ABC recently donated over $400 to the Alabama Prison Project. This money helped them to reach their goal to assist
pregnant women at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women, in Wetumpka. Infants born to incarcerated mothers have committed no crime, yet they are faced with separation from their mothers very soon after birth. The trauma to
mother and baby is significant. The Alabama Prison Project helps to facilitate, encourage, and preserve the
mother/child bond by educating others during the pregnancy, supporting them through labor and delivery, and
helping the mom create a calm and peaceful welcoming for her child in the moments after birth. Childbirth
classes and one-on-one support lower the effects of stress and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum. The
effects of chronic maternal stress during pregnancy are well documented and include low birthweight, preterm
birth, lower APGAR scores, smaller head circumference, a more difficult labor and delivery, postpartum depression,
and neuroendocrine dysregulation in the newborn. If you are interested in donating, please contact Ashley
Lovell at info@prisonbirth.org.
