Michelle answers:

Well, I can’t answer all your questions, but my OB said to wait until I was having 10 contractions in one hour before going to the hospital. I was induced, so I didn’t have to deal with that. And I had an epidural the whole time, so I couldn’t tell you how a contraction feels. I’m 26, so I’m way out of my teens lol. But I’m pretty small built (5’2” and 120lbs before pregnancy) and I delivered a 8lbs 7ozs baby vaginally. I most definitely recommend the epidural. And the nurse told me when to push each time. I don’t think most people go into labor like the movies/tv, where you aren’t going to make it to the hospital and stuff. I’m sure it is scary being alone and having your parents so far away. Do you not have a friend or a friend’s parent that could take you to the hospital if you went into labor? I guess you could hope to be like me…at 39 weeks I was barely effaced and not dilated at all so my doctor scheduled an induction at 40 weeks. I’m glad, it’s hard to tell how long my baby would have stayed in there on his own (and continued to get bigger as well). Good luck, I hope everything goes smoothly for you 🙂

Michelle answers:

There’s a really good chance that you can get pregnant again…same thing happened to me, i miscarried and ended up getting pregnant 3 weeks later. We now have a perfectly healthy and happy 6 month old boy. 🙂 if you do get pg again before you have a period, the only way to measure the due date is via ultrasound. Good luck! 😉

Michelle answers:

Wow. 14. I’m not going to criticize you because honestly, it’s the last thing you need. I’m nearly 37 weeks pregnant now and due on my 19th birthday, which also happens to be Thanksgiving this year so I may have a turkey baby :). I’m a little older than you and I’ve graduated but I still understand how nervous you are. Firstly, there are a ton of risks of you being pregnant this young. Some of the serious risks to your baby are immature organ development, mental retardation, premature birth, low birth weight, and death. And those are just a few. Since you are so young, you’re probably small so you’ll have difficulty carrying the baby, you’re more likely to be undernourished, which in turn, effects the baby, you may have a miscarriage, and sometimes, mothers so young, die in childbirth. There are a ton of risks and you should really see a doctor. Since you’re already so far along, I only see you being able to stay in school for another few months. Most mothers that get pregnant in high school and are a little older are able to stay in school until about 6 weeks before their due date. I graduated when I was 4 months so I didn’t have to worry about that. Really, it depends on if you develop any problems and what your doctor says. Most schools don’t act kindly toward young teenage mothers. You may get picked on and called names but it’s important for you to ignore it. Yes, it’s hard, but remember that we all make mistakes. Try not to get stressed. It can effect you and your baby and can cause more problems. In my school, even the teachers made fun of some of the pregnant girls. I never had problems, thankfully. Giving your baby a good life will be hard. You’re not even old enough to get a job yet outside of babysitting and things like that. Hun, you’re more than 5 months pregnant. You have to tell your parents NOW. I waited until I was close to 5 months and time does not make things better. Yes, they’ll be upset, which is completely understandable and expected. You have to understand that their baby is about to have a baby. It’s a very sensitive subject for most parents. You need to tell them as soon as possible so you guys can figure out a plan. Right now, it may be your parents giving your parents supporting your baby until you are old enough to do it yourself. Showing is completely normally at 5 months, especially if you’re small. I’ve known people to show at 3 months. I started showing at 4. It’s time that you felt your baby kick. You’re at that stage now. It was really exciting for me the first time I felt my baby kick. People’s reactions to you being pregnant so young will vary. A lot of people act immaturely and will call you names and make you feel awful about yourself. Some people though, understand that you made a mistake and will support you. Whatever you do though, always remember that though what you did may have been a mistake, that baby will never be a mistake. Bringing a life into the world is a beautiful thing. This may be TMI but I’m a product of a one night stand and a lot of young women feel resentment toward their baby because they don’t want it but my mother made sure I grew knowing that she wanted me and loved me more than the world and I think it’s really important to make your baby feel the same way. So don’t feel resentment toward your baby when times get rough, and trust me, they will. Remember that she/he is a gift from God and life is a wonderful gift to the world. Anyhow, still having morning sickness is pretty common. I didn’t stop throwing up until I was nearly 8 months pregnant. Not my favorite part of pregnancy! Labor is never the same for women. Natural labor may not be an option for you because of your age and the fact that your body may not be able to handle the trauma. You may have to have a c-section. But if you’re lucky and get to have it naturally, it’s going to be hard. I’m not using medication and my contractions alone are enough to make me curl up and cry. Some women’s labors go smoothly, especially if they exercised a lot during the pregnancy, while some is horrible. You won’t know until you get there. 🙂 When you tell your parents, you need to sit them down, let them know you are pregnant, fully aware of what this means, that you plan to keep the baby, that you love them, and ask them to support your decision to keep the baby and help you seek medical care. It may take them a little bit to get used to thought but most parents do choose to support their child. I know that a lot of mothers can tell when their daughters are pregnant simply because of intuition. It’s just a gut feeling, which may make it easier, especially if she’s already let your father know how she feels. In my case, I was living with my grandparents and my grandmother had known since I was about 3 months because she could sense a change in me. Going to school will more than likely not jeopardize your baby’s life. It’s good for you to stay focussed on school and to try and carry out your education b

Michelle answers:

With a scheduled C-section, you are most likely to be given a spinal block. We even use those for “emergency” C-sections (all but an abruption or a prolapsed cord- those get a general). Spinals take very rapidly (in comparison to epidurals) and there is rarely any chance of it being “uneven” or having a hot spot since it is administered differently than an epidural.

A general is reserved for absolute emergencies when the benefits to getting the baby out immediately (prolapsed cord or placental abruption) far outweigh the risks of the general on the newborn. Anytime a mom is given a general, the baby MUST be taken to the NICU and observed for 24 hours. If given a choice, I wouldn’t want to risk my baby having to be aggressively resuscitated because I wanted a general when the spinal is just as effective in anesthesia for a surgical birth and much safer for mom and baby.

Please bring these concerns up with your doctor at your next visit. Also, something you said concerns me….you were taken “down to surgery”? Hopefully you meant “down the hall” on the OB unit and NOT to another floor/department? If that’s the case, I would honestly seek out another hospital. Having to move more than a hallway away for a C-section shows the facility does not have the patient’s (or the baby’s) safety as their best interest. We have a small county hospital near my facility that has remodeled twice since I’ve been an RN and they still don’t have an OR on the OB floor. Their C-sections are taken to “main surgery”….even the emergency ones. Last I heard, they had 2 lawsuits going because of complications that most likely could have been avoided had they been able to do those C-sections in a few minutes…not wasting precious time moving to another location in the hospital.

Be proactive in your health and that of your baby’s.
Best wishes!