Role of Maternity Homes in Pro-Life Movement

[JamalChristophr]

How important do you think the establishing of maternity homes for moms in crisis pregnancies are in strengthening the pro-life culture? Anyone have some direct experience to share? Or otherwise? Would being able to offer women seeking abortion this option be a big help if we wish to save women and their pre-born babies from the great spiritual and physical harm of abortion? If anyone has some kind of story to contribute that would also be welcome.

 

[Sonny89]

How important do you think the establishing of maternity homes for moms in crisis pregnancies are in strengthening the pro-life culture? Anyone have some direct experience to share? Or otherwise? Would being able to offer women seeking abortion this option be a big help if we wish to save women and their pre-born babies from the great spiritual and physical harm of abortion? If anyone has some kind of story to contribute that would also be welcome.

Peace and all Good to you Jamal!

Blessed Sunday to you!

I have no direct experience of being personally involved with Maternity homes but I know several people who been worked with or in a Maternity Home in South America & from what I’ve heard they do help quite a few women there.

God Bless

 

[Prodigirl]

What would be the purpose of the maternity homes? Simply to give these mothers a safe haven until their children are born? Or to provide services to adopt out their children? The purpose needs to be examined and defined before anyone can effectively weigh in on the topic, in my opinion.

 

[JamalChristophr]

What would be the purpose of the maternity homes? Simply to give these mothers a safe haven until their children are born? Or to provide services to adopt out their children? The purpose needs to be examined and defined before anyone can effectively weigh in on the topic, in my opinion.

Well, I’ve never been personally involved in the operations of a maternity home. I would think the primary mission would be to provide a safe and nurturing place for pregnant moms in need to come and have their babies and maybe even stay up to a year or perhaps even longer after their child is born. Education and help in the job market could also play a role.

It’s kind of a big undertaking, is it not. I think it must take a lot of energy, a lot of resources, and a lot of folks with great love for these moms and their babies out of love for Christ.

 

[Sonny89]

Well, I’ve never been personally involved in the operations of a maternity home. I would think the primary mission would be to provide a safe and nurturing place for pregnant moms in need to come and have their babies and maybe even stay up to a year or perhaps even longer after their child is born. Education and help in the job market could also play a role.

It’s kind of a big undertaking, is it not. I think it must take a lot of energy, a lot of resources, and a lot of folks with great love for these moms and their babies out of love for Christ.

Peace and all Good!

My understanding of the Maternity Home ideal is that they do try to provide other support, such as education or help finding suitable work & other housing, where possible & appropriate so that the mothers & children aren’t simply high and dry when they move on.

You’re right, I think it takes a real fire of Love for God & genuine Love & concern for others to undertake something like this

 

[pollynova]

What would be the purpose of the maternity homes? Simply to give these mothers a safe haven until their children are born? Or to provide services to adopt out their children? The purpose needs to be examined and defined before anyone can effectively weigh in on the topic, in my opinion.

It’s not a hard question really.

saintgiannahome.org/

 

[JamalChristophr]

Thanks for the link. I will look at it.

 

[manualman]

It’s an excellent work of charity that is above and beyond the call of basic human decency.

Required to avoid the charge of hypocrisy? Hardly. We put Susan Kennedy Smith in jail for killing her two (born) kids when they became inconvenient and the jurors were not required to promise that they’d take in all such unwanted kids in the future before being allowed to render a guilty verdict. Same thing applies in regards to abortion.

The operation of such homes proves which side really cares about women though. The “pro-choice” side will give you an abortion if you bring enough money and do virtually nothing for you if you choose another option. The pro-life side will generally bend over backwards to help women who want to keep their babies or give them up for adoption while not asking for a penny in return. It’s a telling difference in character and purpose.

 

[Sonny89]

It’s an excellent work of charity that is above and beyond the call of basic human decency.

Required to avoid the charge of hypocrisy? Hardly. We put Susan Kennedy Smith in jail for killing her two (born) kids when they became inconvenient and the jurors were not required to promise that they’d take in all such unwanted kids in the future before being allowed to render a guilty verdict. Same thing applies in regards to abortion.

