ACT SCORES
The state of Colorado is one of the only of all the other states to require the American College Test (ACT) for all the 11th
grade students at public schools. ACT scores for Garfield county high schools juniors change every year some remain the same
some go higher or even lower. Glenwood Springs high did a lot better in math this year they went from 20.2 to 20.8. They even
had some students score 35 in the English. The ACT are very important for high school students because it’s very important to
see were they are and what they need to strengthen there skills.
Glenwood Springs were one of the better ACT scores in English and math. Students have show growth because they
start practicing for the ACT in their sophomore year. Glenwood high has a big population of student but that did affect their
scores. It’s a school that really cares about there students learning, and is also very strict.
grade students at public schools. ACT scores for Garfield county high schools juniors change every year some remain the same
some go higher or even lower. Glenwood Springs high did a lot better in math this year they went from 20.2 to 20.8. They even
had some students score 35 in the English. The ACT are very important for high school students because it’s very important to
see were they are and what they need to strengthen there skills.
Glenwood Springs were one of the better ACT scores in English and math. Students have show growth because they
start practicing for the ACT in their sophomore year. Glenwood high has a big population of student but that did affect their
scores. It’s a school that really cares about there students learning, and is also very strict.
SENIOR PAPER
PREGNANCY
My pregnancy has been a wonderful journey but at the same way it has been a mystery, because you have no idea how your
body is really changing inside. You can see your changes from the outside but not from the inside. I started gaining weight, I
would have a harder time zipping up my pants, and my shirts fit tighter.
Most teen moms have testimonies that their pregnancy was awful in their first months of pregnancy. They would get a lot of
morning sickness, dizziness and headaches. In my experience I didn't pass through all those symtoms. I never had morning
sickness, dizziness or headaches during my first months of pregnancy.
I would get a lot of cravings through the middle of the night. I would have get up every day to go drink milk. There wasn't one
day that I didn't wake up. In the day I would eat a lot of cucumbers with lemon and salt. Also popcorn with lots of hot sauce that
made me sick. I would be crying because I would get a lot of heartburn, and yet I would not stop eating a lot of hot sauce. Candy
f
or me was an obsession in my first months. I loved eating candy but as the months passed, I couldn't tolerate that much
sweetness any more. I think I kind of got bored of it. I still drink sweet thing but not very often. Another thing I would love to eat
was chiles rellenos, I never got tired of eating them. Also I ate a lot of chinese food, sandwiches, tacos, chicken krispitos,
macaroni and cheese that now i can't even smell or taste them because they make me sick. I can't tolerate it anymore because
of how much i ate. My favorite deserts that will never get tired of are strawberries n cream and cheeses cake.
A common thing for all pregnant girls and for me is that you have to go pee every 5 seconds. It's an awful feeling. Sometimes
I felt that I was not going to make it to the restroom. The bad thing is that you can't hold it. I would always get in trouble because
teachers would think that I only wanted to get out of their class. So I would have to tell them "when you got to go you got to go",
there's no holding in. Some of my pregnant friends would try to hold it in, but the consequence of it was that they would get a
bladder infection.
Your first weeks of pregnancy you feel so tired that you only want to sleep or stay in bed and not do anything. That happens
to me a lot. My friends would get mad at me because I didn't want to go out with them. I had a really hard time waking up every
morning and getting ready for school. A common thing that happens to all pregnant girls is that they get stretch marks. It is rare
that some girl don't have any stretch marks, You get stretch marks because your skin is stretching like a rubber band. At the end
it's left with wrinkles, but no worries girls, there's a lot of treatment that can help you get rid of them. "Growing a human being is
one of the most complex and important experiences we can have. It is very critical that we take it seriously, and that we do our
very best to give our babies the best possible start in life. Being pregnant shifts a parents focus from themselves to always,
always doing what is best for the baby. The child becomes the most important person to think about. Parenting has to be self-
less". (Sonja Linman, advisory in YMTTP).
