First day:

Today we started the pregnancy Project and had to start by putting our bellies on. We
all constructed our bellies during the first block of class and everybody did it
differently. At the beginning of the day it was kind of a joke, and kind of fun to see all
your friends with those big bellies. As the day went on the belie started to bother, you
know that you can get it out any time but you dont it is very strange. The feeling is like
when you have something with you and you dont know what to do with it, like when
you hold a pair of flip flops on your hand while walking in the beach kind of like that I
felt impotent.. At the end of the day I was kind of desperate to get it off but I managed
to stay with it. The fact that I am going to be wearing this thing for a complete week
freaks me out it is the first day of the project and my tummy has been a pain and it
looks funny on boys. I am kind of exited to know how it feels with the complete four
kilos. Today I did the diet challenge it wasnt as hard I thought it was going to be. For
breakfast I ate a couple of eggs with toasts and marmalade, for lunch a plate of chicken
with salad and potatoes, and for dinner I had a plate of vegetable soup. I didnt enjoy
the food but it wasnt hard to accomplish this challenge. I think the ones are coming
are going to be much harder.




Second Day:

Today we added 1 kilo to our bellie and from the beginning of the day it started
bothering. It was annoying. Its funny how people out of school look at you as If you
were a sort of strange bug, I would too if I saw a girl my age with tummy like that.
Today we went to Lucia with some friends to complete the challenge of being 45
minutes in public it was very funny how people watched us with strange faces. We
took some pictures and enjoyed our meal. As the day went on it really started to get in
my nerves I really felt useless, and the only thing I was looking forward to was sitting
down and get a rest. When I got home my mom told me that my grandma was coming
to visit, she is a very conservatist woman and she did not like the idea of boys getting
pregnant she said it was ridiculous, I agree with her in us getting pregnant but I think
that getting the baby and taking care of it is much more realistic, steel I am sure ill
learn something out of this project. I am getting the baby tomorrow, I signed up for
extra credit and it consist on having the baby while you are pregnant I am really scared
of what is going to happen.




Third Day:

Today has been the most awkward day of the project. As I told you yesterday I signed
up to receive the baby as I was steel pregnant, well today I received my baby. To begin
the belie already gained one extra kilo adding up to 3 kilos. It has been very tiring to
carry that weigh all the day with you. My back has been hurting a lot and sometimes I
get desperate. Activities that I normally do with no problem are starting to get each
time harder with the new weigh I am caring along with me all day long. Talking about
the baby, it has been very fun until know at the begging it was kind of difficult to get
accustomed but as the day went on you really get to like the baby. Mine has a calm
personality he hasnt cried too much and he eats a lot. It is kind of difficult to discover
what is that the baby wants for him to stop crying, but the rest has been quite simple,
till now. It is very funny how people look at you when they see you caring the baby
around. It really looks like a real baby and people can get confused by it. I am really
enjoying this project a lot, hope the baby doesnt cry at night.







Fourth day:

What a day! Yesterday at night I wasnt able to sleep as long as I normally do. The baby
woke me up three times last night. One at 1 am then at 3 am and last at 5 am. It took
almost 20 to 30 minutes to put the baby to sleep again it was very very tiring.
Yesterday I slept with my tummy too and let me tell you its not easy at all. You cant
reach positions that normally you sleep in, for example facing down it was awful. I
spent a really tiring night. Talking about my day now it was pretty challenging too.
Today the three first hours of the day in class I had tests one of math and the other
one of chemistry and having the baby cry was kind of disrupting for me and for my
peers, but I managed to deal with the situation. Its funny how in such a short time you
can get to know and understand you baby, I am able to recognize almost all his cries
and to help him in whatever he needs only by listening to them. I have been able to
kind of forget the weigh I have on me but my back hurts a lot in its very annoying I
dont know what else to do with it. I am kind of happy and sad because tomorrow the
project ends ill definitively wont miss the belie but ill kind of miss Cayetano he has
given me a life experience and a life lesson, wait for things to happen at their own
pase.





Fifth day:

Last night was terrible as yesterday the baby woke me up 3 times again around the
hours mentioned in the last entry but this time was worst. I felt really tired from the
day before since I hadnt slept much and I really wanted to have a rest but that wasnt
possible with the baby crying all night. It was easier to put the baby to sleep since I was
able to recognize his cries and was able to attend him faster. When my alarm went off
at 6:10 am a felt somewhat frustrated because I hadnt slept enough and felt very
tired, but it was kind of relieving to know that that same day I was going to return the
baby. I didnt feel happy because in a certain way I felt if I was going to Miss Cayetano
but I totally felt relived since I didnt had to take care of him anymore. I returned the
baby at 10:25a.m, but I still had to where the belly and it was heavier than ever. My
belie today was four kilos and may back really hurt it was tiring to carry it everywhere
upstairs downstairs I felt very tired and kind of useless tasks that I normally do got very
exhausting and getting to class on time is a problem too. Your are not able to move
normally and have to make an effort to do simple activities. This project has really
taught me a life lesson and I am very thankful to have been given the chance to live
this experience.



