1st pregnancy tag

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yes and long awaited!!

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
for me-no other choice

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
nervous at first as I had had a miscarriage already, then when I was sure all was well, ecstatic

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26 1/2

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
Since I was so anxious to have a baby, I went to the doctor as soon as I suspected.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
Bill

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
that was not an option in 1974

9. DUE DATE?
January 18th, 1974 (I had three babies due that date- but never hit it)

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Extreme queasiness for 4 months, but no throwing up. Smells really got me.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
ice cream (but no pickles)

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
I don't remember anything. I was so thrilled to be pregnant that I really enjoyed the new experiences--except the nausea! My biggest irritation related to pregnancy was when one of the doctors at the army post medical center was doing a pelvic exam for something else, and said oh, it looks like you might be a month pregnant. So he had me do a test, and it came back negative. So he said well you aren't pregnant, so if your period doesn't start we'll give you something to start it. I still thought I might be pregnant and so I waited, and I was, but at 3 months I miscarried. It just irritated the crap out of me that he was so cavalier about it and assuming the test was absolutely correct. It didn't help that he was an irritating arrogant guy in the first place! The other doctor there, and his nurse were super nice.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
boy

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
No.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
20 to 25 lbs. the same for all 7

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes - our friends in Germany gave me one before I left. I came home when I was about 7 months--the latest I could fly, because Bill was rotating to Oklahoma in December, and we would have had to extend to come home in February if I had him there. We had been gone for two years and were ready to come home.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew about it.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
No, other than doctors at the Army post in Oklahoma not being ob's, and kind of ignorant of some of the aspects of child birth. (that is another story)

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Lawton (actually Fort Sill) Oklahoma

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
about 12, but all the rest were under 2 hours!

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Bill

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Bill did. He was there for all of them, but it was just beginning to be accepted, so I had to request it

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
I did have an epidural or something for that one, but not with any of the others--they came too fast,

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7 lb. 4 oz.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
January 11, 1974

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Thane William

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
35 I had to think about that.