HAMILTON, Ohio — The first thing Devan Powell shows me is her son’s clothes. A set of three Nike onesies she got for $12. And the sleep sack with a matching bib and hat that says, “Welcome to the world.”
Like a lot of mothers, Powell bought gender neutral outfits before she knew whether she was having a boy or a girl. Like a lot of mothers, she displays her ultrasound pictures proudly. And like a lot of mothers, she can already pick out which features look like hers. (The cheeks, she tells me.)
But unlike a lot of mothers, Powell is attending drug court.
WATCH: Inside a recovery center for pregnant women that they call Mama's house
Powell is 21.
She tells me she’s seen her mom overdose more times than she can count. Once, when she was 9, Powell says she had to call 911 because her mom wasn’t breathing. Her mom is clean now, but a protection order keeps them from seeing each other.
“I never thought I was going to be able to get clean," Powell said. “It’s all I knew."
That’s why she's here. At a place residents call Mama’s House.
“If it wasn’t for them,” Powell said, “I don’t know where I’d be.”
A decade ago, hardly any treatment centers offered special programs like this for pregnant or postpartum women. Even now, this is one of the only places like it in Butler County.
“Because there’s such a stigma to be pregnant and have an addiction — they live with enough,” said Nikki Sams, a case manager for Sojourner Recovery Services.
Sams is the person who goes to doctor’s appointments with these residents. She helps them with insurance, helps them with diapers and other baby supplies. She helps with childcare.
She can help them with almost anything they need. And sometimes, that just means listening.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be guilty or ashamed of,” Sams said. “They’ve come for help. And they’re getting the help they need.”
This year, officials say all eight children at Mama's House have been born free of withdrawal symptoms. Something Powell didn't always think would be possible.
“I was in a terrible place," Powell said. "I was working at a strip club, living in my car with cat and my dog."
She looks down at her belly and takes a deep breath.
“And now I’m here.”
