By TMoM Team Blogger Britney Dent

They say every child is different; that uniqueness starts in the womb! Every pregnancy is different too

It was 2008 and I was on a road trip with my husband’s family to see his younger brother graduate from military training. The trip was prolonged due to us having to stop practically every hour for me to pour the contents of my stomach onto the pavement or side of the road. There is a thing called motion sickness and car sickness and apparently morning sickness (which can last ALL day). Up until this trip in 2008 I had rarely been sick and could count on one hand the number of times I had vomited. So, I knew the Burger King that I had consumed earlier in the trip must be the culprit of my stomach frustrations.

A Burger or A Baby

Boy, was I wrong! It wasn’t a burger; it was a baby! We made the long trip to the military base and enjoyed the weekend celebrating with my brother-in-law. At one of my many bathroom stops my mother-in-law asked if I was pregnant and I gave an emphatic “No way!” I was wrong! When we returned to North Carolina a few days later, she had my father-in-law stop at the Dollar General near the house and she bought a box of pregnancy tests. I took one and the line showed up faster than I could blink.

I was pregnant! This lead me to go through a whirl of emotions. I was in the process of finishing college, in the Delayed Entry Program for the United States Air Force, preparing for a summer wedding to a travel IT Engineer. However, I had dreamed of having children one day.

Unexpected Turns

As the months went on, I spent lots of time on bedrest at my in-laws house and suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum. I vomited so much that I lost weight instead of gaining weight. Sadly, I couldn’t even hold down water. Eventually, with lots of Zofran, Ginger root, and preggo pops I was able to go back to our apartment and function.

I was excited to prepare a southern home-cooked meal for my husband as he was returning to town from a work trip. This meant I rolled and cut my fresh collard greens and put them in water to soak. I peeled and cut sweet potatoes to prepare for my yam souffle and I took out the ingredients for baked macaroni and cheese. My husband arrived just in time to take me to my doctor’s appointment for a check-up and on our way there we eagerly discussed the meal we would have that evening after the doctor’s visit.

Yet again I was wrong! I didn’t see my kitchen again until over a week later. When I got to the doctor’s office my blood pressure was 179/110. Just to be safe the doctor sent me to the hospital for further testing. When I got to the hospital my blood pressure was even higher; my husband thought I was going to turn into The Hulk. The nurses put NPO on my door which I later learned, after begging for a snack, that NPO meant “Nothing by Mouth”. I consumed an exorbitant amount of ice chips that night and the next day I had a c-section at 28 weeks pregnant. My daughter spent time in the NICU but eventually came home and is now a healthy and thriving teenager.

Irish Twins

After settling in at home with my husband and first-born, I got into the swing of things. I began to enjoy motherhood, though my journey began much earlier than I had expected. Six weeks passed and I went to my check up at the doctor’s office. The doctor continuously asked me if I was pregnant again, but I absolutely was not since it had only been six weeks since delivering my daughter. Apparently, the other patients who had a daughter the same week I did were already pregnant at their six-week checkup. Even though I wasn’t pregnant then, it didn’t take long after that appointment to conceive my second daughter.

My second pregnancy was similar, but I knew about the nausea hacks and tricks and felt more confident this time around. I developed preeclampsia but I felt confident to follow all the instructions to be as safe and healthy as possible. This time I thought for sure I’d carry this child full term. Boy was I wrong, again! My daughter made her debut at just 30 weeks and spent time in the NICU as well. Once she finally came home, we got into a routine, and I began to enjoy having two beautiful daughters. However, every time we went out in public people would ask if my girls were twins. This is when I learned they were considered “Irish Twins”. I would always respond: “No, they’re 11 months apart”. Someone said, “Oh, they’re Irish Twins” and that is what I’ve called them ever since.

For This Boy We Prayed

Finally, we had our third child. After multiple rounds of Implanon/Nexplanon we decided it was time to try for a boy. We prayed specifically for a healthy baby boy. In 2017, our prayers were granted. The pregnancy was much easier than the other two though there were a few complications and scares. Our son is such a joy, and his sisters dote over him constantly.

After the complications of my first pregnancy, the Nurse Practitioner told me I should never have any more children again and that if I got pregnant again, me and the child would not make it. I am grateful to be here still and to have three healthy children. This story about each of my three gifts is to give you hope if you are pregnant with your first, or second, or third child and going through challenges. There’s hope! One piece of advice: eat a snack before going to your doctor’s appointment; ice chips aren’t very filling!

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