Miracle: A First-Time Mom's Experience

First thing's first; there are A LOT of things that nobody tells you about childbirth. The truth is, though, it's a miracle and I'd do it all again. I'm really not writing this to scare anyone, but to educate future mothers on what's ahead. Not that I'm crazy experienced with motherhood (I mean, I have a 6 month old), but I'm telling you the truth, and I'm going to run you through it all. Just kow that no matter how you feel now, the day your baby comes none of that will matter!

For me it all started with an extra few pounds. It was March 20, 2019 and well; my boyfriend had noticed I'd started to develop a bit of a belly. He wasn't trying to make me feel bad, he just honestly had a feeling that I should test. Not thinking anything of it, you know, I agreed because I thought to myself "my period's due in like 6 days I'm probably fine". After all, I was on the Ortho-Evra Patch for contraception since high school, and at this point I was twenty. It had worked for that long; there's no way I was pregnant. SO, I take a test (one of those stupid $1.25 dropper tests from Dollarama)... and I wait. One minute goes by... negative. Two minutes go by... negative... whew! Not pregnant... so I throw out the test. At this point my boyfriend is about to leave for the first part of a job interview.

About a half hour to an hour goes by and I have to use the bathroom again. I walk across the hall and shut the door... so I'm in my bathroom doing my stuff, ya know; and out of the corner of my eye I see that darn pee stick on the top of the garbage and... something inside tells me to look at it again... so I pick it up...

Oh... my... GOD! I'm PREGNANT?! What do I do now? I was excited and scared and I didn't know what to do at all, I couldn't ruin my boyfriend's interviews... so I kept quiet... I phoned his sister in Florida and told her the knews; we were laughing and crying; and I just had to thank her... I'd just had the best 10 days of my life only two months prior, when I went to stay with her. The funny part is that I had a scare in Florida because my period was late that month, most likely from stress due to travel because you know, that can happen; and I tested negative TWICE in Florida two months prior. Then, my Valentine's Day was ruined the following month, if you know what I mean, so I obviously wasn't pregnant... and now here we were, March 20, 2019; and I was pregnant.

I e-mailed my high school Spanish teacher with the news because it was her birthday, so I wished her a good one with a "surprise, I'm pregnant" attachment, and she was so happy! It took me a while to tell everyone else... I was only 2 weeks pregnant at the time of that test; my first ultrasound showed ONLY an amniotic sac, NO BABY! I hadn't even concieved yet; I was IN THE PROCESS! Oh... my... God. Insane.

Months go by and at 22 weeks pregnant,we found out we were expecting a baby boy. We started shopping and looking for names then and there. It took us until the day our son was born to name him. I didn't have a baby shower or anything, and I had to drop school because at 27 weeks and 6 days, on September 4 2019; I was hospitalized. I had to go through a lot of stupid things I shouldn't have had to deal with; at three different hospitals, before finding a specialist I liked. So I went to an OB/GYN out of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie; she was on-call during my second hospitalization (of probably 30) and I liked her, so I asked to be referred.

She diagnosed me with Cervical Insufficiency/Short Cervix; which basically means that my cervix is too short to maintain a full-term pregnancy. She placed me on progesterone pills to maintain my pregnancy but warned that a) I am still at high-risk; b) every pregnancy will be this way; c) I may never carry a pregnancy to term; d) I may need medications and surgeries to maintain pregnancy in the future; and e) I have a high chance of miscarrying in the future with every pregnancy... wow; huge news to give a 20 year old. It was definitely a lot to take in... but, that month I turned 21 and I spent all of September and October in and out of the hospital. At 37 weeks on November 7 2019 I saw the OB/GYN and she told me my child was a miracle (he made it early-full term!!! YAY! She told me no baby would for me, and my FIRST ONE DID! WOO!)... she told me it would be anytime now, and low and behold I spent the next 24 hours in pain for which I went to the hospital several times... my doctor told me if nothing happened overnight I was to come back at 7:30 AM for induction; this was at 1PM or so.

At 7:30 PM on November 8th I was rushed back to the hospital in labour and call my mom. No induction needed. 22 hours, 2 epidural bags, a vaccuum extraction and a bunch of stitches later my blood covered OB/GYN hands me my son, on November 9, 2019 9:39 AM. My son was born 5 pounds 13 ounces, and in the first week he dropped, even after his elevated billirubin levels were treated (if these get too high it means baby has jaundice and needs light therapy; my son was close enough so they did it anyways). He was then 5 pounds 8 ounces and only grew from there.

The following six weeks were an excruciating period of sitz baths on my sutures and peri-bottle sprays every time I'd pee (owwww!!!)... not to mention all the blood (yes, you bleed into diapers for like 6 weeks, you have a wound the size of a plate inside you)... like guys... there's a lot of things nobody tells you about having a baby.

But you know what everyone will say, no matter who they are? They'll tell you it's all worth it, and that they'd do it all over again. The best way to prepare is honestly to pack your bag and stock up on supplies early. Don't forget to talk to your specialist about your birth plan! When it's all over you'll be holding a beautiful baby. Happy birthing!