My name is Patrece Sanchez. I am 16 years old, a straight-A student, and a mother.
That's right, I'm a mother at 16. I know, it is rather taboo to become a mother so young nowadays. And for someone like me, it was unexpected and surprising, given that I was such a respected young woman among my community. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and coaches all thought well of me. My mother and grandmother did too.
Anyways, I discovered that I was pregnant just before lunchtime one Saturday. I was shocked and scared about how my mother would react, and indeed, when she found out after hearing me crying, she was furious. She was adamant that I was going to have an abortion or I would get kicked out of the home.
Of course, I refused. How could I have given up on my baby? My baby was innocent. I had messed up, sure. But why punish my baby?
My mother then ordered me to leave the home and never return. She was furious beyond words. I sat on the porch for the next half an hour, crying my eyes out. I was still trying to process what had happened; I was pregnant and going to become a mother. My mother had thrown me out of the house, and I was left on my own. But I was going to make it, one way or another.
During that time, my grandmother comforted my furious mother.I t turns out, she herself was also a teen mother, who became pregnant at 16 as well. Like my own mother, my grandma's mother threw her out of the house upon finding out. Despite this, my grandmother fought her hardest, and my mother was eventually born. At that moment, my mother realized her mistake, and just what her own mother (my grandmother) went through to bring her into this world.
Anyways, after this, my mother came out and gave me a hug, telling me that I was still her daughter, even after I messed up.
Fast-forward nine months. I had a rather smooth and trouble-free pregnancy. Now was the day of the delivery, the day I would give birth to my daughter. I was going to have a home birth, attended by two wonderful young midwives who were only a few years older than I was.
Below is the story:
I lay in bed in my bra, breathing heavily, as I sweated profusely. My midwives, Kaitlin Owen and Emily Park, did everything they could to make me comfortable. Being around 8 centimeters dilated, I was in transition and almost ready to push.
My mother was excited, as was my grandmother. They did everything they could to support me as I labored, and were now just a few minutes away from seeing their grandchild, or great-grandchild.
Kaitlin checked my dilation for the last time, before confirming that I was ready to push. She instructed my mother and grandmother to hold my legs, as I lay there, breathing heavily.
"Alright Patrece, when the next contraction comes, I need you to take a deep breath, hold it, tuck your chin to your chest, and push into your bottom with all your energy. With all your might!" Kaitlin instructed, as she held a finger inside the opening of my birth canal.
I nodded, groaning. This was almost over. After a few pushes.
A contraction came, and I felt the urge to push.
"I can't!" I wailed.
Tears flowed down my cheeks, as I cried in pain.
"Oh my God, this hurts so bad!" I whimpered.
"I will never do this!" I cried.
But my support team was all positive.
"Patrece, you can do this!" Kaitlin smiled. "Just take a big breath, and push! Like you are trying to poop! Give me a big breath, hold it, and bear down as hard as you can, okay?" Kaitlin encouraged.
My mother and grandmother were holding my legs back, with my knees flexed tightly to my ears. "You can do this Patrece! You can do this!" my grandmother whispered.
"I'll try," I mumbled.
I sucked in a deep breath of air, tucked my chin onto my chest, and bore down into my bottom for a big, long push. I took another breath and bore down once more, teeth clenched, my cheeks turning red,
"AAARRRRRGGGHH!"
"That was awesome, Patrece!" my mother marvele, as she held my right leg.
"Yeah, Patrece, you are doing GREAT!" Emily said.
"Do it again! You're gonna do it! You're gonna do it!" laughed Kaitlin.
I felt another contraction, and gave a big push.
"Owww...," I sobbed.
Tears continued pouring down. My grandmother squeezed my right hand tight, as I bore down again, sweat pouring down my face, neck, and back.
Emily brought me a cold, wet cloth, and placed it on my head. It felt great.
"Come on, Patrece! You are doing great!" she cried.
I gave another push, "UUUGGGHHHHH!"
"That's a good push, Patrece!" Kaitlin smiled.
I rested my head back, waiting for another contraction.
"Oh my God," I moaned.
Kaitlin laughed. "It's difficult, I know, but you'll get through this. Whenever you feel a contraction, just push with all your energy, okay?"