Well those are my experiences for my pregnancy. Not all moms passed through the same things as me. Every mom has a
different story about her pregnancy. So don't worry if someone tells you that their pregnancy was awful. Don't get scared because
that doesn't mean your pregnancy is going to be the same.
PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
During pregnancy women go through a lot of physiological changes. Don't worry its totally normal. They also go through
cardiovascular, hematologic, metabolic, renal and respiratory changes that are very important in pregnancy. Your body has to
change its physiological and homeostatic mechanisms in pregnancy to make sure that the fetus is provided with what he is
needed. Some women's can get Malasma pigment changes in their face due to pregnancy. This is usually caused when you
expose your skin to the sun. But most likely women's who live in regions with intense sun are exposed of developing these
pigments. They usually disappear in a period of several months after giving birth.
MANAGEMENT
Prenatal care is very important to have before and during your pregnancy. It's recommended to all pregnant women. Prenatal
care detects any potential problems early, to prevent them if possible for any problem they might have during their pregnancy,
and to direct women's to appropriate specialists, hospitals, etc. if its necessary.
NUTRITION
A balanced nutrition is very important during pregnancy. Having a healthy diet, balancing carbohydrates, fat, proteins, and
eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Helps you ensure a good nutrition in your pregnancy. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), have diagnosed that about 300 extra calories are needed daily to maintain a healthy pregnancy. When
you are breast feeding, you need about 500 extra calories each day to stay healthy and produce nutritious breast milk.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently replaced the food pyramid. One of them is grains. Try to make half your
grains whole. Eat at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereal, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. For vegetables try to vary your
veggies. Eat more dark-green veggies like, broccoli, spinach and other dark leafy greens. Eat more orange vegetables like
carrots and sweet potatoes. Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans and lentils. Try to eat about 2 1/2 cups.
Also try to focus on your fruits too. Eat a variety of fruits. Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit. Go easy on fruit juices. And
eat 2 cups every day. For dairy get calcium rich foods. Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt and other milk
products. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium source such as fortified foods and
beverages. Get 3 cups every day. In conclusion, for proteins choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Bake it, boil it or grill it.
Vary your proteins routine, choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Eat 5 1/2 oz. every day.
Also folic acid is necessary for the healthy growth of your baby during pregnancy. An insufficient amount in your diet can
increase the risk of certain birth defects. They recommend that you should take folic acid before you become pregnant and after.
Also folic acid can be obtained from dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach and citrus fruits like oranges. Some enriched breads
and cereals also are a good source.
FIRST TRIMESTER
This is the beginning of a new journey. It might not be your best trimester, but don't worry its going to get better. You might
have some nosiness, feeling tired, and not being able to eat a lot or some women's even have a lot of cravings in their first
trimester. The first week of pregnancy begins with the start of your last menstrual period, because it's hard to know exactly when
your eggs becomes fertilized, so the date of your last cycle is a more accurate starting point. Your body is getting prepared for
ovulation, which occurs when you are two weeks pregnant or two weeks after your period starts and conception. Around week
four is when you are most likely to miss your period and find out that your pregnant. By this time your placenta will carry nutrients
from your body to your baby, and the umbilical cord replaces the yolk sac and works with the placenta. Your baby is now called
embryo and is clearly visible on a ultrasound. By the end of this trimester, your babies facial features most likely the nose and
chin become more defined, and starts to get tiny fingernails and toenails.
SECOND TRIMESTER
This is one of the most active trimesters. Your baby doubles the size of his first trimester. Their head is half size of their body.
Your baby also has eyelashes at this point he can also squint and frown. Around this time brown fat develops under your babies
skin to help them keep warm at birth. He may also hear your heart beat, your tummy gurgle, and even loud sounds outside your
womb. She can hear your voice when you talk to her and can recognize your voice. She may also respond with the movement
when you speak. A lot of your babies development is now focused on preparing for her first breath. their lungs aren't mature yet.
