Brooke’s Story

Brooke came to New Moms when she was pregnant with her daughter, Cataleya. She had lost two previous pregnancies to miscarriages and was looking for comprehensive support during her current pregnancy. A friend referred her to New Moms because Brooke’s doctor dismissed her concerns – insisting she was not even pregnant at the time. Brooke said, this was not the first time she had experienced discrimination from the healthcare system.

“It’s hard being a black woman and giving birth because of medical racism and all that. So, I was just extremely nervous about everything,” said Brooke, who is now 24 years old.

At New Moms, Brooke found a team of dedicated women to support her including a Family Support coach, a counselor, and a doula – a specialized pregnancy and birth coach. She said she trusted each member of her team to give her helpful, well-informed advice about her motherhood journey.

“That’s the thing I love most about the program, they helped me every step of the way,” Brooke said.

Brooke and her husband, Ben, are now the proud parents of Cataleya, their daughter that they named after the strong and durable Cattleya orchid. She said she and her husband work hard to be a parenting team and that her New Moms coach helps design parent-child activities that both she and Ben can participate in.

“He’s been really working on that, making sure that it’s not just me making all the decisions,” Brooke said. “We’re still both her parents, so we both still have to have discussions and make decisions of what is best for her. We might not always see eye-to-eye but we can at least compromise and set a good example.”

Brooke is looking ahead to the day when the COVID-19 pandemic is over and she can take her daughter out to explore the world.

“I’m very pro independent learning when it comes to Cataleya,” said Brooke, whose daughter is now a toddler. “I might not be here forever and I can’t hold her hand forever, so I’m going to let her use her skills of figuring stuff out. She’s naturally curious. I’m really looking forward to watching her grow.”

Brooke encourages other moms to reach out to New Moms and to not feel bad about seeking help because “we all need help.”

“That’s the best decision that she could possibly make for her and her child,” said Brooke, who has been partnered with New Moms for 2 years now. “The fact that she sought out help and support, and she can receive from New Moms, is one of the best things that could possibly happen to her.”