When you support a mother, you change two lives!

This Mother’s Day, honor the heroes in your life by helping expectant and new mothers receive the support they need.

Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts made during May will be matched up to $8,000.

At Guiding Star Siouxland, we believe all mothers deserve to be celebrated for their courage, strength, and love. Three area moms – Mackenzie, Kristina & Jacoby – share just how Guiding Star Siouxland made their pregnancy journey unforgettable with the support they received through one service in particular – a free first-trimester ultrasound!

Q: How did receiving a free first-trimester ultrasound change your perspective or experience during the early stages of your pregnancy, or your journey toward motherhood?

Mackenzie: Ultrasounds are a beautiful way to connect with your baby in pregnancy. It can be hard to imagine an actual baby inside of your body, but it becomes so real, beautiful, and personal when you get to actually watch them moving and living inside of you.

Kristina: It was a comfort to know that my baby was growing and to see her heartbeat. Being able to see her just deepened that connection to her even more

Q: What kind of support or reassurance did the ultrasound provide you as you made decisions about your pregnancy moving forward?

Jacoby: Loss is something I’ve not only seen my friends experience, but have experienced it myself. Seeing my baby growing on track and seeing her healthy heartbeat eased my anxiety significantly.

Mackenzie: After experiencing infertility and a miscarriage while trying to conceive our second child, we were thrilled yet anxious for this pregnancy. I had a miscarriage scare around 10 weeks, and, while we were relieved when my health care provider confirmed the baby was alright, the assurance the first trimester ultrasound provided was a blessing for which we are extremely grateful. To be able to see our baby healthy and moving put our minds at ease and allowed our hearts to be joyful and hopeful again. Thank you to Guiding Star for supporting our family and allowing us this opportunity!

Q: How did the ultrasound affect your relationship with your baby? 

Mackenzie: Getting the ultrasound helped make her real to me. When they’re so small and you can’t feel them yet, it’s hard to believe they’re actually there.

Kristina: Seeing my baby made it so much more real and personal. It’s the first time you get to connect a face or image to your baby. It’s the first time you get to actually see your baby and there is something so beautiful and intimate about that.

Q: What would you say to someone who is considering donating to support ultrasounds for women like you? How would their contribution make a difference?

Mackenzie: The money that’s donated to these causes goes to such a great place. For some, it’s the difference between receiving care and not receiving care. How can donating to something like that be in vain?

Kristina; I would highly encourage people to donate toward ultrasounds because for a mom considering abortion, I would have to imagine that seeing their baby moving and living inside of them would change their mind. It’s also a beautiful gift to give a mother. To see her baby inside of her body.

Q: Looking back, how would your experience have been different without access to this free ultrasound?

Mackenzie: I don’t know if I’d feel as connected to my baby if it weren’t for that ultrasound. It was amazing to see her wiggle, see that she was measuring on track, and to see that her heartbeat was nice and strong as opposed to just guessing that everything was fine. My baby’s dad asked me to abort her as soon as I told him I was pregnant. That wasn’t an option for me and I was struggling to understand how I’d be able to do it all by myself. Actually getting to see my baby was the exact motivation I needed to work even harder to figure it all out.

Kristina: It was very special because my parents were able to join me for this ultrasound. And the last ultrasound they had been to was my ultrasound when my Mom was pregnant with me. So it was a very special experience for all of us!

When you support a mother, you change two lives!

This Mother’s Day, honor the heroes in your life by helping expectant and new mothers receive the support they need.

Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts made during May will be matched up to $8,000.