Your baby has hair at this point. At the end of this trimester your babies face is almost completely formed right down to her tiny
eyelashes, and continues to become more active which is important to stimulate their muscle growth and keeping joints flexible.
THIRD TRIMESTER
This is your last trimester and is one of the most beautiful and exciting months. Just to think that soon you will meet
your baby and hold him in your arms for the first time. Yet its a little frightening thinking about delivery. Your baby is gaining about
one to two ounces a day. His face is defined and his toenails and fingernails have reached the tip of their fingers. Even little
footprints and finger prints are formed. Your babies lungs are fully mature around week 37. It weighs about six to nine pounds.
Also, due to your crowded uterus, your baby may shift her movements from kicks and punches to rolls and wiggles. She may
have already settled into a head-down position in your pelvis. A surge of hormones in your baby's body may play part in initiating
labor. And as soon as you think you have meet your baby. At the end you will know that all you went through your pregnancy was
worth it.
BIRTH STORY
This is one of the hardest stages of pregnancy for all moms. Some are even worse than others. I started having discomfort in
my lower back almost everyday when I was 32 weeks pregnant. At night I had lots of trouble sleeping. I would always wake up
In the middle of the night and had a really hard time falling asleep. I didn’t have a big belly, so I don’t think that was the reason
for not being able to sleep. In my 33rd week of pregnancy (April 11 of 2012) I started having menstrual cramps. I didn’t pay
much attention to them because they would go away and come back. They weren’t regular but some were about 30 minutes
apart. I thought I was passing through a false labor. I would have my menstrual cramps everyday. By the third day I started to
worry, so I called my family nurse partnership visitor Jaime. She told me that I was probably having Braxton Hicks contractions,
because my lower back was hurting. She said that they are a way of your body preparing for true labor. She suggested me that I
should call my midwife, but it was a Saturday and there was nobody in the clinic. So I decided to wait until Monday.
The next day in the morning I had a bloody mucus discharge. I wasn’t shocked when it happened I was really calm. I took a
quick shower and ate breakfast. At noon I decided to go to the hospital for a check up. I went to Valley View Hospital to the
family birthplace. I had to ill out some paper with information about my birth date and a couple of other things.
One of the nurses took me to one of the labor rooms, and asked me about the discharge I had. After I was finished telling her
what had happened she made me change out of my clothes into a hospital gown. She hooked me up to a monitor to hear my
baby’s heart beat. About half an hour later, my midwife came in the room. She was surprised to see me there because it hadn’t
been a week yet since I went to see her at the clinic for my checkup. My midwife Lisa went ahead and checked to
see if I was dilated or not. I was 5cm dilated already. I was socked to know that I was already 5cm and I wasn’t feeling any
contractions. After the surprising news, they did an ultrasound to see if my baby was head down. He was in the right
position.
They put on an IV and a catheder. They gave me some medication to stop my labor because I was barely 33 week and my
baby wasn’t fully developed. I had to take pills every 6 hours. Also, my baby’s lungs weren’t fully developed yet, so they gave
me two shots of steroids to make my baby’s lungs develop much faster. I was on bed rest for two whole days in the hospital. It
was so hard and painful because I had to be in bed 24/7. I also wasn’t able to sit up. My back was very sore from just laying in
bed, and every time I tried to change sides the catheder would move. I felt it when I moved, sometimes it would hurt too. The
worst of all this is that I had to eat laying in bed. It was so hard to eat. Sometimes I felt that I was going to choke.
My days in the hospital were the funniest I had ever had, because my friends and family were with me. I always had
company, except at night. But they always made me laugh about me being in labor and my baby flying out of me. But they were
very surprised that I wasn’t in pain at all. Instead I was laughing with my friends, and talking to my nurses. I met all the nurses
that work in the family birthplace. They were all very nice to me. I even had a twin, her name was Gina too.