The operation of such homes proves which side really cares about women though. The “pro-choice” side will give you an abortion if you bring enough money and do virtually nothing for you if you choose another option. The pro-life side will generally bend over backwards to help women who want to keep their babies or give them up for adoption while not asking for a penny in return. It’s a telling difference in character and purpose.

Peace and all Good!



Vey well said, thank you!

 

[Prodigirl]

The “pro-choice” side will give you an abortion if you bring enough money and do virtually nothing for you if you choose another option.

What is this allegation based on? Seriously, I’m curious where you get this information. Not wanting to start WW3, but in my world this is completely inaccurate.

 

[Prodigirl]

It’s not a hard question really.

saintgiannahome.org/

It is, nonetheless, a question. I invite you to contemplate it and answer it.

 

[manualman]

What is this allegation based on? Seriously, I’m curious where you get this information. Not wanting to start WW3, but in my world this is completely inaccurate.

Show me ONE instance where NARAL, NOW or PP helped a pregnant woman out with gifts of baby stuff (carseats, diapers, bottles, clothes, etc), opened a shelter for pregnant women in crisis, provided volunteers to help a woman through every step of the adoption process, or even helped her find employment when finance was the major stressor about the pregnancy. This sort of stuff goes on every day at almost every prolife crisis pregnancy center in existence. True, those centers won’t help a woman find an abortion clinic because we won’t participate in something abhorrent.

Meanwhile the “pro-choice clinic” has a couple dusty adoption brochures with phone numbers you can call, usually positioned behind the contraception flyers so you can’t see them and will probably provide you with the phone number of a government welfare agency along with a hearty “good luck” on your way out the door.

You’ve seen otherwise in “your world?” Please explain. You’re right to note that the ‘pro-choice’ world isn’t all villains twirling mustaches like a bad movie. They genuinely think they’re helping. But they’ve fallen for a false compassion and it shows up in how much help they’re actually willing to give. How do I know? From the experience of TWO women in my extended family who experienced crisis pregnancies and in their panic sought help from a variety of places. In both their experiences, the only choice promoted by the “pro-choice” places was abortion.

 

[Prodigirl]

Planned Parenthood does not have to OPEN a shelter for women experiencing crisis pregnancies. They are open to all women (as well as all men), and many, many women who are in crisis pregnancy come in for pregnancy testing, for STD testing, for counseling, for safe haven information if their partners are abusive. The women who counsel are UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PROMOTE ABORTION. They follow all state regulations with regard to ultrasounding, waiting periods, and all the other things they have to go through.

NARAL, NOW and Planned Parenthood are organizations that happen to include abortion as one option under the great big umbrella called choice, which also includes providing information for women choosing go through the birth process and either keep or adopt out their babies. To each group, whatever the choice is that the woman makes is ethical and principled. They do not pass judgment because they are in no position to do so.

Any suggestion other than this is patently untrue. Each organization is bound to have a bad apple or two (compare with Wall Street or politics in any state), but the entire premise is that women are entitled to reproductive autonomy and that they are fully capable of making decisions about their bodies and their lives - and yes, their pregnancies. They are businesses, NOT PEOPLE. They have no corporate responsibility to provide diapers or clothing or carseats or rattles or baby swings or bottles.

As far as the “dusty abortion brochures” go, you tell me when and where you have entered an abortion clinic and I will prove to you that the employees go quite a bit further than that in explaining the pregnant woman’s options.

“False compassion?” Hardly. If your two family members were not schooled on the details of the options available to them, then I’m sorry. I’d really like to know the details of “the variety of places” so I could investigate how they’re doing their counseling. But any woman this day and age who does not know how babies are made, or who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant should be mature enough to know what the options are even before she enters into a sexual relationship. By the way, did your family members have their babies? Did they keep them? (I’m sorry, but you opened the door to that.)

 

[JamalChristophr]

The intention of this thread is to discuss maternity homes, so I hope everyone will keep their commentary to that area of operation rather than venturing into other highly volatile areas that do not pertain to the original intent of this thread.

Thanks and God Bless!

