 Ubah came to the United States from Somalia when she was 17 and pregnant, to join her mother in Seattle. When the Nurse Family Partnership nurse first met Ubah, she was living with her mother, sister, and brother in a small apartment. Ubah wondered how life was going to be as a teen mother, or if she would even “have a life” as she put it. Dealing with early contractions and fear about preterm labor, Ubah sometimes cried at the early nurse visits and felt daunted by this very big and difficult change in her life. It was hard to imagine a life for her child that was so different from her own. She grew up in a war-torn country, moved a lot, and lived with aunts or her grandmother more than with her own mother and father. Dutifully taking notes, Ubah seemed to hang on to every word the nurse said and sought all the information she could get about pregnancy and parenting. She engaged in discussions of her past, which were sometimes quite difficult, but did so to be more hopeful for a new future with her baby. Ubah developed a delightful attitude near the end of her pregnancy, even while on bed-rest. When the nurse would ask how she was, she would say “I’m GREAT!” Her daughter Idman is now 13 months old and is a very bright, curious, and affectionate child. She understands both English and Somali. Ubah is very playful and joyful with Idman and they have a terrific relationship. Throughout her pregnancy, Ubah had to work very hard at school, especially with English as a second language. There were times she did not think she could continue with school, so the nurse would work with her to focus on her strengths and progress. Now, Ubah plans to graduate from high school and has decided to go to college to pursue a career in the health care field.
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