After to days, I was feeling something moving my catheder. I called my nurse and told her. She called my midwife to come
and check me. I was almost 9cm dilated. They went ahead and broke my water. I felt a warm gush. I went to the bathroom
and took a quick shower. After about 5 minutes I started to feel cramps on my lower stomach. They weren’t strong at all. When
I was fully dilated i started to have some pain in my lower back, but it wasn’t anything too painful. They gave me a warm towel to
put on my back and that mad my back feel much better. I had a really hard time to know when to push because I felt no
contractions. The nurse had to tell me when I was having a contraction to be able to push. When my baby’s head was almost
out. I started to have really bad lower back pain, because my baby was rotating in a sit up position. His ear was more visible
than his head. I felt a lot of pressure from my midwife because she was telling me to keep pushing, but I was already so tired I
couldn’t push. But when she mentioned that if I couldn’t push anymore that she was going to have to do a C-section. I started
pushing. I preferred to keep pushing even though I had no more strength left. I was so scared of her having to do a C-section on
me because I hate surgery. They had to put me on oxygen because I wasn’t getting enough. It really helped me.
Around five minutes later, I was able to have my baby. He was born on April 17, 2012 at 2:58 a.m. I didn’t get to see him
right away. They took him to clean him off. When they were done they just showed me my baby, they didn’t let me hold him
because they needed to see if he was ok. I was so tired that I fell asleep right away. The next morning they changed me into a
different room. I had to walk to my new room. It was so hard to walk, because I was still so sore. I felt like I was walking like a
penguin. I went and saw my baby as soon as I could. It was so sad seeing him hooked up to all these monitors. He was so thin
but really long. He weighed 5 lb 7 oz and he was 18 ¾ inches long. I wasn’t able to breastfeed him right away because they had
a small tube in his stomach to be able to feed him. Also it was very hard to grab him because I had to be careful with all the
wires connected to his body.I had to go every 3 hours to feed him. It was so hard and sad at the same time not having him with
me and leaving him in another room far away from me. I sometimes had a hard time waking up every 3 hours, so they had to call
my room. I spent about an hour with him. I wanted to stay longer, but there were too many babies in the nursery. That same day
I had a lot of visitors. I had to walk every time from my room to the nursery. I was so exhausted. By the end of the day my feet
were very swollen and I was very sore the next day.
I was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I was sick of being there such a long time. But finally my baby was doing much better on
his own they released him with oxygen because he was still having a hard time breathing. After about 2 weeks I went for
a check up and they took him off the oxygen. From there on he was doing much better and now he’s one of the biggest baby’s in
my school. Even though he was a premature baby.
body is really changing inside. You can see your changes from the outside but not from the inside. I started gaining weight, I
would have a harder time zipping up my pants, and my shirts fit tighter.
Most teen moms have testimonies that their pregnancy was awful in their first months of pregnancy. They would get a lot of
morning sickness, dizziness and headaches. In my experience I didn't pass through all those symtoms. I never had morning
sickness, dizziness or headaches during my first months of pregnancy.
I would get a lot of cravings through the middle of the night. I would have get up every day to go drink milk. There wasn't one
day that I didn't wake up. In the day I would eat a lot of cucumbers with lemon and salt. Also popcorn with lots of hot sauce that
made me sick. I would be crying because I would get a lot of heartburn, and yet I would not stop eating a lot of hot sauce. Candy
f
or me was an obsession in my first months. I loved eating candy but as the months passed, I couldn't tolerate that much
sweetness any more. I think I kind of got bored of it. I still drink sweet thing but not very often. Another thing I would love to eat
was chiles rellenos, I never got tired of eating them. Also I ate a lot of chinese food, sandwiches, tacos, chicken krispitos,
macaroni and cheese that now i can't even smell or taste them because they make me sick. I can't tolerate it anymore because
of how much i ate. My favorite deserts that will never get tired of are strawberries n cream and cheeses cake.
