannot offer what is needed so they lovingly surrender their children to others.  Other arms that can offer what is needed.  Other arms that will carry their children to places someone else is dreaming of.  Beautiful places that one cannot yet conceive already planned in the minds of others.

There is a beautiful song from Les Misérables called “I Dreamed a Dream.” When well sung, it reduces the listener to tears.  In 2009 there was a woman, considered old and unattractive by most, that walked onto the stage of Simon Cowell’s show “Britain’s Got Talent.”  People rolled their eyes and everyone became an instant judge – determining that she was a zero-talent joke.  When asked why she hadn’t already become famous her response was, “I never gave it a chance before.”  Susan Boyle beautifully gave them a different message because she was giving the beautiful thing in her a chance. 

Just recently, many were moved to tears by a Superbowl commercial for Toyota featuring a Paralympic swimmer named Jessica Long.  Her story inspires because her life rebukes that thing inside of us that whispers the lie that we will not thrive in life unless everything is how we want it to be.  Her adoptive parents, and now the world, think differently.  She was given a chance and adopted from Russia at 13 months of age.  She had two severely malformed legs.  Her birth mom, only 16 and unable to care properly for her, chose to send her to arms that could lift her higher than she knew she would be able to at that tender age.  Jessica ended up being a Paralympic swimmer that inspired our hurting world on Superbowl Sunday because she was given a chance. 

Toyota’s tagline expresses it well:  “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us.”  We at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) believe that, too.  There is hope and strength in all of us that only needs to be given some kind of a chance.

I wonder at the beauty that was not cut short by the fact that Jessica Long’s birth mother gave her life a chance.  I’m swept with emotion at the beauty that Susan Boyle allowed to be birthed through her despite all of the jeers and dismissals by the audience.  That same audience that assumed nothing good could come out of someone like Susan Boyle (unsuccessful, unattractive by our standards, and unemployed) was schooled in the few seconds it took her to birth a beautiful song in front of them.

I guess the question all of us could ask is this:  what beautiful thing could be birthed in front of us if we would only give it a chance and not judge it to be incapable of greatness?

It might be time to rethink our fears and assumptions and let something beautiful begin.

“That’s all beautiful,” you may think. “But if I have to do this alone, no matter how beautiful it may be, I simply can’t.”

We understand that. And we’re here to say . . . You don’t have to do this alone!

From friendship to medical help, classes and training to tangible items that you need – we can help provide it. No cost to you. Just your willingness to let us come alongside you and help.

So how about it? Are you ready to see that beautiful thing in your life happen?

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This Is What #Rethinking Your Possibilities Looks Like

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It was May 1997 and I was feeling alone & confused. I had just told my boyfriend I was pregnant and he replied that he wasn’t ready to have a child.  He wanted me to get an abortion.

I will be the first to admit this was not an ideal situation for me. I was already a single parent, on welfare, had no means of transportation . . . and pregnant again. I personally do not believe in abortion, so my only option was to convince my boyfriend to be happy about the pregnancy and support me through it. That is when I called Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid).

The director there was so helpful. She allowed me to borrow a video about what an abortion truly is so that I could show my boyfriend what he was asking me to do. While watching the video he didn’t show much emotion.  I knew he was not going to change his mind.

Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) became my main source of support. They helped me get to my appointments, let me go through their closet to get diapers & clothes, and threw a baby shower for me at the clinic. One time, a man donated his vehicle to Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) and they gave it to me so that I could get back on my feet. The man who donated the car was there the day I receive the keys. He said that if it wasn’t for people like me who choose to give life to their child, he would not have been a father, because his children were adopted.

God has made His presence known through Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid). I not only got physical help through the resources available, but I also made a great friend in the director. I will forever call her my angel on earth. She never took personal credit for anything; it was made clear to me that donations are what makes it possible for Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) to help women. 

This story, that began with confusion and hurt, actually isn’t over yet. When our friend was in the midst of daily handling the circumstances that came with her choice of giving life, she couldn’t have seen ahead, 20 years into the future of what this baby boy would become. But today, we can see exactly what her choice has brought about.

That baby boy – the one who was on the verge of never getting the chance of life before he drew his first breath – has grown up to be a young man who values right and wrong. He has grown up with a strong sense of protecting others and a willingness to put himself in harm’s way to fight for our freedoms. That baby boy – who might not have been born, except for the brave choice of his mother – is now a Lance Corporal in the United States Marines and is currently serving overseas. He is someone you need to meet.

