Childbirth - My Personal Experience

Each of my three personal experiences with pregnancy and childbirth were so different in some ways and similar in others. 

The similarities are the prenatal care I made sure I got as well as making sure I took care of myself.  Even at a young age I somehow instinctively knew this was important for their futures.

With my first child I was 17 when I was pregnant and 18 when he was born.  I remember not having a clue I was pregnant until one day when I walked into the house and smelled onions cooking with a roast.  I swear I turned green as I had to rush out of the room to get sick.  Once I found out that I was pregnant I stopped all caffeine and made sure I ate all the right foods, went to all my doctor appointments etc… (Almost all the right foods.  I was totally addicted to tootsie pops during my pregnancy and always had some wherever I went.)  I was amazed at the changes that seemed to be happening each day and would sit for hours just rubbing my stomach, listening to music, reading etc… to this little unborn miracle.  Unfortunately, all did not stay so positive.  While at a cookout in July 1985 (six weeks before my due date) a drunken man had pushed down his pregnant wife in a drunken rage.  When I went to help her up the same man turned on me and I was basically thrown onto a hood of one of the cars.  I went into labor that night and have never been so scared in my life.  After 12 hours of labor there became a complication with my son’s heart rate and he needed to be delivered via an emergency c-section.  He weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 17 inches long.  Pretty good for a six-week premature baby.  I was told by the doctors that he would more than likely be academically and/or physically behind his entire life and was given references to what services were available at that time.  I am happy to say that my son ended up being tenth in his graduating class without even trying and is today approximately 6 ft. 2 in. tall.

My second child I was 19 when I was pregnant and about six weeks away from 20 when she was born.  This time I knew when I was pregnant before the doctor’s would even give me an official pregnancy test.  It was the smell on onions cooking again.  This time around the morning sickness stayed with me during the entire pregnancy and I also had some minor issues with my heart which needed a monitor.  I decided once again to make sure I ate the right foods, etc… (Except with this one it was strawberry sundaes.)  With the second pregnancy it was harder to sit and relax but I still spent a lot of time just sitting and rocking in my rocking chair listening to music, reading, and rubbing my stomach calming down little elbows, feet, hands, and knees.  Five weeks prior to my due date there were some complications and I had to rush to the hospital.  Fortunately, labor was able to be stopped and I made it almost to my due date.  It was a good thing my water had not broken prior to me going to the hospital.  As soon as it did my daughter was born 20 minutes later.  Her entire labor and delivery only took three hours. Unfortunately, I was given a pain shot too close to delivery and my daughter ended up with the effects of it when she was first born.  I needed to follow up with various doctors during her first three years of life, but fortunately there were no issues because of this.  But at the end I had this beautiful little girl with reddish blond hair (7 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 in.).  I remember thinking, “Now our family is complete.” 

Surprise!  Along comes my last child.  I was 20 when I found out I was pregnant with him and 21 when he was born.  Of course it was those darn onions again that made this known very quickly into the pregnancy.  So I did all the right foods, etc… again (except for the craving for anything with cheese).  I really had a tough time trying to relax but did my best and spent a lot of time just sitting and enjoying being pregnant.  I knew this was my last one as the decision was already made I was not coming home from the hospital without making sure of this.  I had three children at 21 years of age and just knew this was it.  Unfortunately, I had problems with blood pressure with this pregnancy and was forced to spend as much time off my feet as I could.  I actually made my due date and was a day late with this pregnancy.  At the end, here was an 8 lb. 10 oz., 21 in. baby boy with tons of dark hair.  Now I knew the family was complete.

I attribute the fact that my children were able to grow up healthy and are doing so well because I was fortunate enough to have the various supports and prenatal care during these important times of growth and development.  I had some tough pregnancies but each of the children is doing terrific at the ages of 26, 23, and 22 at the moment.  My youngest has type I diabetes but that is the only health issue with any of the children.  I am truly blessed and fortunate to have each of them.