Indiana encourages motherhood through ‘My Healthy Baby’ program
Briana Oser
Since banning abortion last fall, Indiana has been providing holistic support to women in need. Its new program called “My Healthy Baby” reassures mothers that they are capable of caring for their children, and that poverty need not be the end of motherhood.
Pro-choicers often cite financial instability as a sufficient reason for abortion. They argue that if a woman does not have the proper resources to feed and clothe her child, she should not have to carry out her pregnancy. This assertion is problematic because it prioritizes financial standing over the value of human life. Its logic suggests that poor people would be better off dead.
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It also forces mothers into a state of desperation. If healthcare “professionals” are telling a poor woman that she would be a bad mother if she kept her baby, why would she keep her baby? Her confidence is totally undermined. These “professionals” are telling her that the quality of life she can offer her child is so horrible, it would be better to agree to the murder of that child.
“Professional” abortion practitioners are not trustworthy. They claim that abortion is “healthcare.” They disavow the science around when life begins. And most of them are strangers to the mothers who seek abortions with them. There is no need for an abortionist to establish a relationship. Abortion is a one-and-done procedure. Compassion is not necessary, although many women seriously struggle with the aftereffects.
Indiana lawmakers understand that financial stability is not the only support necessary to be a good mother. Mothers need human connection to flourish in their role. The “My Healthy Baby” program involves financial resources, but it is much more than a cold, impersonal government initiative.
First and foremost, it establishes a relationship. It connects mothers to women in their community, who meet with them one-on-one on a daily basis. They encourage mothers to seek out resources and guide them through pregnancy and childcare. This relationship may last from the beginning of a woman’s pregnancy until one year after she gives birth. Support providers seek to restore mothers’ confidence, ensuring them that they are fully capable of being good parents, despite potential financial obstacles.
Navigating motherhood requires much more than financial means. How does the old African proverb go? “It takes a village to raise a child.” Pregnancy is the most intimate human connection, followed by the relationship between a newborn and its mother. Motherhood, and especially the earliest part, takes other human connections to thrive.
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“My Healthy Baby” offers holistic care — both established emotional support and practical guidance. Indiana officials seem to understand the reality of motherhood much more than most healthcare “professionals.” The program offers real hope and reminds mothers that they have what it takes.
Briana Oser is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.