The Day I Learned My Baby Was a Boy
My first pregnancy was no piece of cake. Is pregnancy ever a piece of cake?
Yes, I had terrible, unrelenting morning sickness. I had back pain, and swelling, and insomnia, but that wasn’t what made my first pregnancy almost unbearable—it was a “high normal” result on my first trimester screening that sent my otherwise typical pregnancy into complete chaos.
I ended up on a new path that included additional testing, specialists, and enough worry to make any first time mom a complete wreck. I was terrified that my baby may have a serious health issue, and all I could really do was wait and see.
As my pregnancy progressed, and I reached 18 weeks, I was scheduled for a level 2 ultrasound that provides a detailed look at the baby.
I can remember lying back in the chair, and seeing the flickering white-on-black as the ultrasound technician took those crucial measurements.
I sighed relief each time she confirmed that things were looking good, and about halfway through the ultrasound, she asked me and my husband if we would like to know our baby’s gender.
Of course, we couldn’t wait! When she told us that we were having a little boy, it was as if a warm wave of happiness washed over my body. I didn’t realize how much more concrete the pregnancy would feel upon finding out the baby’s sex—it was really just an incredible feeling. A boy, we were having a baby boy, and in that moment, nothing else in the world mattered.
Of course, we told everyone! We were so proud.
On August 3rd, 2009, I gave birth via cesarean to a very stubbornly breech little boy. Our son was born healthy, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel both lucky, and thankful for that.
I am due to give birth to a second child in December, a little girl this time. Finding out her gender was just as exciting—it is really a profound moment for a parent to learn the gender, it makes it all so much more real.
This pregnancy hasn’t been a piece of cake, either, but I feel so much more grounded this time.
While we never know exactly what to expect when we become pregnant, we can be sure of one thing—the experience will be unique, and we will be forever changed by it.
Becoming pregnant changed my life, and I’d love to hear more about your best or most difficult pregnancy moments. By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an all expenses paid trip to a conference on mothers hosted by the UN Foundation in DC (Jan/Feb 2012), an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and $50 donation in your name to Global Giving.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs September 19 to October 16, 2011. A random winner will be announced by October 18, 2011.