The Nine Months That Changed My Life

On March 3, 2000 I found out I was expecting my first child. My job had just transferred me to Columbia from Charleston. All of my family was in Hollywood and my fiancÐ"©e' at the time was in Summerville. I was all alone.

I didn't have an OB in Columbia, South Carolina so my genoclogist in Charleston, South Carolina referred me to Dr. Ernest Stand. On my first visit I did not know what two expect. All of the nurses were very nice and answered all of my one hundred questions. The nursed weighed me and I weighed 145 pounds. They also took blood for various tests and gave me a lot of information to read.

It was not until after my second visit to the doctor that I told my mom and now ex-fiancÐ"©e that I was expecting. The vomiting and the constipation had now begun and I was feeling meaurble. I could no longer keep it to myself. I kept feeling a sense of fear my ex fiancÐ"©e' and I were not prepared or ready. I knew nothing about children, I mean "NOTHING". My second visit I went from weighing 145 pounds to weighing 130 pounds. I was crying and hysterical. My child is not here yet and I felt like I was starving him. My emotions were off of the chart.

By the time I was five or six months I had gained my weight back, and all my test was negative: Diabetes, HIV, etc. All the morning sickness had stopped. My stomach started too grow and I had accepted that I was going to be a single mom. Oh yeah, I forgot, I found out that I was going to have a son. On the ultrasound I could see his kidneys, the little heart beating, his big head, of yeah his gentiles showing it was going to be a boy.

I went home to Charleston because my best friend had been in the hospital and I wanted to see her. She has lupus and the disease had caused a sore of some sort to have lesion on her leg that could not heal. Her doctors put her in the hospital to clean the sore, until they found out it was infected. I had been in her room all of twenty minutes the doctors walks in and I stood up to shake his hand. His first commit was not to his patient but to me he said "Did a nursed speak to you or see you come in this room" I replied "No". He told me I needed to leave and contact my doctor on Monday and inform him that I was in a room with a person that had CMV. He walked me out of the room and explained that beginning around a person with CMV could have effects on the baby. Yes, I went back into my crying frenzy. I was afraid for my son and that I was unable to be there with my best friend. Never the less my doctor gave me a clean bill of health.

I started getting ready for Bryce! My choice of names were Chandler and Bryce, Bryce won. I started shopping around for cribs and crib linens. My sister and neighbor hung wall boarders with bears holding blocks with alphabets on them. This was also the pattern for the linen in the crib. I had three baby showers. Yes I am special. My job and my girlfriend in here in Columbia had me one each. And on October 7, 2000 my family in Hollywood had a big shower. I remember the date because it was my 30th birthday.

I started having to go the doctor every two weeks, checking making sure I had not begin to dilate. Then every week, week after week it seemed like forever. All of those of visits I did not dialate not one centimeter. My due date was November 6th on Friday November 3rd I had an appointment. I just knew that I was at least three centimeters and that I would be put in the hospital. I had my bag with my personal items and something for Bryce to wear home. But NO, He sent me home. I had not dilated not one centimeter. I went home after my appointment and slept