After helping raise 15 nieces and nephews, Aaliyah, a first-time mother thought, “Yeah, I got this.”
But when her son, Jaylen, was born just 8 months ago, she quickly realized that parenting your own child brings a different kind of responsibility and a new set of challenges!
“You see your nieces and nephews, you can give them back,” Aaliyah laughed. “But when you have your own, it can be really scary.”
In Jaylen’s early months, Aaliyah faced challenges that many new parents experience and moments that brought anxiety, worry, and feeling the weight of being a first-time mommy.
Aaliyah has been a patient at Community of Hope for more than six years, receiving primary care for herself and now her son and fiancée receive care. During her pregnancy, her provider encouraged her to sign up for our CenteringParenting® after the baby arrived.
At first, she wasn’t sure. She can be a bit shy at times in group settings, because she prefers one-on-one settings. But after her son was born, she decided to give it a try.
The CenteringParenting group model of care allows families with babies in the first year to receive their well-child visits together. Groups occur at the 2-, 4-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month moments and include health assessments, immunizations, and developmental screenings for child; parent health checks; and support for key topics like nutrition, stress management.
Aaliyah describes CenteringParenting simply as “a supportive village.”
“As a first-time mom, I had a lot of anxiety,” she explained.
One of the most meaningful parts of the experience has been attending the sessions alongside her fiancée. Creating space for both parents to share perspectives and grow together.
“This is her first time, and this is my first time,” Aaliyah says. “She has her view on how Jaylen is. I have my view. I love that she’s able to attend the class with me.”
The program strengthens their parenting and their partnership.
Through CenteringParenting, they learned how to anticipate developmental milestones, better understand their son’s behavior, manage the unexpected, and lean on other parents for support.
What once felt isolating became a celebrated connection.