It can be hard to think ahead when you are in the middle of the unplanned. Most often, you simply want it to go away. But we encourage you to stop, get the facts, and take a moment to look ahead. What might be the easy choice today might not be the right choice for your future. You truly are braver than you know – you just need someone to walk alongside of you. And that’s exactly what we can do!

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Do You Know About This Infection? What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You!

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Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually transmitted bacteria that lives on the cells of the urinary and genital tracts in humans.  MG is a recognized sexually transmitted infection with increasing spread worldwide, and is resistant to multiple antibiotics. The causative agent was first isolated in humans in 1981, and was eventually identified as a new species of Mycoplasma in 1983.

Specifically, MG causes urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) in both men and women, but also can cause inflammation of the cervix and pelvis in women.  Men or women may have urethritis symptoms, which can cause burning when urinating or generalized burning in the urethra. Also, infections of the anus and rectum can occur.  Some experience symptoms that are very similar to those that occur with Chlamydia, which means there may be no symptoms at all.

What is really concerning is that the infection can then also move up the reproductive tract to infect the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, and eventually it can sometimes reach the fallopian tubes causing infertility. MG was associated with increased risk for preterm delivery in one U.S. and another Peruvian study.  Data are scarce regarding MG and ectopic pregnancy.

Another concern is that we there is not an FDA-approved diagnostic test for the infection, so your healthcare provider actually doesn’t test for it regularly.  In the absence of validated tests, MG should be suspected in cases of persistent or recurrent urethritis and may be considered in persistent or recurrent cases of cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Antibiotics tend to be resistant to this infection.  There has been some success with the antibiotic moxifloxacim.   However, moxifloxacin has been used in only a few cases, and the drug has not been tested in clinical trials.

Bottom line…this sexually transmitted infection is becoming more and more common.  It is difficult to detect and treat.  It can cause infertility.  Until more research is done, the optimal plan for both men and women is abstaining from intercourse unless in a monogamous relationship such as marriage.

It’s important that you take control of your health in a place that is confidential and trusted. At Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid), we have licensed, trained medical personnel on site every day to help you understand what might be happening and the best course of treatment. We also offer completely free STD/STI testing at our office.

This newest STD highlighted here can have serious consequences. Get the information you need to take the best care of yourself!

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Finding Beauty in the Unexpected

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The change of the seasons always puts me in a reflective mood. I have been pondering all the ways my life has changed since coming to work at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) a couple of years ago and the word that keeps coming to mind is “unexpected.”

Obviously, being a pregnancy resource center, we deal in the unexpected every day. Our clients do not plan on being pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted infection. That part of the “unexpected” was not surprising. What was surprising to me was all the other unexpected things about doing this work.

I returned to work after raising my kids for the past 20 years and yet, I end my days here feeling rejuvenated instead of drained . . . unexpected.

We see clients on a daily basis who face unimaginable hardships, often because of their own choices, and yet, rather than receiving condemnation and judgement, they are met with compassion and mercy . . . unexpected.

The opponents of the pro-life movement are fond of saying that our concern for women stops when they give birth. And yet, we have women attending our Bridges educational program whose children are 2 years old. Our post-abortive assessments and Awakenings studies give care and comfort to women who chose to abort rather than give birth. We treat women and their partner(s) with sexually transmitted infections for free, even when they do not intend to change their risky behaviors. Instead of caring for women so they will make the choices we want them to make, we simply care for women . . . unexpected.

The people who work at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) are very good at their jobs. I have seen women who thought abortion was their only answer completely transformed into happily expectant mothers based on a word or sonogram image presented by a member of our staff or a volunteer. I have also seen the same staff members and volunteers give everything they have to inform women about all their options and the woman chooses to abort anyway. It would be easy for that staff member or volunteer to feel solely responsible for the decisions of these women, and yet, each time there is a triumph or a tragedy, we all come together to pray over the women and their babies. Rather than either boasting or despairing, they humbly submit to God’s will . . . unexpected.

In short, the most inspiring thing about working here is the way everyone confronts the unexpected with expectant faith.

Amid the chaos that our client’s face in their lives, hope is the most unexpected gift of all.

This was shared by one of our staff nurses here at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid). Her thoughts reflect well exactly what we are about – providing unexpected hope, unexpected answers, unexpected friendships.

So if you – or someone you know – ends up with the unexpected news of an unplanned pregnancy, keep us in mind.

You just might find an unexpected peace in your life in the middle of the unplanned!

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