125 | Expect the Unexpected - Keneisha Pennyman

“When you decide to conceive, you’re going to have a hard time.” This was the assessment given to Keneisha during her first appointment with a new gynecologist. There were no tests completed to make that determination, only a conversation that the provider thought it was abnormal that she had never had a pregnancy scare or abortion. Striking Keneisha as odd and concerning for her health, she never returned and avoided gynecologists after that encounter. Later that year, illness struck, and she took a pregnancy test, but it was negative. Two days later, she decided to go to her primary provider and was tested again, with the test being positive. Keniesha and her husband began planning their prenatal care, and to their surprise, at the ultrasound, they discovered that she was 14 weeks along and the baby was well developed.As they explored their family health history, Keneisha shared that her father had passed away at 32 years old due to heart failure, which concerned her doctor. He ran additional genetic tests that indicated some concerns. Keneisha was a carrier of a rare condition and moved forward with an amniocentesis, and thankfully their baby was not a carrier.The surprises would not end there; at 35 weeks, Keneisha reported to the hospital and discovered she was 4 centimeters dilated. She didn’t feel like her body was ready to deliver a baby, but her medical providers were convinced otherwise. She wanted to go home, but she wasn’t feeling the contractions, which concerned her doctor because she may not make it back to the hospital in time. She dilated to 5 centimeters, but labor slowed down, and she could go home on bed rest. Keneisha began a weekly ultrasound check as the baby measured small.  By 39 weeks, Keneisha was 6 centimeters dilated and consented to a membrane sweep. A few days later, she would feel a mild contraction, and excitement started to build that this may be labor day. Keneisha went into her labor feeling fearless and managing her contractions at home. She and her husband would make their way to the hospital following her lead. The support of her husband, mother, and doula and allowed her body to guide the experience. They welcomed their son safely and under the attentive care of her provider. She had shocked herself and felt a wave of relief that the pregnancy journey had come to an end. She had gone into this pregnancy with a shorter time frame to adjust and plan but managed to educate herself enough to birth without fear. Sponsors:Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT) | reproductive justice organizationROOTT is a collective of concerned Black families, community members, advocates & interdisciplinary professionals dedicated to decreasing Black maternal & infant mortality in Ohio. ROOTT’s mission is to comprehensively restore our collective well-being through collaboration, resource allocation, research & re-empowerment, in order to meet the needs of Black parents & families. If you and your family are planning, pregnant, or in your postpartum period, please reach out to ROOTT at www.roottrj.org. Financial assistance is available. You can also connect with ROOTT at 614-398-1766 or email [email protected]