Pre Project Questions:

1. What do you think will become almost impossible to do with your new physical
attributes?
I think that doing sports or any kind of activity that requires a lot of effort will
turn into something difficult to do
2. Who do you think will judge you before asking what is going on in your class?
(Do not name people, but their relation to you)
Maybe family members that dont know what is going on Specially
grandparents that have a whole different perspective to this situation, or
simply people out of my life can judge me for doing this
3. What activities will not be a problem for you?
Things that I normally do walking, going up stairs would not be a problem for
me.
4. What do you think you will gain from this experience? What will you not like
about the experience?
I think that it is a very good method of showing us what its like to be a parent
and how well prepared you should be to enter this unknown world. The only
thing I disagree on is that boys have to get pregnant. That is never going to
happen and it is kinf of disturbing.
5. Will you be able to fulfill this commitment for the entire week? Why or why
not?
I am sure Ill be able to finish the project first because I think it is not as
complicated as it seems and second because I really want to know how it feels
to have a baby.











Interview:

1. What was your initial reaction when you found out you were pregnant?
I was thrilled, could not believe it.
2. How was the pregnancy? (Any comforts or discomforts such as morning sickness).
Yes, I had morning sickness the first three months. After that everything went well.
3. Did you have any cravings for any specific food?
Yes. I had cravings for ice cream
4. Did you reach a full term pregnancy? If not, why?
Yes, it was a full term pregnancy.
5. How was I born? (Natural birth or cesarean).
Cesarean
6. What was my weight and length at birth?
Weight 7pounds 8oz length 49cm
7. How did I react immediately after birth?
Lots and lots of crying
8. How long did I stay in the hospital?
Three nights
9. Who came to visit us at the hospital?
Grandparents, aunts, uncles and lost of friends
10. How did Mom feel after giving birth?
With lots of pain because of cesarean, but very happy and nervous


11. How did Dad feel?
Dad was very happy. He wanted a little boy from day one

12. How was I as a newborn? (Sleep, cry, observe, smile).
Very hyper and cried a lot
13. As a newborn, did I breastfeed or bottle feed?
Breastfeed
14. How many times during the night did I wake up?
The first four months twice at night
15. What would I normally do during the day?
Sleep and breastfeed
16. When did I start sleeping all night?
At five months old
17. What was my favorite toy?
The farm and cars
18. When did I start eating pureed food?
At 6 months
19. When was I able to sit on my own? Crawl? And, take my first steps?
Sit at six months, crawl at 8 months and the first steps at 10 months
20. What was my first word?
Mama
21. Who took care of me most of the time? Did I have any babysitters?
My mom took care of me



Post Project Questions

1. Overall how do you feel about this project now that it is over? Do you think it was a
worthwhile experience?
I enjoyed this project a lot and I totally think that it is a worthwhile experience because
it reveled to me how complicated is to be a parent and how much commitment and
effort you should have to raise a child.
2. Has the project made you think more seriously about pregnancy or what it would be
like to be involved in a pregnancy at your age?
It totally helped me to open my eyes to a new world. I nevr had though of it the same
way I do know it takes a lot of courage
3. Did the project make you more empathetic to pregnant women overall? Did you find a
new appreciation for what pregnant women experience?
Yes, totally caring that belli all around the place was very tiring and made me
understand how pregnant women have to live it is very complicated.
4. What would you change about this project?
The only thing I would change is that men should not get pregnant it is not realistic and
it is not ethical. It is wrong.
5. What was the hardest part of the project?
The hardest part of the project was getting up at night to take care of the baby he
cried a lot and it was exhausting. I really wanted to sleep more but I wasnt able too
because of the situation I was in.
6. During the last week with your child what was the most challenging aspect of caring
for your child?
As I said before the waking up at night was the most challenging aspect of the project
it required a lot of energy.






Conclusion:

At the beginning of this project I did not feel happy at all. I thought it was going
to be a waste of time, especially for the fact that boy had to get pregnant too.
As the week went on I realized how pregnant women really feel. I steel
disagree on that aspect of the project (Boys getting pregnant) but in the long
run it teacher me something very valuable and I am able to see or mabe to
respect pregnant woman differently now that I know how they really feel. This
project has really opened my eyes to what it is being a parent. It takes a lot of
commitment effort responsibility and in real cases love. It has been a very
interesting project and has really taught me a lesson. For things to go right it
ones life you should wait and go with things at their own pase. The only fact
that scares me a lot is what if some day I have to be a father at this age. If only
taking care of a robotic baby was very hard I cant even imagine what it would
be like to take care of a real baby. This experience has been worthy and it is
something Ill never forget and someday when I am a father Ill be thankful
because I was able to wait for the correct moment to create a family and being
able of taking care of it with lots of love and to make everyone on it very happy
thank you robotic baby. I am sure that I am not going to be a father at least
until I am 60.