A common thing for all pregnant girls and for me is that you have to go pee every 5 seconds. It's an awful feeling. Sometimes
I felt that I was not going to make it to the restroom. The bad thing is that you can't hold it. I would always get in trouble because
teachers would think that I only wanted to get out of their class. So I would have to tell them "when you got to go you got to go",
there's no holding in. Some of my pregnant friends would try to hold it in, but the consequence of it was that they would get a
bladder infection.
Your first weeks of pregnancy you feel so tired that you only want to sleep or stay in bed and not do anything. That happens
to me a lot. My friends would get mad at me because I didn't want to go out with them. I had a really hard time waking up every
morning and getting ready for school. A common thing that happens to all pregnant girls is that they get stretch marks. It is rare
that some girl don't have any stretch marks, You get stretch marks because your skin is stretching like a rubber band. At the end
it's left with wrinkles, but no worries girls, there's a lot of treatment that can help you get rid of them. "Growing a human being is
one of the most complex and important experiences we can have. It is very critical that we take it seriously, and that we do our
very best to give our babies the best possible start in life. Being pregnant shifts a parents focus from themselves to always,
always doing what is best for the baby. The child becomes the most important person to think about. Parenting has to be self-
less". (Sonja Linman, advisory in YMTTP).
Well those are my experiences for my pregnancy. Not all moms passed through the same things as me. Every mom has a
different story about her pregnancy. So don't worry if someone tells you that their pregnancy was awful. Don't get scared because
that doesn't mean your pregnancy is going to be the same.
PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
During pregnancy women go through a lot of physiological changes. Don't worry its totally normal. They also go through
cardiovascular, hematologic, metabolic, renal and respiratory changes that are very important in pregnancy. Your body has to
change its physiological and homeostatic mechanisms in pregnancy to make sure that the fetus is provided with what he is
needed. Some women's can get Malasma pigment changes in their face due to pregnancy. This is usually caused when you
expose your skin to the sun. But most likely women's who live in regions with intense sun are exposed of developing these
pigments. They usually disappear in a period of several months after giving birth.
MANAGEMENT
Prenatal care is very important to have before and during your pregnancy. It's recommended to all pregnant women. Prenatal
care detects any potential problems early, to prevent them if possible for any problem they might have during their pregnancy,
and to direct women's to appropriate specialists, hospitals, etc. if its necessary.
NUTRITION
A balanced nutrition is very important during pregnancy. Having a healthy diet, balancing carbohydrates, fat, proteins, and
eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Helps you ensure a good nutrition in your pregnancy. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), have diagnosed that about 300 extra calories are needed daily to maintain a healthy pregnancy. When
you are breast feeding, you need about 500 extra calories each day to stay healthy and produce nutritious breast milk.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently replaced the food pyramid. One of them is grains. Try to make half your
grains whole. Eat at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereal, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. For vegetables try to vary your
veggies. Eat more dark-green veggies like, broccoli, spinach and other dark leafy greens. Eat more orange vegetables like
carrots and sweet potatoes. Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans and lentils. Try to eat about 2 1/2 cups.
Also try to focus on your fruits too. Eat a variety of fruits. Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit. Go easy on fruit juices. And
eat 2 cups every day. For dairy get calcium rich foods. Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt and other milk
products. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium source such as fortified foods and
beverages. Get 3 cups every day. In conclusion, for proteins choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Bake it, boil it or grill it.
Vary your proteins routine, choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Eat 5 1/2 oz. every day.
Also folic acid is necessary for the healthy growth of your baby during pregnancy. An insufficient amount in your diet can
increase the risk of certain birth defects. They recommend that you should take folic acid before you become pregnant and after.
Also folic acid can be obtained from dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach and citrus fruits like oranges. Some enriched breads
and cereals also are a good source.
