My Personal Experience...

(My Husband and Dylan October 2005)

On Black Friday of 2004 I found out my life was going to change forever. I was only 20 years old, still in college, and not married yet. How could this happen? We were careful and precautious. Now we were preparing for a baby! I remember everything as if it were yesterday. My parents were furious with me and Dean. My in-laws however, took me in, supported us, and helped us to be as educated and prepared as possible. I was, and still am, so grateful they gave us the chance to be successful. Without their support things could have turned out much more different.

                My prenatal experience was pretty uneventful. I went to all of my appointments every month and had a plethora of preventative testing done. By the grace of God I was healthy and so was my (now 7 years old) baby. I was due July 20, 2005. That summer was painfully hot. I remember walking a lot because it was the only way I could get some relief. The doctors had told me young first time mothers can deliver 2 weeks late and they consider that standard. I was praying that would not be the case because by the time July came around I was completely miserable.

                The 4^th of July came and all I could do that day was sit. I wasn’t in pain I just remember feeling really weird because the baby was moving down and I could feel it. I had just been to the doctor the day before and they had shared with me that I was not ready yet to have the baby. So I ignored the weird feeling I had. The following night (July 5^th) my, now husband, took me out to dinner at the Olive Garden. I hadn’t really been away from the house at all that week and was starting to get stir crazy. I had eggplant parm, a salad, and a soda. My husband ate an obscene amount of “never ending” pasta. I was so tired so we went home straight after. By the time we got in it was around 10:30pm. I put on pajamas and “rolled” into bed. Just as my head hit the pillow WHOOSH! It was as if the flood gates had opened. Even though it was my pregnancy experience I knew what had just happen. My water broke. Intense contractions started immediately so off to the hospital we went. I was examined right away and sure enough I was 9 ½ cm and in full labor. I heard (for the 100^th time) that this would be a long experience for me that could take longer than 24 hours. Boy, were they wrong. At about 1:30am I received an epidural. About an hour later I told the nurse I felt like I needed to push. After she argued with me that these things take time she agreed to check me. I can still see the look on her face today. It was time! 4 pushes and 20 minutes later the most beautiful baby boy I have ever laid my eyes on was in my arms. Dylan Michael was born on July 6^th, 2005 at 3:15am. He was 5 lbs 14 ounces and was 21 inches long. At that moment every fear I had melted away as I realized I was ready to be a mother. It’s been almost seven years now and he is the love of my life. I still can see my little baby every time I look at him.

                There was so much we did not know about the prenatal process. I feel that if we didn’t take the initiative to reach for support from my husband’s parents, the doctors, and nurses we may have made some poor decisions that could have affected our son. Until the doctor fully explained it to me I had no idea how important vitamins and screenings are to an unborn child. I also wasn’t aware of the physical considerations I would have to take to protect me and the baby. I could have really impacted the baby’s development for the worse if I did not seek out the support and education. Now, I feel like there is so much more education and support offered to expecting mothers than there was 7 years ago (even though that’s really not that long ago). You are automatically guided step by step through each process I choose to share this experience with you 1. Because I felt initially so unprepared for this, and 2. Because I had support and I believe it made all the difference. Now most women are given support through various organizations. There are places that offer free services so that families can give children the best opportunity for development. I feel this is great progress and the birthing experience can truly be a wonderful thing.