Reply #7: That's a good point...

[eyesroll]

Most of my pregnant girls were scared out of their wits. I was super-young when I was teaching -- 21/22 -- so they'd see me as this older sister they could talk to. They routinely asked questions ranging from the mundane (will I be able to lose baby weight?) to the downright terrifying (my stepfather abuses me; how do I keep him away from the baby? -- I called social services on that one). I must add that they were amazed that I was engaged but didn't have kids. ("Why would you want to throw your life away by getting married if you don't already have kids?")

Prenatal care was scattershot, too -- whatever Medicaid would pay for that they could get time off from their jobs or school to attend (that was on the bus route).