FIRST TRIMESTER
This is the beginning of a new journey. It might not be your best trimester, but don't worry its going to get better. You might
have some nosiness, feeling tired, and not being able to eat a lot or some women's even have a lot of cravings in their first
trimester. The first week of pregnancy begins with the start of your last menstrual period, because it's hard to know exactly when
your eggs becomes fertilized, so the date of your last cycle is a more accurate starting point. Your body is getting prepared for
ovulation, which occurs when you are two weeks pregnant or two weeks after your period starts and conception. Around week
four is when you are most likely to miss your period and find out that your pregnant. By this time your placenta will carry nutrients
from your body to your baby, and the umbilical cord replaces the yolk sac and works with the placenta. Your baby is now called
embryo and is clearly visible on a ultrasound. By the end of this trimester, your babies facial features most likely the nose and
chin become more defined, and starts to get tiny fingernails and toenails.
SECOND TRIMESTER
This is one of the most active trimesters. Your baby doubles the size of his first trimester. Their head is half size of their body.
Your baby also has eyelashes at this point he can also squint and frown. Around this time brown fat develops under your babies
skin to help them keep warm at birth. He may also hear your heart beat, your tummy gurgle, and even loud sounds outside your
womb. She can hear your voice when you talk to her and can recognize your voice. She may also respond with the movement
when you speak. A lot of your babies development is now focused on preparing for her first breath. their lungs aren't mature yet.
Your baby has hair at this point. At the end of this trimester your babies face is almost completely formed right down to her tiny
eyelashes, and continues to become more active which is important to stimulate their muscle growth and keeping joints flexible.
THIRD TRIMESTER
This is your last trimester and is one of the most beautiful and exciting months. Just to think that soon you will meet
your baby and hold him in your arms for the first time. Yet its a little frightening thinking about delivery. Your baby is gaining about
one to two ounces a day. His face is defined and his toenails and fingernails have reached the tip of their fingers. Even little
footprints and finger prints are formed. Your babies lungs are fully mature around week 37. It weighs about six to nine pounds.
Also, due to your crowded uterus, your baby may shift her movements from kicks and punches to rolls and wiggles. She may
have already settled into a head-down position in your pelvis. A surge of hormones in your baby's body may play part in initiating
labor. And as soon as you think you have meet your baby. At the end you will know that all you went through your pregnancy was
worth it.
BIRTH STORY
This is one of the hardest stages of pregnancy for all moms. Some are even worse than others. I started having discomfort in
my lower back almost everyday when I was 32 weeks pregnant. At night I had lots of trouble sleeping. I would always wake up
In the middle of the night and had a really hard time falling asleep. I didn’t have a big belly, so I don’t think that was the reason
for not being able to sleep. In my 33rd week of pregnancy (April 11 of 2012) I started having menstrual cramps. I didn’t pay
much attention to them because they would go away and come back. They weren’t regular but some were about 30 minutes
apart. I thought I was passing through a false labor. I would have my menstrual cramps everyday. By the third day I started to
worry, so I called my family nurse partnership visitor Jaime. She told me that I was probably having Braxton Hicks contractions,
because my lower back was hurting. She said that they are a way of your body preparing for true labor. She suggested me that I
should call my midwife, but it was a Saturday and there was nobody in the clinic. So I decided to wait until Monday.
The next day in the morning I had a bloody mucus discharge. I wasn’t shocked when it happened I was really calm. I took a
quick shower and ate breakfast. At noon I decided to go to the hospital for a check up. I went to Valley View Hospital to the
family birthplace. I had to ill out some paper with information about my birth date and a couple of other things.
One of the nurses took me to one of the labor rooms, and asked me about the discharge I had. After I was finished telling her
what had happened she made me change out of my clothes into a hospital gown. She hooked me up to a monitor to hear my
baby’s heart beat. About half an hour later, my midwife came in the room. She was surprised to see me there because it hadn’t
been a week yet since I went to see her at the clinic for my checkup. My midwife Lisa went ahead and checked to
see if I was dilated or not. I was 5cm dilated already. I was socked to know that I was already 5cm and I wasn’t feeling any
contractions. After the surprising news, they did an ultrasound to see if my baby was head down. He was in the right
position.