I nodded.
My mother and grandmother fanned me as I sweated.
"You're doing great, Patrece," my grandmother smiled.
"You've got this, baby!" my mother whispered.
My support team looked at me firmly in the eyes, showing me they had faith in my ability to do this. To bring my child into the world.
I gave a big push on the next contraction, "UUUGGGHHH!"
Followed by another one, "UUUUUGGHHHH!"
Three more pushes after that.
With another four, I began to feel a burning sensation around my birth canal.
"OWWWWWW!" I howled.
"Okay, I can see the head!" Kaitlin said.
"Oh my god, can it be?" I replied, shocked.
Yeah, want to reach down and feel?" asked Emily.
"No, I can't move," I groaned.
Kaitlin applied olive oil around the birth canal, as I moaned and groaned. She stretched my birth canal with her fingers, before I again felt the urge to push.
"UGHHHH!" I growled.
By now, I was no longer afraid to push. I bore down with every contraction and determination to deliver my child on the bed. My entire support team refused to stop cheering for me.
My mother and grandmother fanned me, and Emily held my legs to make room. Kaitlin pressed a cloth tightly against my perineum as the baby's head progressed. With each push, I felt my baby progress, before retracting a little. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed. My birth canal opening stretched and stretched as I brought my baby's head to a full crown.
After this, I pushed, pushed, and pushed some more. My baby's head continued making its way out. I was not long, before I felt the baby's face coming through.
"Alright, Patrece! You've got the HEAD!" my grandmother beamed with pride.
"Look at you!" Emily marveled. "What a SUPERWOMAN!"
"Patrece, you are marvelous! So impressive! You are amazing! If only all young mothers were like this" Kaitlin smiled. I could tell she was impressed.
I smiled weakly. I was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. My midwives sat there patiently.
"Whenever you're ready, Patrece," Kaitlin said.
I lay there, waiting for the next contraction. It came, and I pushed.
"UGH! I can't," I groaned, as I pushed once more.
"Yes you can," said Kaitlin. "Real hard, real hard on this one!"
I pushed, and screamed.
"Go again, Patrece!" Emily cried.
I gave another push. "I can't!" I waited.
"I think these shoulders are going to need a bit of help," Kaitlin remarked.
Emily instructed my mother and grandmother to pull both of my legs all the way back.
My mother and grandmother helped shift my position, flexing both of my knees tightly against my ears as Emily began applying pressure to my pubic bone.
"Okay, Patrece, give it all you got!" my support team shouted.
I bore down for another push. Kaitlin guided the baby forward.
"Great, it's coming," she said.
I pushed one more time, before I burst out "I can't do it anymore! I'm done!"
"No, Patrece, you can do it! You're almost there!" Kaitlin cheered.
For the last time, I sucked in a deep breath of air. I blocked out all voices, as I pushed with every ounce of strength I could muster. I closed my eyes, and gave a big, loud roar, as I felt something warm, soft, and tender placed into my arms. I open my eyes, to see, that it was a newborn baby. My baby. The most beautiful, precious thing on Earth.
Instantly, tears of joy filled my eyes. "I did it!" I cried, in disbelief.
"You did it, Patrece! Good job!" my support team cheered in congratulations.
"You were so marvelous, honey!" my mother exclaimed.
"Yeah, all that amazing strength!" my grandmother added.
I looked at the baby resting on my chest.
"It's a girl!" I cried.
I gave her a kiss on her forehead as I hugged her tightly.
"My dear baby, my sweet baby," I choked out, as she let out a cry.
"I can't believe I just had a baby!" I cried.
Everyone laughed.
"She's quite big for your size, Patrece. No wonder why you had to push so hard!" my grandmother exclaimed.
I laughed, "Oh, it was so painful, it hurt badly. I couldn't have done it without the four of you!"
"You were amazing!" Kaitlin said.
I delivered the placenta, before Kaitlin and Emily got to work, checking for tears.
"Everything looks good, Patrece," they told me.
I sighed, having finally delivered my child, naturally, in bed, at home. Finally, she was here. After so much crying, yelling, pain, and pushing. I, Patrece Sanchez, had done it.