 

[Pug]

Based upon my personal experience only, I think for a minor who is pregnant, the best would be an option that supports the minor in her own home, and doesn’t remove her from her parents/family. When I was young that would have been by far the most likely to save me from an abortion (hypothetical).

 

[pollynova]

What would be the purpose of the maternity homes? Simply to give these mothers a safe haven until their children are born? Or to provide services to adopt out their children? The purpose needs to be examined and defined before anyone can effectively weigh in on the topic, in my opinion.

They can and do provide both.

 

[christofirst]

Maternity homes provide a vital service. They are an important link in the pro-life chain. Here in L.A., St. Anne’s has offered care and support to mostly young, unwed mothers for many years. These are the women who need this service, the most vulnerable with little stability and support in their lives - the ones who would otherwise most likely consider abortion as a way out of their supposed crisis. I don’t know the percentage of how many of these mothers keep their babies and how many put their children up for adoption, but I know that both instances occur. And I speak from experience. One of my siblings was adopted into our family, and the birth mother (who was young and unwed at the time) used the services of a maternity home to help her through the pregnancy. My understanding is that there was no pressure from the maternity home as to whether or not she should keep the baby or put up for adoption. That was a decision reached by the birth mother and her family. Not everyone will need the services of a maternity home, but for those who do, I am thankful they have this option, and I support them.

 

[JamalChristophr]

Maternity homes provide a vital service. They are an important link in the pro-life chain. Here in L.A., St. Anne’s has offered care and support to mostly young, unwed mothers for many years. These are the women who need this service, the most vulnerable with little stability and support in their lives - the ones who would otherwise most likely consider abortion as a way out of their supposed crisis. I don’t know the percentage of how many of these mothers keep their babies and how many put their children up for adoption, but I know that both instances occur. And I speak from experience. One of my siblings was adopted into our family, and the birth mother (who was young and unwed at the time) used the services of a maternity home to help her through the pregnancy. My understanding is that there was no pressure from the maternity home as to whether or not she should keep the baby or put up for adoption. That was a decision reached by the birth mother and her family. Not everyone will need the services of a maternity home, but for those who do, I am thankful they have this option, and I support them.

Thanks, CF, how many women can stay there at St. Anne’s at one time? Do you know? Do they have mostly paid staff, or lots of volunteers, too.? Have you ever thought of helping? You said you already help materially, I think, that is great. I myself would like to expand my corporal and spiritual works of mercy, I guess. Perhaps I will see what is going on in my area of Denver and Northern Colorado!

 

[christofirst]

Thanks, CF, how many women can stay there at St. Anne’s at one time? Do you know? Do they have mostly paid staff, or lots of volunteers, too.? Have you ever thought of helping? You said you already help materially, I think, that is great. I myself would like to expand my corporal and spiritual works of mercy, I guess. Perhaps I will see what is going on in my area of Denver and Northern Colorado!

See for yourself!

stannes.org

St. Anne’s was started by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and it has grown to be a joint venture with the community and the sisters. It looks like they have over 400 volunteers helping out, though they must have paid staff as well, even though they are a non-profit.

I help them financially now, as I have my own family to physically care for, but it would be great to volunteer there in the future. I don’t see right off how many they are able to house at any given time, but it looks like a substantial number in several different locations around the city.

 

[Sonny89]

Peace and all Good!

How important do you think the establishing of maternity homes for moms in crisis pregnancies are in strengthening the pro-life culture? Anyone have some direct experience to share? Or otherwise? Would being able to offer women seeking abortion this option be a big help if we wish to save women and their pre-born babies from the great spiritual and physical harm of abortion? If anyone has some kind of story to contribute that would also be welcome.

I’ve managed to find some interesting links about maternity homes & their history in the UK and Ireland. You may find them interesting & helpful.

The first has information about the Sacred Heart Maternity home in Kendal, although it ceased taking admissions in 1968, the website has some interesting details:catholiccaringservices.co.uk/brettargh.htm

The other links are for a site called Mother and Baby Homes and its blog, which talk about the history and work of Maternity homes in the UK and Ireland

motherandbabyhomes.com

motherandbabyhomes.wordpress.com