It started with sleeping pills, then Percocet, then heroin and cocaine.

Nichole Hollie was in the heat of her addiction when she got pregnant. Not once, but twice. Both times she lost her baby. Pregnant a third time, Nichole couldn’t bear the thought of losing yet another child.

“It was a push for me to actually get my life together — me finding out that I was pregnant,” Nichole said.  “It was actually a blessing. It really was. I didn't like being on the streets. I didn't like what I was doing . . . Eventually I was going to end up locked up or I was going to end up dead.”

Nichole chose to go to VCU Health’s OB MOTIVATE Clinic, a clinic designed for women to address substance use disorders before, during and after pregnancy. There she received integrated, personalized treatment for her addiction along with prenatal care.

“Something we strive to do here is to be compassionate and person-centered,” said Dr. Caitlin E. Martin, director of OB-GYN addiction services at OB MOTIVATE. “It's not just being nice to someone or just treating them like a human . . . It's also not being judgmental. There's a lot of stigma and discrimination against people who suffer from addiction. We strive with every person that walks in our doors to never judge them.”

OB MOTIVATE offers services similar to a women’s health clinic or pregnancy clinic, but with special services for substance use disorders. Services include: 

• Treatment for substance use disorders, including medications for opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder
• Reproductive and sexual health care
• Recovery support during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum
• Annual well-woman exams, including pap smear, birth control, pregnancy counseling, and cervical cancer screening and tests
• Pediatric consultation for newborn care
• Lactation consultation and breastfeeding education
• Behavioral health counseling and individual and support groups
• Referrals to other services, including those for hepatitis C treatment, social work, domestic violence and primary care

“The care I received from Dr. Martin is amazing,” Nichole said. “I love coming into the MOTIVATE Clinic to see Dr. Caitlin . . . just seeing the smile on her face, or just her asking me how I'm doing, or actually caring . . . I can feel that she cares.”

Nichole had to learn all over again how to be an adult — a mom, a sister, a daughter, a wife. Now she’s in recovery and raising a healthy baby girl. “It’s beautiful to watch her grow, with a sober mind,” she said.

You can get help, too

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction before, during or after pregnancy, please visit our OB MOTIVATE Clinic or call (804) 828-4409 to schedule an appointment.

Across OB-GYN services, VCU Health works with patients and their families to create unique birth experiences tailored to each patient’s wants and needs. To learn more about all of VCU Health’s services for pregnant and new moms, visit vcumom.com.