Despite the sleep-deprived haze, I remember the early days of motherhood well. All my babies were so precious and prayed for and so very wanted. But recovery after childbirth & C-sections, postpartum hormones, and exhaustion sure did a number on my overall well-being. And I had the best of situations. A supportive husband. Help from my extended family. Financial stability. A secure housing situation. Enough food. Even prepared meals from my friends and my church.
I had all that, and that postpartum period was still so hard. Imagine what those early days of parenthood are like for mothers without that support system and security.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where some babies are born to mothers who have used substances during their pregnancies. In fact, 1 in 20 infants in New Mexico is currently born drug exposed.
It’s important to remember that the cause of substance abuse is complex and nuanced. Being part of the solution to this problem requires our long-term support and willingness to have compassion as opposed to shaming anyone.
I imagine we can all agree that parenthood is hard enough without throwing addiction (and any shame or guilt associated with it) in the mix.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, is national legislation that promotes programs and strategies to address the impact of substance abuse and substance use disorders on individuals, communities, and families.
In New Mexico, the CARA Program focuses on supportive care for pregnant people affected by substance use and on the coordination of services for parents, caregivers, and family members of newborns affected by substance exposure before birth.
Because of this program, most infants will return home with a “plan of safe care.” Yet out of 1200 drug-exposed newborns born in 2020, only 35 were known to be receiving intervention and services. We hope to see these numbers rise soon!
Because of that, we are partnering with New Mexico Child First as they provide some of our state’s most at-risk families and children with food, diapers, parenting classes, and other support. (Did you know diapers are not covered by WIC?)
Can you help provide some of these parents with the dignity of something new for their baby? Perhaps this simple act of kindness, combined with professional support, is just the kind of hope some parents need to help them out of an unfortunate situation. And your generosity can certainly provide some care and comfort to these babies who are in this situation due to no fault of their own.
If you believe like I do that every human has been created with worth and dignity, participating in this virtual baby shower is a great way to show it.
We at ABQ Mom have created an Amazon Baby Registry full of diapers, wipes, and clothing for these precious babies. There are items at every price range. And if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford to, it’d be great if you could purchase multiple items.
I imagine many of us are able to forgo a few cups of coffee or some Target splurges to help these families.
ABQ Moms, please join me in this baby shower for local moms and babies who need your support!
We are grateful to the New Mexico Peer-to-Peer Warmline for sponsoring this baby shower to support local moms.
The Peer-to-Peer Warmline is a statewide mental and behavioral health line that offers assistance and an understanding ear from people with lived experience, also known as Peer Support Workers, supporting other New Mexicans who are just wanting someone to talk to about emotional, mental, and behavioral health concerns, substance use concerns, or recovery and resiliency for a successful, sustained recovery process.
If you are a foster parent who needs support, there is particular help through this warmline to help you navigate the Foster Care System.
The Warmline is available to call from 7:00am-11:30pm MT or by text from 6:00pm-11:00pm MT, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can reach the New Mexico Peer-to-Peer Warmline at 1-855-4NM-7100 (466-7100).
Sources:
https://www.nmchildfirst.org/family-dinner-project
https://sharenm.org/cara
https://newmexico.networkofcare.org/content/client/1446/PlansofCare.pdf
