I just turned 19 on August 10th, and I’m due September 8th. I’m so excited, but also so terrified to give birth.

This pregnancy has been horrible for me. I have chronic joint pain and arthritis, and pregnancy has made it 10x worse for me. I’ve gained 100 pounds, and that extra weight has been hell for the bottom half of my body. It’s getting harder and harder to walk from point A to point B. The pelvic pain is unbelievable. It started at 11 weeks and has just gotten worse and worse. My braxton-hicks have been PAINFUL even though people say they typically aren’t.

With all the pain I’ve been in, I’m utterly terrified to experience the pain of child birth. I can’t imagine it getting any worse than this, and I know it’s going to.