LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Pregnancy centers across America saw an uptick in pregnant women seeking services in the last six months of 2022, according to a new report released by the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI). The increase came after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in June 2022 and returned abortion rights to the states.

Key findings of the report.

According to its website, the CLI advises and leads the pro-life movement with groundbreaking scientific, statistical, and medical research. It surveyed 2,750 pregnancy centers in the U.S. The key findings of the report include:

  • Pregnancy centers met with clients more than 16 million times in 2022. This included in person and virtual appointments.
  • The total service value is at least $358 million annually.
  • Pregnancy centers provided services to almost 975,000 new clients.
  • Pregnancy centers provided these services at no cost: pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education programs, baby diapers, wipes, formula, outfits, and more.

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“In the Dobbs era, the demands upon pregnancy help centers have increased daily,” said Chuck Donovan, president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute. “Many states are responding with new funds and new policies to support the centers’ work.”

How does Michigan stack up?

Michigan is not one of those states. It’s not surprising given that Gov. Whitmer has vowed to “fight like hell” for abortion rights and reproductive freedom. In June, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released its 2022 report on abortions in Michigan.

While it found that abortions on Michigan women decreased by more than 1,100, abortions on out-of-state women increased 9%. It’s called “abortion tourism” and that means women are traveling from states with abortion restrictions to Michigan to end their pregnancies.

Last week, Gov. Whitmer signed the final piece of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA). It repealed a ban on insurance coverage for abortions without purchase of a separate rider. It’s the most recent in a long line of abortion legislation pushed by Whitmer and the Democrat-led legislature. Voters also approved Proposal 2 in November 2022, which lists abortion through all nine months of pregnancy as a right in the Michigan constitution.

Gov. Whitmer signed the state’s 2023 fiscal budget and vetoed $1.5 million for pregnancy resource centers. Whitmer also nixed $2 million in tax credits for adoptive families along with $10 million for programs which promoted adoption alternatives to abortion.

How are pregnancy centers delivering in Michigan?

Michigan’s newly minted abortion policies haven’t stopped the roughly 150 pregnancy resource centers in Michigan from helping women and their babies. Laurie Shults, who is the client service director at Bella Women’s Center in Owosso, countered the myth that pro-life advocates are simply “pro-birth.”

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“We support them throughout their pregnancy and after their pregnancy, too,” Shults said. “We have clients that have been with us five or six years.”

Shults said pregnancy resource centers in Michigan are all on the same page when it comes to helping women and children. She said Bella, which now offers free ultrasounds and pregnancy testing, is seeing a big demand for diapers, wipes, and formula. In fact, women can get clothing and anything else they need for their babies from pregnancy resource centers.

“A lot of women are coming in pregnant and they just need help,” Shults said. “They want to carry their babies and they need help with material things and a safe place to come to where they are supported.”

Pregnancy centers focus on relationships.

Word about their work seems to be spreading. In 2022, Bella helped 45 clients, most of whom had repeat and follow-up visits. As of October of this year, the center helped 74. Shults attributes much of the increase to their “Bright Course,” an in-person and online series of education classes on everything from prenatal care, breast feeding, and parenting skills, to Bible classes and how to parent as a single mom. Shults said it helps the center develop long-term relationships.

Those that work with women and babies in pregnancy resource centers know they have an uphill battle in Michigan and it’s not just with Gov. Whitmer. In October, Attorney General Dana Nessel and 15 other state attorneys general signed an open letter condemning pregnancy centers. The letter accused the centers of spreading “misinformation and harm.” The letter also lambasted pregnancy centers because they “actively aim to prevent people from accessing abortion care and do not provide abortions or abortion services.”

For those who feel the weight of carrying an unplanned pregnancy to full term in Michigan, Shults said she wanted to encourage all women with a word of advice.

“You can do this,” she said.