Pregnancy Help Podcast

Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week was designed by Heartbeat International to honor those working within the pregnancy help movement. Through their work, women and men receive the compassionate support they need when facing a life-changing decision. They walk alongside families throughout the pregnancy and beyond, blessing them with pregnancy tests, emotional support, ultrasounds, parenting classes,...

Lisa Searle is currently a Healthcare Team Manager for Heartbeat’s Medical Impact team and the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, but she didn’t start out in the pro-life movement. In fact, Lisa’s work as a nurse first led her to work in an abortion clinic, even handing out the abortion pill, for many years until she realized that God was trying to intervene in her life. Listen as Bet...

Consultants of Option Line, our 24/7 pregnancy helpline, took some time in the last few months to discuss changes they have seen since the pandemic hit. Join Nafisa Kennedy, Director of Option Line, as she and Betty McDowell talk about what they’ve noticed about the men and women who contact the helpline, and what pregnancy centers can do to better serve clients during these uncertain times....

If you want to change politics, you have to first change the culture. Pregnancy help works to advance cultures to embrace life in communities worldwide. As you can imagine, this directly contrasts with Big Abortion’s agenda. Today, we are joined by Jor-El Godsey, Betty McDowell and Danielle White from Heartbeat International to discuss how who we vote for in local and national elections impact the...

Join Beth Diemert, Heartbeat International Ministry Services Specialist as she dives into the stories and experiences that led her through over 31 years in pregnancy help ministry. Looking back on those years, Beth has a few things she would like to tell her new director self! Sponsored by Extend Web Services Heartbeat International provides a forum to express a marketplace of ideas for an audienc...

Abortion is a very deep and sensitive topic – one that many churches avoid speaking about from the pulpit. However, abortion tends to be a symptom of something much deeper in women, so it is an important topic that should not be overlooked. There are very effective ways to approach this topic along with providing practical resources for those within the church community directly. Betty McDow...

Join Betty McDowell, Heartbeat International’s vice president of Ministry Services, as she interviews Robyn Chambers, executive director of advocacy for children at Focus on the Family about the various pro-life initiatives and some insight into their newest campaign. See Life 2020 is an online event that will expose the lies and pain of abortion and celebrate the miraculous wonder of life....

Cindi Boston-Bilotta interviews Dr. Peggy Hartshorn about her latest book, The L.O.V.E. Approach . In 1994, Dr. Hartshorn developed The L.O.V.E. Approach manual to explain how Christ-centered pregnancy help center volunteers can build relationships with women facing difficult pregnancies and help them resolve issues and problems in a life-affirming way. It has been in continuous use around the wor...

Bri Laycock, the Director of Ministry Solutions, reflects on how to better reach potential residents in this informative episode of Pregnancy Help Podcast. Learn about using Google analytics to see who your website is attracting and how using phrases may help improve your search results for clients.  Bri also shares about the important role that the “live chat” function has for Option...

Heart of a Child Ministries was started through the prayer of a seven-year-old child named Grace in 2012. Its goal is to build a culture of love and life through dynamic Celebration of Life live ultrasound presentations for children, teens, and adult groups. They also fundraise for local pregnancy centers through the sale of Pro-life Prayer Pillows. Nikki shares how she develops relationships with...

Join Heartbeat International’s Sara Littlefield as she interviews star of the movie Unplanned, Ashley Bratcher. They discuss Ashley’s pro-life transformation, what inspired her to start the Unplanned Movie Scholarship to help women choose life and continue to chase their dreams, and how pregnancy help organizations can get involved. Additional Resources: Unplanned Movie Scholarship Don...

Tony Trammell started Dadhood.org back in 2003 after seeing a need — a need for men facing unexpected fatherhood to be ministered to within the walls of pregnancy centers. Since then, he has written program curriculum and has mentored hundreds of clients. Tony shares his story along with insight on starting or strengthening your organization’s men’s ministry. Additional Resources: Visi...

