Jacob Can Hardly Sit Still, These Days. With The Sharp Aches In His Legs And Feet Growing More Intense

Jacob can hardly sit still, these days. With the sharp aches in his legs and feet growing more intense as the weeks creep by, the bloating and gas from his seemingly perpetual morning sickness constantly kicking his ass, and his bladder on the verge of bursting open, waiting a mere four hours to board the plane for his cross-country flight is like literal torture.

This year’s Spring Break couldn’t have come at a worse time for Jacob — or, rather, his unplanned pregnancy couldn’t be any more inconvenient than it is right now. Here he is, waiting to fly home to his parents’ house, to kick off the two greatest weeks of April — when he should be living it up with his hometown buddies — and he’s too busy suffering through a surprisingly difficult pregnancy… a pregnancy that his parents are completely clueless about… to even come up with any Spring Break plans.

His meaty feet and toes airing out in the cool downdraft, for all of the other airport guests to see, and his hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatshirt, desperately trying to ease away the pain in his abdomen, Jacob’s already having an awful time. He has no idea how he’s going to explain this “mystery sickness” to his prying folks… or how much longer he can put off going to the nearest toilet. All he knows is that he’s got a mere four hours left to get himself together, and ready to go… and that, in itself, is stressful enough.

Before I got here, I thought the smell of popcorn was going to be the most irresistible aroma in the theater tonight. With these two little gremlins growing inside me, just breathing in the air at the snack booth makes my movie-night-pokerface fall flat... but, this time, I managed to stay strong, and only grabbed a tub of Caramel Kernels. Had I known that what I was getting myself into earlier, coming into the theater and taking my seat, I would’ve left the building altogether. Feet… that’s what got my mouth foaming right now. An entire row of dozens of large, meaty, smelly man-feet, just begging to be worshipped and nibbled on. Who knows why all these guys have their filthy dogs out to air. Honestly, it may just be a lack of home training… but with this extra sensitive nose of mine, I can smell each pair, and it’s making me crazy. My hormones are so out of whack right now, and it’s been so long sense a man has even given me a second glance. I don’t know how much longer I can last before I just start… sucking toes. I feel crazy!

Eric had no clue how difficult holding his bladder would be when he got pregnant. With the baby taking up so much space inside of him, putting pressure on his organs, things are all out of whack. He can't seem to contain himself at all anymore, no matter how hard he tries. Whenever the floodgates open, there's nothing that he can do to stop the flow.

Like most of his other symptoms, his urinary incontinence began as nothing more than a mere inconvenience... an occasional dribble here and there, or a small splatter in his underwear. He found it funny whenever he would feel himself leaking — that disgusting sense of humor, that most boys his age tend to possess — but as the days turned into weeks, and the problem intensified, Eric's bladder seemed to have taken on a mind of its own.

He could never quite make it to the toilet on time, and always ended up soaking himself before he could get the buttons on his pants undone. It was as if Eric's body had forgotten how to control its basic functions... like it had relinquished all authority to his unborn baby, without his say-so.

Whenever he sneezes, laughs too hard, or moves in a certain way, something inside of him releases. The pee just comes gushing out, like spilled water... and he's powerless in stopping it.

Even while he's in class, he has to be mindful of what he does. There's always that voice in the back of his brain, questioning if he's had too much to drink, and telling him to stay focused, so that he doesn't have another accident in front of everyone. Just the thought of flooding the classroom with his odorous urine again leaves him red-faced and mortified... and, to make matters worse, he's the only pregnant student in the entire 11th grade — the student that everyone stares at.

These last few months have been really tough for him, with so many pants, shorts, and briefs soiled and gone to waste... but, as embarrassing as his peeing problem may be, he hasn't lost sight of what's important. His fear of humiliation is far outweighed by his elation that he feels when he thinks about meeting his baby for the very first time. As he imagines ten tiny little fingers, and chubby toes, he feels like it's all been worthwhile.

I looked up to my Uncle Miguel when I was younger. He was this hardcore biker guy, who was always getting into trouble, and always on the go. One day, he’d be in Florida, and the next he’d be somewhere in Texas, and then in California. I hardly ever saw him in person, but every time he’d come back up north to visit, it was like I finally had a big sibling to play with.

Growing up as an only child, I always wanted to have a brother or sister. I wanted someone to play, joke, laugh, argue, and fight with… just like Dad and Uncle Miguel did with each other... which is why I’ll never forget the day when Miguel came to my house to tells us all that he was pregnant.

I was only about six or seven when Miguel shared the good news. He was already a few months along… I don’t know how many… and, when my mom let him into the house, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He’d always do that whenever he made a “pit stop” — that’s what he used to call his visits to us. Take his shirt off, sling it over one of the handlebars on his bike, rev up the engine a few times, and walk up to the door like a badass. It was awesome every time! I remember that his belly was the first thing I saw when he walked in… like it was trying to beat him into the house… and his belly button looked like my favorite cinnamon roll cereal.

