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Comparison of 1st & second pregnancies.

Hi. My name is Amy. I am 21 years old. I got pregnant with my 1st child when I was 16. On October 23,2002 I gave birth to a baby girl that was named Haylie Nicole. She is 4 now and I am 38 1/2 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby. It is believed to be a boy & we are naming him Brandon Lee.

Haylie was an easy pregnancy. I had no problems, no complaints (other than the fact that I was 16 & pregnant). I didn't even get very big with her. My water broke the day I turned 38 weeks in the doctor's office on the examining table. I was in labor for 7 hours but only about an hour was hard labor. I didn't even tear or need an episiotomy. I was lucky. This baby, however, has given me a rough go.

I was nauseous for 3 months straight to begin with and have constantly had sinus problems. I have gotten much bigger with this one. I am measuring 40 weeks already & gained about 50 lbs or more. My legs, feet, hands, & face have stayed constantly swelled for the last 3 weeks or so & until about 2 weeks ago I had heartburn so bad I thought I'd swallowed a torch. My tail bone and back hurt so bad I can't hardly stand to move, my hips ache to no end & my skin feels like an oil rig exploded on it.

I've had problems with my heart pounding and staying tired all the time. I didn't find out for sure I was pregnant until I was 25 weeks but the crappy way I'd felt for the last 4-5 months should've been a dead giveaway. I didn't even pay attention to how many weeks I was when I was pregnant with Haylie but with this one I'm counting down the days. My due date is 4-09-07. I'd like to go before then but I went to the doctor on Wednesday (This is Friday) and I was only 1cm dilated if that.

I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions like crazy & menstrual like cramps on and off for the last month but nothing has really progressed. I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever. I know I can't be but it feels like it. I’ll be the happiest person alive when this baby finally decides to come out. Knowing my luck with this pregnancy so far I'll go 2 weeks passed my due date, have to be induced and be in labor for 15-20 hours or more. Thank God for epidurals!

I am also having my tubes tied. I don't want to go through this again. I'm sick & tired of being sick & tired! For some women this trimester is the best one for them but it has been the worst for me. I'm completely miserable. I wish this one had been as easy as my first one. It was a breeze. I just can't wait until it's over.

We are putting the baby up for adoption but the people that are adopting are people I've known all my life so we'll be able to be apart of his life. I’m grateful for that. My daughter lives with her father's parents and they won't let me see her. I haven't seen or talked to Haylie for over 5 months. I've tried but her grandmother is a witch with a capitol B and avoids me. My mother and aunt act like the baby isn't even related to them just because I'm not raising him. My mom doesn't even want to see him. That hurts my feelings but it's her loss.

Whether she likes it or not he is her grandson and that doesn't change just because I'm not the one raising him. But the baby's father's family is supportive and I'm thankful for that. In case you haven't figured it out, Haylie and this baby have different Dads. But I wish everyone good luck and I hope I'll have good news soon!



Amy M.

Can't Wait...

I found out I was pregnant sometime in August. I was already 8 weeks pregnant, now I am 37 weeks pregnant and expecting a lil girl any day. My due date is April 12 but hopefully I'll have her before. I am so ready. Everyday me feet swell so big my shoes don’t fit and I can’t even walk without them hurting.

We’re naming her Trina Rae after my husband’s mom who passed away when he was only 4.

But his father and step-sister do not agree with the name, they think he shouldn’t name her that. His step-sister thinks it’s offending his step mom but we do not understand how. I really don’t care if they stop talking to us over it because he is naming his daughter after his mom for a good reason, not to make his step mom jealous.

The way I look at it, it will be their loss not to have they grand-baby in their life. We have my family and I have a huge family. She isn’t even born yet and she is so spoiled and I am grateful I have a family that’s on our side.



stephanie

It's good to have support!

This is my first pregnancy. I am 21 years old and 32 weeks pregnant. This is the roughest experience I have ever witnessed! Around my 9th week, I decided to look for my own insurance. Prior to becoming pregnant I was able to use my mother's insurance (because I was a full-time college student).

At the time, I lived with my parents and gave my home telephone so that the company could contact me. Stupid me. My mom worked at the same insurance company that I tried to get connected with. One day, when my younger brother was at home from school the insurance company called and he gave them my mother's work number. He was unaware of what was going on. Later on that day, the insurance company contacted my mom at work and that's when she found out that I was pregnant.

Since then I have moved out of my parents house and into my boyfriend's mother's home. I am still attending college and will graduate this semester with an associate’s degree. My parents and family have not been supportive throughout my pregnancy and as a result it has been rough.

If it were not for my boyfriend's continuous love and support I could not have made it this far. He's been right by my side the whole time. It really helps to have him in my corner telling me how pretty I am, rubbing my feet and my achy body parts. Sometimes it makes me feel bad that I don't feel like having sex like I used to because I really want to be intimate, but he understands. The two of us have been together for over 3 years and we plan to get married soon. No matter how much my parents are against him I know that he is a good person and will be a great father and husband.

So if you are pregnant remember that it helps to have the man you love in your corner, or at least one person by your side at all times. So far I have learned that pregnancy is not for the weak, and that it is necessary for the mother to have the support that she needs in order to survive this emotional journey.


Honey

Still Waiting and Waiting

Hi I am 40 weeks pregnant now. I am just patiently waiting for my little girl to enter this world. This is my second pregnancy I already have a three-year-old son!

This time around has been different for me I was more sick and restless with my daughter than with my first child. The pregnancy has felt long and dragged out and now I am just ready for this whole thing to be over and to hold my precious little one in my arms.


erika

will it ever end?

I am FINALLY at 32 weeks and there were some days that I just didn't think I could make it this far. I have struggled with severe morning sickness the WHOLE time. This is my second pregnancy. My first was the same way. I got (Oops) pregnant on my honeymoon and started throwing up the same day I unpacked from our trip. I didn't even consider that I was pregnant.

As I had not even missed my period yet, I thought I had the flu. I'm 5'6" and by the time I was 3mo along I only weighed 97lbs and every time I would throw up it was laced with blood (so sick!) because my throat was so damaged by stomach acid that the inner lining was gone. I really thought I was going to just slip away I was so weak, and so did everybody else. I would pass out for hrs. at a time. But obviously I didn't die although I was flat in bed for 9mo.

My beautiful daughter came into this world at 38weeks weighing a whopping 8lbs! I had not gained hardly anything and do not see how this was possible, but I was ever so thankful! My husband and I both come from enormous families and wanted a passel of our own.

I was perfectly horrified over how awful my 1st pregnancy went but after 4yrs everybody told me "It will be so much better the second time around you just need to get really healthy, gain a little cushion weight and get back on that horse, or you won't get over your fear of it." Guess what? I actually believed it. But sure enough, aside from the fact that I haven't actually fainted this time, it's been pretty much the same, only this time I have had to practically give away my 1st daughter Brook, as I am too sick to take care of her, so in that way it has almost been harder.

She doesn't understand why mom is on permanent check-out mode, poor thing. Luckily I married the sweetest guy on the planet and he is so supportive and full of compassion. I’ve been under a doctor’s care the whole time this go round (my first was all home, all natural) but there is nothing much they can do & there is no known cure. My doc. is concerned about my weight (I lost another 3lbs this week, not good) but the baby thankfully seems to be fine.

So here I am counting down every miserable hr.' till I can have my life back again. But this whole situation saddens me because we will never have the big happy family to fill our large house that we wanted, as I don't think that I have the strength or endurance to ever, ever do this again.


marcy