A Mother’s Story of Escaping Domestic Violence and Navigating a High-Risk Pregnancy

Jennifer Lucas joins host Ciarra Morgan to share her powerful and deeply personal birth story. She shares what it was like to navigate pregnancy, survival, and motherhood while fleeing an abusive relationship. She discusses leaving an abusive relationship while pregnant, navigating a high-risk pregnancy and complex medical decisions, the emotional reality of having a baby in the NICU, and parenting and advocating for your child as a single mother. This conversation is raw, honest, and ultimately rooted in resilience — a reminder that safety, support, and new beginnings are possible, even when the path is incredibly hard. Jennifer Lucas is a mother of two girls, 3 years old and 6 months old as of January 2026.  When she found out she was pregnant with her second child, she was a stay-at-home mom in the process of fleeing an abusive relationship.  She spent her first months of pregnancy in a domestic violence shelter before picking her career back up as a Special Education Teacher and making a fresh start.  Before she could completely regain her footing, however, complications were found on her 20-week ultrasound. After extensive testing, her baby was diagnosed with a severe growth restriction in the 1st percentile. She was hospitalized soon after for monitoring, and her baby was born at 32 weeks, spending 9 weeks in the NICU.  When she's not working or caring for her children, she's busy writing a book about her experiences, with the hopes of helping and empowering other women and moms in the same position. Facebook: https://facebook.com/jennlu512 Instagram: @‌jennlu512 Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE. For the pre-recorded, self-paced Birth Basics Class, click HERE. For the pre-recorded, self-paced Newborn Sleep Class, click HERE. Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE.  Online, self-paced Birth Doula Training and Certification Program with Birth, Baby! Academy This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE. Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected] Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly. Ciarra Morgan: www.EmpoweredBeginningsATX.com www.BirthBabyAcademy.com Samantha Kelly: www.beautifullymadedc.com