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Get to Know us at LivingWell Medical Clinic

At LivingWell Medical Clinic, we provide confidential, compassionate care and help to women and men who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. At our clinic you will receive non-judgmental support in your pregnancy decision, and all of our services available free of change.

If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, you might feel like you have no one to talk to who understands or can help you. That is why we exist at LivingWell, to be a safe place for you, no matter what your story may be.In this blog, we want to introduce you to Cathy, the CEO, to help you learn more about the kind of person you will meet at LivingWell if you schedule an appointment with us.

Cathy has answered some questions to help you get a better understanding about what LivingWell Medical Clinic does and why they offer their free services. She truly enjoys what she does, and she and her caring staff are people who you can trust to talk with if you or someone you may know are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and need help.

What is your hope for anyone who comes into your center?

We welcome anyone who comes through our doors with open arms, no matter their story. Our Client Advocates and Healthcare Professionals are ready to listen, answer questions, and provide excellent service. Every person who walks through our doors is so valuable and deserves to be cared for respectfully and with compassion. Our hope is they feel safe, cared for, heard, respected and they leave well-equipped to take control of their future

Why is your center’s mission so important to you?

Women and men deserve to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Understanding each pregnancy option is essential; allowing a woman or couple to weigh the pros and cons so the best decision can be made for her. For those who may have been exposed to an STI or STD, it is vital that we understand how our sexual behavior may be putting us at great risk of having a life-long disease or possibly diminishing our reproductive capabilities.

Why did you choose to run/get involved with a pregnancy center?

In 2004, I was not aware of LivingWell Medical Clinic. I was a Realtor and my Broker approached me one day and asked if I had ever considered doing something other than real estate. Normally, it is not a good day when your boss asks you if you want to do something else, but for me it was an opportunity I had hoped for.

You see, in 1981, when I was 23, I made an abortion decision. That decision was my biggest regret in life for many reasons. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my choice. I left the abortion clinic thinking that if I never told anyone, it would be as if it never happened. I instantly went into denial, which is a strong deceptive emotion.

For the next 17 years, I had developed some bad behaviors, all rooted in a sense of low self-esteem. During that time, I learned that my uterus had been scarred so badly during the abortion that I would never have children. After avoiding every baby shower I was invited to, I became aware this was not normal behavior. I sought help through a friend. After receiving help, it was not long before I had a deep desire to tell other women considering abortion to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, seek help, and consider their options. That opportunity came when I was invited to submit my resume to LivingWell.

What is one thing you would say to anyone who is considering an abortion and/or is struggling from a past abortion?

If you are considering abortion, I encourage you to talk with someone who understands where you are. There is a saying: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Allow that person to walk with you on your pregnancy journey. Get all the facts and consider the pros and cons before making your decision.

I wish I had someone to talk with about my unwanted pregnancy before I spontaneously ran to the abortion clinic. I believe if someone told me that I could be a good single mom and they would be there with me, I would not have made the choice to abort my baby. If you have made a past abortion decision, you are not alone. One-third of women of reproductive age, have ended one or more pregnancies with abortion.

Many women regret their decision and are suffering in silence; too ashamed to reach out for help. I know it is scary, but don’t let another day go by before you begin your healing journey. I thought I was fine until I gained the courage to talk about my experience with someone who also made a past abortion decision. I discovered so many of my negative behaviors started after my abortion experience. I lived in denial for nearly 18 years before I got the courage to talk about it.

My life changed after I processed how my decision all those years ago had affected so much of my thoughts and behavior in a negative way. I was finally able to forgive myself and others who participated in that decision. There is hope for healing– reach out for help to start your healing!

If you are considering abortion or have made a past abortion decision, you are not alone– we are here for you. When faced with an unwanted pregnancy, no option seems good in those early moments of discovery. Caring and compassionate healthcare professionals and trained Client Advocates are ready to help you process what seems like your world is being turned upside down. We’ve got you until you can say, “I’ve got this!”

How can those in your community help with your center’s work?

You can get involved with LivingWell by volunteering at our clinic, thrift store, or events; make a financial donation; donate new and gently used clothing for mom and baby; donate items such as a Pack ‘N Play, stroller, car seat, diapers, etc.; make baby blankets, hats, and booties, and quilts; or become a prayer partner.

How has COVID-19 affected your day-to-day operations?

We have remained open throughout the pandemic providing essential care for our community at a time when it is needed more than ever. Physical distancing, requiring face coverings, and strict sanitation protocols continue to be in place for the safety of our patients and staff.

