My Personal Pregnancy Stories

My husband and I are the proud parents of three wonderful children: our son Channing who is 11, our daughter Kayla who is 10, and our son Elisha who will be 3 very soon. As most women who have been pregnant know, every pregnancy is a different experience, and with each one there comes different blessings and various challenges. In this article, I share a story from each one of my pregnancies.

Channing

When I was pregnant with my oldest son Channing, I was definitely a very inexperienced, first-time mom. My poor husband and I made a total of three trips to the hospital before Channing was born. During my first two visits, I was having what I thought were contractions, but then, they stopped once I arrived at the hospital and had been hooked up to the external monitor. Right before the hospital staff sent me home the second time, the nurse who was taking care of me gave me a brown pill and told me to take it and go home and rest. She said that I would need my rest, because within just another day my son would most likely be born.

Once I arrived at my home, my contractions began to become more intense, and all through the night, I tossed and turned as the contractions would come and go. By the time of my doctor's appointment that evening, my contractions were close enough together and strong enough for me to be sent to the hospital. Almost eight hours later, my son Channing was born.

For all of the expectant first-time mothers out there, please do not feel bad if you make a trip to the hospital and are sent home. It is always better to be safe than sorry, and if you feel like you need to go, then, by all means go. No one will think badly of you, for all of us who are mothers have been there and know what it is like to be uncertain as to what to expect. A wonderful book to read when you find out that you are pregnant is What To Expect When You Are Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. It is available for purchase at www.amazon.com.

Kayla

When I was pregnant with my daughter Kayla, all I wanted to eat was tomatoes and tomato products. I just could not seem to get enough of them. Even today, my daughter is a huge tomato fan.

Food cravings during pregnancy are a normal occurrence, and it is always interesting to see what type of food that you will want with each pregnancy. With both of my boys, I craved Mexican food, and both of them love it as well.

During my pregnancy with my daughter, my son Channing was about a year old, and when people would point to my stomach, he would say "My baby." When he was eighteen months old, he was with me, my husband, my parents, and my husband's parents while I was in labor with Kayla, and once she was born, he would point at her and say "My baby." Even to this day, Channing and Kayla are very close.

To all of the expectant moms who have other children, encourage your children to begin accepting and loving their unborn sibling. By doing this, you will find that the adjustment once the baby arrives is much easier, and by hearing the older sibling's voice while in the womb, the baby will recognize his or her brother's or sister's voice after he or she is born. It is such a wonderful bonding experience.

Elisha

When my husband and I found out that we were going to be parents again after our youngest was seven, we were shocked but thrilled. Channing and Kayla were ecstatic and told us that they had been praying for a little brother or sister.

All throughout my pregnancy, Channing and Kayla were very involved when it came to my checkups, and when I was to have my ultrasound done at a nearby clinic, Channing and Kayla accompanied my husband and me to the appointment. I was so glad that they did.

When Channing and Kayla saw the image of their little brother up on that ultrasound screen, they thought he was the sweetest thing ever. Although he was only eighteen weeks into his development, Elisha had all of his parts and was even awake and moving during the procedure. For my two older children, it was a lesson in the fact that life begins in the womb and that this little person who was living within my body would one day soon be coming out to see them.

When Elisha was born, Channing and Kayla were in the waiting room at the hospital with my husband's mother and a good friend of mine, and they were able to hear Elisha's first cry over my friend's cell phone. Almost immediately after the birth, Channing and Kayla were able to come into the room and see and hold Elisha.

If you are a mother of multiple children and are expecting another child, include those children in the experiences of your pregnancy (i.e. checkups, ultrasounds, etc.). Your children will feel a great closeness to their unborn sibling and will be excited about helping with the sweet, new arrival. Too, it is an experience that your children will never forget, and they can learn what to expect once they are expectant mothers or fathers.