When Cristina and her husband, Richard, found out they were pregnant with their third child, they both felt excited and prepared. As a MOMS Orange County veteran, Cristina thought she knew what to expect and, this time, the support of MOMS wouldn’t be necessary. Then, the couple received shocking news. Halfway through her pregnancy, doctors discovered Cristina’s baby girl would be born with a gap in the roof of her mouth, known as a cleft palate. After learning their baby would be faced with multiple surgeries and health challenges, Cristina knew she needed help from a trusted source: MOMS Orange County. Right away, MOMS connected Cristina to her home visitor, Jessy. She became a key emotional support as Cristina processed [...]

My whole family lives in Iran and my husband’s work takes him away from home weeks at a time. When I became pregnant I was feeling very nervous, knowing I wouldn’t be able to have my mother with me when my baby arrived. A friend suggested MOMS Orange County so I immediately found them online and signed up for their in-home program and was contacted by Stephanie, who told me she would be coming to see me every month to provide me with prenatal education and support, and would continue to visit to guide my interactions with my baby and guide me in his development. I can’t tell you what her visits have meant to me. I felt that I [...]

Thank you so much for your interest in adopting one of the families we serve for the holidays. This year we experienced an overwhelming outpouring of generosity from our community and have been able to adopt all of our families experiencing great need. We hope you will consider joining us next year! Please reach out to Andrea Pronk-Dunn to be added to our interest list and be the first to hear when our adopt-a-family program begins in 2021. Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Hello MOMS Orange County, We are Katirla and David, parents of Mateo. We wanted to dedicate a few words to you because you have been fundamental to us as first-time parents. You have been guiding us since pregnancy and Mateo is about to turn one year old in August. We lack words to describe how grateful we are to you for all the support you have given us. My husband learned to understand my needs during pregnancy and the hormonal changes I would experience. We learned what to expect during the time of delivery, the benefits of breastfeeding, and for me, learning about the different stages of growth and development during pregnancy, feeding my baby, as well as knowing what [...]

We were not prepared at all. As Yerika and Miguel prepared to have their first baby, anxiety started to set in. "We were not prepared at all," says Yerika, "we had no clue what it would be like to be parents." The couple then joined MOMS Orange County. Together, they attended birthing classes where the instructor helped prepare them for parenthood. During her monthly home visits, Yerika learned about healthy baby milestones. Miguel attended the Workshop for New Dads where he learned how to be attentive to his partner's needs. "I also learned how to recognize my children's needs and the importance of one-on-one daddy bonding time," he says. As Yerika went through the difficulty of postpartum depression after [...]

Because of you, I am where I am. When Stephanie and her boyfriend Hector got pregnant as high school students 11 years ago, Stephanie didn't know what to do. She was recommended to MOMS Orange County and her assigned home visitor, Larissa, quickly became a vital part of her pregnancy. "I didn't know anything about pregnancy," says Stephanie, "her coming every month was the best; that was my support." Stephanie graduated from high school five months pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy and with a lot of hard work and perseverance went on to graduate college with a degree in child development. Her son, now 11, loves to read. Last year, Stephanie and Hector decided to have another baby. [...]

by Rosalinda Vargas, MOMS Orange County program participant My son was born in February this year (at 36 weeks of gestation), measuring 19 inches and weighing 5lbs 14oz. He was born healthy, and discharged two days after his birth. He then developed jaundice.  Infant jaundice occurs when baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment of red blood cells. It is common, particularly in preterm babies, born before 38 weeks. In order for the jaundice to disappear I had to do two things, expose him to sunlight and feed him on demand. The feeding was the challenge, as it was extremely hard to keep him awake during feeding or to wake him up to feed him. I started visiting [...]

Ramsey’s Birthday Gift Four-year-old Ramsey likes to celebrate his birthday by doing something for babies.  The idea began in December 2014 when Ramsey was born.  “We were really lucky to have everything we needed and thought how desperate it would be for people who couldn’t afford things for their young child,” said his mom, Andrea. So, they started a tradition with Ramsey’s birthdays.  Instead of gifts, Ramsey’s parents would suggest that family and friends consider donating to organizations that help mothers and babies.  “We decided to focus on diapers because you don’t realize how expensive they really are. That first year, our garage was filled with boxes of diapers. We couldn’t believe how generous people were.” This year, they selected [...]