Contact Us Today

Our team at LivingWell Medical Clinic is dedicated to helping you. All of our services are free of charge and confidential. If you would like to schedule an appointment, have any questions, or need support, call us at 530.272.6800. We would love to meet you.

Eva fisher

Nursing Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Nursing Director.

LivingWell

What Foods Should I Avoid While Pregnant?

Becoming pregnant is an amazing process that is often full of joy, excitement, and, of course, some stressors. However, it also means some aspects of your life will change over time and some aspects have to change overnight. One thing that changes immediately is your diet. Unfortunately, it can be a little confusing when it comes to knowing foods to avoid while pregnant. Which is exactly why we wanted to write this article. So let’s dive into our guide on what foods you should avoid while pregnant!

Why Should I Change My Diet?

There can be a few reasons as to why you should change your diet and why you’ll need to change how you order your favorite meals. For example, the way you order your meat will have to change. The days of ordering your steak medium-rare or rare have come to an end. Why? Eating any meat that still shows pink can put your baby at risk, due to any bacteria that may not have been completely eliminated. Other diet adjustments can be more easily related to foods that can trigger or worsen morning sickness.

Sushi

The age of Volcano Rolls has come to an end. Sushi may taste fantastic, but you should add it to the list of foods to avoid while pregnant. Unfortunately, consuming raw fish can bring a number of harmful bacteria and parasites into your system. One common risk of eating sushi is the possibility of coming down with listeria, which is a harmful infection for both you and your baby. So as much as you love sushi, you’ll have to give yourself a break, but just think about all the sushi you can get down the road!

Alcohol

Next on the chopping block is alcohol. Consuming alcohol while pregnant can lead to a multitude of problems, including FASD or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It’s often said that you can have a safe amount of alcohol while pregnant, but the CDC states that there is no known safe consumable amount of alcohol while pregnant. Any alcohol consumed travels through your blood into the umbilical cord and directly into your baby. So your safest option is to simply wait until after your pregnancy is over to resume drinking.

Raw Eggs

Whether it’s part of a new diet trend or you’re just trying to bulk up and add muscle, you’ll have to put aside the raw eggs. The FDA warns that just like raw fish, raw eggs can carry a number of harmful bacterias that can cause a number of problems.

Avoid Herbal Teas

There has been much discussion on whether or not herbal teas are safe for pregnant women. The safest choice to make is to avoid these teas altogether. The herbal teas you buy at the grocery store are not strictly regulated by any governing body, which means they may have been inadvertently contaminated by unwanted compounds.

Unwashed Veggies

You’re gonna wanna wash those fruits and vegetables before eating them. Why? It’s easy for fresh produce to be contaminated by harmful bacteria and as a result, they are often sprayed with pesticides. So it’s always best to clean your produce before consuming or cooking them. To learn more about fresh produce tips for a safe diet, visit the FDA’s website.

Ready to Eat Meats

Who isn’t a fan of picnics and cookouts? Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to cancel all of your upcoming cookout plans. What you will need to do is be watchful of your “ready to eat meats”. So what falls under that umbrella?

Hotdogs
Deli meat
Cold cuts
Jerky

Now if you heat these meats up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit then you’re good to go. But I don’t think cooked jerky will be too tasty… It’s best to add these ready-to-eat meats to your list of foods to avoid while pregnant.

Fish High In Mercury

This is something that most people aren’t very aware of. It’s also something that isn’t really advertised on menus or on grocery labels either because, unless you’re pregnant, you don’t have to worry about it much. So what’s an easy rule to follow in regards to mercury levels in fish? Think small! The smaller the fish the better. All fish contain mercury and the bigger the fish the more mercury it has. So what are some fish to avoid?

Sea Bass
Halibut
Bluefish
Shark
Swordfish
Tuna

Fish from Local Areas

If you love fishing then I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can still fish! The bad news is that you may not be able to keep any of your catches to cook if it’s from local areas such as lakes and ponds. You’ll need to look at your local advisories to see if there are any known contaminants in your local area. If none are available then limit your intake to 6 ounces. If you’re out in the great outdoors, then feel free to cook whatever you catch. Just remember, small fish only.

No More Energy Drinks

The mornings of waking up half-awake and chugging a Red Bull or Monster are over. These drinks are filled to the brim with caffeine, which is exactly why they are loved by millions, but unfortunately, you need to watch how much caffeine you drink while pregnant. You’ll need to make sure that your caffeine intake doesn’t surpass 200 milligrams a day.

