But Vines wasn't falling for it this time. She took her daughter to the store that night, bought a home pregnancy test, and made Grace use it. Baggy denim overalls and bulky sweatshirts had disguised Grace's swelling midriff for months. When she rode in the car with her mom, she'd sit way back in the seat and yank her sweater over the seat belt. Grace, like many expectant teens, received little prenatal care, very late in her pregnancy.
Some girls get no pre-birth attention at all.
A lack of medical care, proper diet and monitoring of the baby's development can expose mother and child to serious complications later, said Dr. Greg Skipitis, an obstetrician-gynecologist with a private Redding practice. The big secret Grace couldn't admit, even to herself, that she was going to have a baby. When it finally felt real, she was terrified. Vines knew her daughter was sexually active. She had been telling herself her daughter's birth control pills were simply causing her to put on a few pounds, or that depression might be causing Grace's weight gain.