This podcast will encourage and inspire you as to how to move forward with your organization through an uncertain time. In regard to pregnancy help events, do you ever find yourself asking:  Donors (What’re they thinking?) Speakers (How can you partner with them? They want to help you.) Listeners (Encouragement piece) Kirk and Jenn Walden Kirk Walden is an advancement specialist with Heartbe...

Join us as Sue Baumgarten (Lifehouse of Houston) and Emily Prins (Expect Hope) reflect on encouragement, especially during times of challenge and crisis.  This uplifting podcast acknowledges the challenge of uncertainty while inviting leaders to exercise obedience, surrender, and rest as they lead their teams. Additional Resources: Heartbeat International’s COVID-19 information National Mate...

Kesha Franklin of Lifeline Village discusses how options counseling about parenting and adoption is an on-going part of their maternity home program. Starting from the principle that adoption is a Biblically sound and loving idea, this podcast features thoughts on how to include the adoption conversation into your program. Additional Resources: LifeLine Village National Maternity Housing Coalition...

Michele Marsh of LifeHouse Maternity Home provides an in-depth overview of their six-year-old program housing pregnant women in need. This podcast covers various topics including accreditation, the decision to have a 2nd home, working with women with addiction histories, and advice for start-ups. Additional Resources: National Maternity Housing Coalition Website Heartbeat International Housing Mat...

This podcast, featuring Sarah Sutay of The Lighthouse Station, discusses ways to wake up the desire for “more.” Sarah highlights the importance of identifying values and strengths in the moms and recognizing that they are the experts in their own life. Using what they have experienced working in past decisions, Sarah illustrates the power of reinforcement, especially of the positive, t...

Lauren Mauk, the Board President of Mommy’s Haven, goes in-depth with the vision and logistics of their mentoring program. With a spirit of “rigid flexibility,” she shares how they vet and train mentors so as to encourage long-time, impactful relationships. The vision of the program is “interdependent women” — listen to hear how Mommy’s Haven embodies that...

Heartbeat International’s Sara Littlefield answers one of the most common questions we receive from those looking to get involved in the pro-life movement. In this podcast, Sara offers some practical ways anyone can advocate for the unborn by advocating for the woman. Additional Resources HeartbeatServices.org OptionLine.org Students for Life Abortion Pill Rescue Network Heartbeat Internatio...

This hope-filled webinar, featuring Emily Prins of Expect Hope offers encouragement to those in the start-up phase of opening a home. Emily shares from her experience of starting a “social service project with eternal consequences” on how to be prepared for the spiritual battle associated with pregnancy help work. She reminds listeners that the work is part of the process of sanctifica...

Jeanne Allert operates The Samaritan Women , a residential restorative care program for women who have been exploited by trafficking. The power-packed podcast talks about the intersection points with maternity homes and invites programs to think about creating “safe within” environments, ways to detox from a highly “private universe”, and how to help women reclaim their bou...

This podcast features Amy Johnson, the Training Director for Missouri Baptist Children’s Home in St. Louis.  Using principles of TBRI, Amy discusses the shift from being behavior-focused to being need-focused, the shift from focusing on anger to focusing on fear, and the realities of “survival brain.”  She also discusses the balance between structure and nurture within the contex...

In this podcast, Andrea McAdam shares the policies and approach of The LIGHT House in working with young women in the early stages of recovery. Listen to her thoughts on how addiction factors into serving their community well especially related to intakes, dirty drug tests, and organizational relationships.   Heartbeat International provides a forum to express a marketplace of ideas for an au...

As states pass various laws regarding abortion, pregnancy centers need to be ready for a possible influx in clients. Heartbeat International Vice Presidents, Cindi Boston and Betty McDowell, offer key tips for rapid growth and information on what to expect. Additional Resources: Podcast: Planning for the Future Report: Pregnancy Center Service Report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute Webinar: Pu...

This encouraging podcast reminds us to reach to the heart of the resident, especially in the midst of challenging conversations. Listen in on the wisdom of Rhonda Weddle as she shares insights on separating oneself from the anger and frustration of the client so that you can listen to the cry of her heart. Additional Resources: National Maternity Housing Coalition Website Heartbeat International H...