Say Goodbye to Sprouts

Sprouts, just like any produce item, can be a risk, but even more so than other produce. Your typical veggie or fruit is perfectly fine after you wash it, but sprouts have a larger history of causing their consumers to fall ill. All forms of sprouts can carry a number of health risks but the two main ones are E Coli. and Salmonella. Sprouts are grown in warm and moist conditions, which can be perfect for the rapid growth of bacteria.

No More Unpasteurized Foods

It’s time to cut out many of the soft cheeses like brie, mozzarella, and camembert unless the label specifically states that pasteurized milk was used. Not only do we want to avoid unpasteurized milk, but the same goes for juices. A good rule of thumb is that everything needs to be pasteurized.

Speak With Your OB-GYN About Your Diet

The most important thing you can do is sit down and talk with your OB. Never feel bad about bouncing your questions and concerns off of them. It’s their job to help you and they will most likely have a few pamphlets or guides that you can take home to help you. Trust me, your OB is going to become your best friend over these nine or so months. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

How We Can Help

It’s important not to stress during your pregnancy, which is easier said than done. That’s why our team at LivingWell Medical Clinic is dedicated to helping you during this process. Whether you need help finding a good OB-GYN or are looking for community support such as housing or aid, we can help. If you have any questions or need support, call us at 530.272.6800. We would love to meet you.

LivingWell

Understanding PASS & How You Can Find Healing

Post-abortion stress syndrome (also known as PASS) is something that you may have heard of. It is a condition that is believed to be an extension of PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. While PASS is a condition that is debated by some people, we at H3Helpline have seen thousands of women who are traumatized from their abortion experience. We are a National Helpline for Abortion Recovery. Every day, our phone coaches listen to the pain of women who are struggling with the emotional aftermath of an abortion. This is no longer something that can be debated and ignored. These women aren’t lying nor are they seeking attention. They just simply want to heal. So what is PASS and how can one find healing? These are the questions we are going to answer in today’s blog.

What is PASS?

During the pregnancy process, your body is flooded with hormones that alter your brain chemistry. After receiving an abortion, your brain halts the production of these chemicals, causing a whiplash-like situation that leaves your brain in a state of confusion. This can also be compounded by the feelings leading up to the abortion procedure. The decision to have an abortion is a tremendous decision often surrounded by intense emotions, and these emotions are often handled by everyone differently. With some women or men, they are left with a state of PTSD known as post-abortion stress syndrome or PASS.

Symptoms of PASS?

Every woman’s experience with abortion is a unique story that’s filled with unique circumstances and differing emotions. However, many of these women face similar symptoms that can be seen again and again. Sadly, many women feel like they have to ignore and suppress symptoms of PASS because they fear that those around them will focus on only one aspect of their story: that they had an abortion. We currently live in a time where many mental health issues are openly accepted; we no longer shame those who suffer from depression, self-harm, and eating disorders.

So why do women suffering from post-abortion syndrome feel uneasy coming forward? While we live in an age of mental health acceptance, we also live in a time of extreme political division, and abortion is a hot topic and the focus of many debates. In order to make it so women are comfortable discussing their PASS, we need to set aside our political views and simply lend a compassionate ear and heart to those who are hurting silently.

Some of the common symptoms of PASS are:

Depression & Emotional Numbness

The feeling of being depressed after an abortion is one of the most common symptoms of PASS. You may begin to feel a lack of interest in what was once your biggest passions. You may see yourself preferring to stay home more and more until you’re cut off from society. It may become difficult to get out of bed and or to focus on your work.

As depression starts to affect your daily life, you may find yourself dealing with the fact that you have become numb to all of your emotions. We often hear from women we help that they have tried to suppress their feelings of grief, but what happens instead is that they end up suppressing all of their emotions and find it is difficult to reverse the process, even if they want to.

Feeling Anxious or Guilty Around Other Babies

It’s not uncommon to feel at peace with your decision to receive an abortion and then find yourself feeling anxious or guilty later on down the road. You may find that certain situations, such as seeing a mother or father with a newborn baby or visiting friends who have a baby of their own, can evoke a feeling of regret or anger. You may find yourself at the baby aisle of your favorite store and being overcome with emotions of loss and anxiety.

Anniversary Anxiety

Anniversary anxiety isn’t always the easiest symptom to identify, but it’s a very common symptom. When you think of an anniversary, it’s typically something worth celebration, such as a wedding anniversary. But when it comes to the anniversary of a traumatic event, we tend to try and suppress any negative emotions and pretend that it’s just another day. Unfortunately, our mind doesn’t work like that; whether you realize it or not your subconscious is still processing what happened and can evoke feelings of anxiety without consciously realizing it.