They put on an IV and a catheder. They gave me some medication to stop my labor because I was barely 33 week and my
baby wasn’t fully developed. I had to take pills every 6 hours. Also, my baby’s lungs weren’t fully developed yet, so they gave
me two shots of steroids to make my baby’s lungs develop much faster. I was on bed rest for two whole days in the hospital. It
was so hard and painful because I had to be in bed 24/7. I also wasn’t able to sit up. My back was very sore from just laying in
bed, and every time I tried to change sides the catheder would move. I felt it when I moved, sometimes it would hurt too. The
worst of all this is that I had to eat laying in bed. It was so hard to eat. Sometimes I felt that I was going to choke.
My days in the hospital were the funniest I had ever had, because my friends and family were with me. I always had
company, except at night. But they always made me laugh about me being in labor and my baby flying out of me. But they were
very surprised that I wasn’t in pain at all. Instead I was laughing with my friends, and talking to my nurses. I met all the nurses
that work in the family birthplace. They were all very nice to me. I even had a twin, her name was Gina too.
After to days, I was feeling something moving my catheder. I called my nurse and told her. She called my midwife to come
and check me. I was almost 9cm dilated. They went ahead and broke my water. I felt a warm gush. I went to the bathroom
and took a quick shower. After about 5 minutes I started to feel cramps on my lower stomach. They weren’t strong at all. When
I was fully dilated i started to have some pain in my lower back, but it wasn’t anything too painful. They gave me a warm towel to
put on my back and that mad my back feel much better. I had a really hard time to know when to push because I felt no
contractions. The nurse had to tell me when I was having a contraction to be able to push. When my baby’s head was almost
out. I started to have really bad lower back pain, because my baby was rotating in a sit up position. His ear was more visible
than his head. I felt a lot of pressure from my midwife because she was telling me to keep pushing, but I was already so tired I
couldn’t push. But when she mentioned that if I couldn’t push anymore that she was going to have to do a C-section. I started
pushing. I preferred to keep pushing even though I had no more strength left. I was so scared of her having to do a C-section on
me because I hate surgery. They had to put me on oxygen because I wasn’t getting enough. It really helped me.
Around five minutes later, I was able to have my baby. He was born on April 17, 2012 at 2:58 a.m. I didn’t get to see him
right away. They took him to clean him off. When they were done they just showed me my baby, they didn’t let me hold him
because they needed to see if he was ok. I was so tired that I fell asleep right away. The next morning they changed me into a
different room. I had to walk to my new room. It was so hard to walk, because I was still so sore. I felt like I was walking like a
penguin. I went and saw my baby as soon as I could. It was so sad seeing him hooked up to all these monitors. He was so thin
but really long. He weighed 5 lb 7 oz and he was 18 ¾ inches long. I wasn’t able to breastfeed him right away because they had
a small tube in his stomach to be able to feed him. Also it was very hard to grab him because I had to be careful with all the
wires connected to his body.I had to go every 3 hours to feed him. It was so hard and sad at the same time not having him with
me and leaving him in another room far away from me. I sometimes had a hard time waking up every 3 hours, so they had to call
my room. I spent about an hour with him. I wanted to stay longer, but there were too many babies in the nursery. That same day
I had a lot of visitors. I had to walk every time from my room to the nursery. I was so exhausted. By the end of the day my feet
were very swollen and I was very sore the next day.
I was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I was sick of being there such a long time. But finally my baby was doing much better on
his own they released him with oxygen because he was still having a hard time breathing. After about 2 weeks I went for
a check up and they took him off the oxygen. From there on he was doing much better and now he’s one of the biggest baby’s in
my school. Even though he was a premature baby.