When high school senior Cortnie Plows found out she was pregnant in March of 2018, she knew her life was going to change drastically. Throughout the pregnancy, adoption crossed her mind. Her motivation to raise her daughter stemmed from knowing she was capable of doing it.

A stigma lies behind teen pregnancy and the struggles and hardships that go along with it.  As many reality television shows paint a picture of a particular lifestyle, Cortnie did not let an episode of Teen Mom take away the hope she had inside of her.  She says, “Having an actual kid in real life is completely different. It’s so dramatic on television, it was not that dramatic in real life.”

One morning in late February 2018, Cortnie woke up and something just did not feel right.  As she was getting ready to take a shower, she did not think she would make it and began throwing up.  Her father knew she was pregnant, but Cortnie denied it.

Being in a relationship at any age is hard, but being in a relationship that is distant with a child involved adds another element to balance.  That does not account for having a social life as an 18 year old outside of being a mother and girlfriend.

She says, “Everything was going good not too long ago, but now I am in the middle of things and it is kind of going downhill right now,” but her parents especially reminded her that they would be there through it all for her and the baby.

“I didn’t want to disappoint my dad,” said Plows.  My father told me, “He [Lilly’s father] is probably not going to be here for you” after going through a similar situation with Cortnie’s sister.  

“My father kept putting that in my head for the longest time and I believed him,” said Plows. “At first my parents were mad at me and would bring it up all the time when we would fight.”  As Lilly’s due date came closer, Cortnie’s father started to adjust and once she was born, “He adjusted so fast, it was crazy.”

One of Cortnie’s biggest fears during the pregnancy was that she was going to have to do it all by herself.  She has received endless support from her parents and all five of her siblings. Cortnie’s parents have also assisted her financially and have purchased all the formula, diapers, and other essential needs for the both of them.

“My anxiety was through the roof,” said Plows throughout her pregnancy.  When times were tough, Cortnie says, “I stayed calm by talking to my friends and family.  I would rub my belly and talk to Lilly before she was born and write down my feelings in a journal.”

At one of Cortnie’s doctors appointments on October 17, the gynecologist told her they were going to induce her and she was sent to Westmoreland Hospital.  She was admitted with a high blood pressure and the doctors wanted to run a 24-hour test on her for another medical reason. However, she was unable to go home due to the high blood pressure, which could in turn shut down her kidneys.  

The following day, her water broke and she soon gave birth to Lilly on October 18, 2018 at 11:42 pm.  Cortnie’s sister and Lilly’s father supported her during the labor and delivery. Everything happened so quick for the whole family as Lilly was born a month and one day early.  Cortnie’s parents were unaware that she was premature so they stayed true to previous commitments the day that Lilly was born.

“Once I had her, she came out and was not breathing and my sister starting crying,” said Plows. “I tried not paying attention to her because I knew I’d get all worked up.”

Lilly was immediately taken to get weighed and was then put into an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to keep warm.  Cortnie was able to hold her for the first time on October 19.