The question for this weeks blog is: Who should we consider the most vulnerable? A Mom in crisis or the baby she is carrying? As someone new to Pro-life, I would have immediately answered, "the baby of course!" in the not too distant past. But, now that my understanding of the issues is broadening due to exposure to dozens of women in crisis pregnancies, I now come down on the side of the Mom for one reason: vulnerable Moms make life and death decisions based upon their vulnerabilities. If we can better understand and sympathize with what those vulnerabilities are, then, we stand the best chance of truly seeing her, hearing her and positively intervening in her situation.
What are some of her vulnerabilities? Well I'm glad you asked. Mind you, this list is not exhaustive but it does shed light on what modern Moms face. The list includes: loss of autonomy, loss of job and therefore loss of housing, food, transportation, coercion by co-parent or family, co-dependence on co-parent or family, increased mental health struggles, embarrassment, guilt, shame and many others. In speaking with dozens of women over the past two years, their perception of their current situation is often the only reality they see. That totally makes sense when you think about how the brain reacts in a crisis.
Enter Pregnancy Resource Centers or PRC's. Back in the day, a struggling single mom might have had neighbors or grandparents to rely on for temporary help. But now, the chances that Moms are more isolated from someone likely to intervene are much higher. Add to that fact that rogue agencies such as abortion clinics tend to swoop in and exploit vulnerabilities and it stands to reason that Moms need our support more than eve