At age 16, life was great for the Dewberry, Texas teen. Kristina was about to go to prom and was happily in love and engaged to her high school sweetheart, Todd. But everything changed after a summer trip to the coast when a riptide pulled them both down. Kristina was saved but Todd did not survive.
The episode was filmed three months after the incident when Kristina was six months pregnant. Still wearing her engagement ring, Kristina hasn’t been able to let go of the memory of Todd and bottles up her emotions. She feels like no one understands her, including her own mother, Kim. Todd’s mother, Tina, is concerned that if she doesn’t open up, the stress of her emotions would cause trouble in her pregnancy.
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And just like she predicted, at seven months pregnant, Kristina faces horrible contractions and has to go to the hospital. Once there, her doctor recommends that she stay in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy to make sure her baby is born healthy.
Feeling more alone than ever, Kristina opens up to her family during a visit. At a devastating point she says, “I’m tired of hurting. I’m tired of [Todd] not being here. I just want him. And I can’t stop. It’s not fair.”
After being in the hospital for a month and a half, the doctor says her baby can come out via C-section. Her baby boy, Lukas Todd, was born six weeks early weighing 3 lbs. 3 oz. Baby Lukas looks just like daddy — a bittersweet realization for the whole family. However, Lukas has to stay in intensive care for three weeks until he develops a bit more.
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Back home without her baby, Kristina feels even more vulnerable: “I feel like I’m breaking, I feel like I can’t hold anything together. [Todd] would love that baby so much. I just want them both here.”
When Kristina finally brings little Lukas home, she realizes what it’s like to be a mom. She has to bathe, feed, and feels exhausted from not getting any sleep.
At a turning point, Kristina decides to go to a counselor to deal with her inner turmoil. Her counselor, Janna, allows the teen to face her grief and commits to helping her heal. At the end of the episode, Kristina finally lets herself move on and believes that things will be looking up for her and her baby.
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Was that the most emotional episode yet? HollyMoms, were you moved by Kristina’s story?
— Lorraine Chow
More ’16 And Pregnant’ recaps:
- ’16 And Pregnant’ Recap: Devon Worries Her Army Boyfriend Colin Will Re-Enlist
- ’16 And Pregnant’ Recap: Sarah Struggles To Raise Baby Tinleigh As A Single Mom
- ’16 And Pregnant’ Recap: After 10 Hours of Labor, Hope Delivers Baby Through C-Section