Why PASS Shouldn’t be Ignored

Like many problems in our lives, if we tend to turn a blind eye and ignore them, the problem just continues to grow and becomes even harder to tackle further down the road. I think we have all either seen an episode of Hoarders or maybe seen a clip pop up on Facebook or Instagram TV. It’s easy to shake your head and judge them, but if you listen to them talk, you’ll see that it all started with them ignoring a trauma that occurred in their life.

Now, by no means am I saying that if you ignore post-abortion stress syndrome you will become a hoarder. What I am saying is that if you try to bury your symptoms of PASS, you run the risk of finding yourself buried by it and it can become harder to dig yourself out and deal with the problem head-on.

Why it’s Important to Reach Out Sooner Than Later

It’s human to compartmentalize grief and trauma. The emotional pain after an abortion can be immense and, in many cases, the outcome of suppressing trauma can cause more pain and damage than addressing the actual trauma. That doesn’t mean that addressing your trauma is easy; far from it. But by reaching out for help, you can save yourself from potentially causing more pain for yourself and, in some cases, for those around you as well. So let’s look at some of the risks of suppressing trauma.

Drug & alcohol abuse: When dealing with grief, it’s common to find yourself wanting to escape the real world and lose yourself in drug abuse. Whether it’s the abuse of alcohol, pain killers, or the use of harder drugs, the end result can be permanent damage to your body and/or accidental overdose.

Sexual escape: Another coping mechanism can take the form of using sex to suppress grief or to find a moment of relief from the emotional pain you feel. Using sex as an escape can be common, but it leads to the risk of contracting an STD or STI and may lead to an unplanned pregnancy.

Self-harm: In some cases, we’ve seen others turn to self-harm to find an escape. Causing physical harm to the body will lead to secrecy as you try to hide it from those who care about you and ultimately creates more anxiety. Self-harm also destigmatizes yourself to the fear of suicide and can lead to hospitalization and accidental suicide.

Eating disorders: Eating disorders are often thought of as something that only affects young women, but eating disorders can often arise from traumatic events or out of grief. One such disorder is bulimia, an eating disorder in which you consume large amounts of food and then force yourself to vomit (also known as purging) to remove the excess amount of calories. Anorexia is another common disorder, in which you begin to starve yourself. In other cases, you may find yourself losing control of how much you eat; this is referred to as binge-eating disorder.

All of these conditions can lead to a life of greater depression and anxiety. By ignoring and suppressing your feelings, you can find yourself in a vicious cycle of destructive repetition that just gets worse over time.It’s never easy to seek help, but at the same time, you will never regret doing so. We know it’s not easy. It takes strength and courage, but it’s necessary to begin your healing journey.

How Can I Begin To Heal?

You may feel like you are all alone and that there is no one that could possibly help you during this time, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You are worthy of happiness, love, healing, and forgiveness. That is the truth, however hard it may be to acknowledge it.

There isn’t a cookie-cutter cure-all way of overcoming post-abortion stress syndrome, just like there isn’t a cookie-cutter way of dealing with PTSD. Every woman’s healing journey is different, but some steps never change.

Step One

The first step may be to call our after abortion helpline (866-721-7881) and open up, admitting that this is something that you are struggling with. It is safe and confidential. Our phone coaches have been through the pain and also the healing after abortion. You want to be sure that whoever you share your pain with is safe and there is no judgment.

Step Two

The next step is to reach out and get help through a post-abortion weekend retreat, such as Rachel’s Vineyard or Deeper Still. Other choices are checking out a weekly recovery group near you, or reaching out to a nearby pregnancy center that provides post-abortion support or seeing a therapist. Even during these times of COVID-19, these groups are still meeting digitally over Zoom.

HOPE Retreat

It’s important to find healing and hope. It’s just as important to know that you are not alone. It is approximated that one-third of women have an abortion at some point in their life. Which is why LivingWell hosts a Hope Weekend Retreat. During our weekend HOPE Retreat, we get together as a small group of 5-8 women who have experienced the emotional after-effects of going through an abortion. We will process the painful thoughts and emotions like guilt, anger, unforgiveness, regret, and or depression. By doing this together we find hope and healing.

H3Helpline is Here to Help

Few people are told about the pain and stress they will experience as a result of an abortion. At H3Helpline, we understand how difficult this experience can be for you. One of the most important things you can do is to seek out after abortion care and start the healing journey sooner rather than later. Not only will it help you, but you’ll connect with other people who have gone through the same experience as you, allowing you to gain help, support, and understanding from them. Give us a call today at 866-721-7881 to speak with one of our trained phone coaches & get connected to local post-abortion care resources in your area.

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Medical Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Medical Director.