My mom started screaming with excitement as soon as she saw him, and immediately sent me away to my room. Neither her or my dad told me why Uncle Miguel’s belly had gotten so big… but I already knew what was going on. I couldn’t believe that my uncle, who’d been like an older brother to me, was having a baby of his own… and, even better, I couldn’t believe that I was finally getting that sibling that I always wanted… or, something close to it. In my heart, I just knew that Uncle Miguel was going to stay with us while he waited for the stork to pop his belly open and give him that baby… but he didn’t. After listening to all of the laughter and excitement through my bedroom door, and pressing my ear to the wood for what felt like forever, Miguel just… left. He said his goodbyes to my parents and got back on his motorcycle, without coming to say goodbye to me.

After that night, it seemed like his pit-stops became less and less frequent… and I had to watch my cousin grow up through the screens on my parents’ phones. It took me years and years to get over it, and come to terms with the fact that I’ll probably be an only child forever… but I never forgot that day.

Gordon and Elise strolled through the aisles of the local supermarket, their shopping cart filled with essentials for the week ahead, and a few extra treats.

As they reached the middle of the cereal and granola aisle, Gordon winced, his hand instinctively grasping at his enlarged belly, as the pain and bloating had finally become too much, paralyzing him in place.

He’d been experiencing the highs and lows of surrogate pregnancy for nearly seven months, and the discomfort was something he’d grown accustomed to. Ever since he had agreed to be a surrogate for his sister and brother-in-law — carrying twins for them — his body just hadn't been the same. He had become incredibly prone to bouts of extreme gas, which were not only uncomfortable, excruciating, and smelly, but downright embarrassing… and, as time creeped on, the pain in his back and hips was only becoming more unbearable, making it hard for him to stand upright. It felt like a storm was brewing inside him, threatening to explode at any moment.

Elise's eyes widened in concern as she realized what was happening — he was backed up with gas again, and unable to walk. Without hesitation, she pulled Gordon to a secluded spot in the aisle and stood behind him. Passersby stole curious glances at the unusual sight of the couple… but Elise paid no attention to the stares, her focus solely on alleviating Gordon's pain.

With practiced hands, she lifted his shirt, exposing his swollen belly to the other shoppers… her touch gentle and reassuring. The severity of his bloating was visible from outside of his womb — his taut skin looking as solid as a boulder, and the tiny bubble of air bulging from below his navel. Elise began to massage big, soothing circles into the sides of his belly, her palms firm yet tender. She knew how to alleviate the blockages in his back and hips, gently rubbing in circular motions to ease the trapped gas down and out.

As she massaged his belly, a sense of calm washed over Gordon, his tense muscles slowly relaxing under her touch.

Suddenly, a loud, thunderous noise reverberated through the aisle, causing a few nearby shoppers to turn their heads in surprise. Elise didn't flinch; she knew what was coming. With a mix of pride and amusement, she watched as Gordon tensed every muscle in his body, and released a monumental fart that echoed off the shelves.

The stench hit her like a tidal wave, strong and sour, but she didn't bat an eye. After months of being his rock during the ups and downs of pregnancy, a fart like that was nothing to Elise. She chuckled softly, unfazed by the noxious cloud that surrounded them…

Sean sat on his bed, his hands nervously fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, pulling it down over his belly as the film crew bustled around his bedroom. Each member of the small team was busy setting up cameras and adjusting lights… all things that made Sean feel self-conscious. He had never imagined his life would take such a turn, becoming the subject of a documentary… at least, not one that was meant to shed light on the struggles of teen pregnancy, and deter his peers from being as “irresponsible” as he was. Feeling more aware of himself than he’d ever been before, his heart raced with a mix of emotions - embarrassment, confusion, but most of all, profound sorrow.

Being the only pregnant student at his school already felt like a heavy burden, with all the odd looks and gossip that followed him through the halls… but having his most intimate moments documented for all of his peers, and future high-schoolers to see was a whole new level of vulnerability. The decision to allow this intrusion into his life wasn't even his, but rather the school's attempt to shed light on the struggles and challenges of teen pregnancy. He had no choice but to go through with his principal’s vision. It was either he let the camera crew into his home, or, when the baby comes, be harshly penalized for his time out from class… and he wouldn’t be able to make up for that time.

"Okay, Sean, just act natural," the director advised him before the cameras started rolling, sitting down on his bed in an attempt to level with him. “Take us through your morning, and then we’ll drive you to school. Today’s gonna be easy, but… only if you make it easy.”

As Sean reluctantly began his morning routine, the crew and their high definition cameras followed his every move with precision. From the subtle tilt of his head as he brushed his teeth to the faint smile that flickered across his face when he felt a gentle kick from his baby, every moment was being closely captured. Despite the discomfort and invasion of his privacy, Sean understood the importance of his story being told — an unfortunate cautionary tale for others who might find themselves in similar circumstances. Once a star student, he was now reduced to nothing more than a worst case scenario come to life.