There is no question here; mommies are the real superheroes. From swollen feet to the actual delivery, the entire experience of becoming a mother is surreal and yet so painful that it is worthy of a standing ovation. And Brianna Hill especially deserves a loud round of applause! She not only gave birth but sat for her bar exam while she was at it—both extremely difficult tasks on their own accord but together, they are presumably a nightmare.
According to a leading news portal, Brianna recently graduated from the Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. She was aware that she would soon have to sit for the bar, and was fully aware of the fact that she would be pregnant during the bar exam. However, she didn’t anticipate the COVID-19 and the issues that it would cause on her pregnancy schedule. Brianna explained that with the original Bar exam dates, she knew she would be 28 weeks pregnant when she sat for the exam. However, due to COVID-19, the test dates were postponed from July to October. This meant Brianna would be 38 weeks pregnant when she sat for the test. During the weeks before her exam, she would joke about taking the exam from a hospital bed. She just didn’t realize then that it would turn out to be true.
It is important to understand how the exam is conducted before we explain what happened with the mom-to-be. Essentially, the digital version of the Chicago bar is divided into four parts with 90 minutes to complete each section. These sections are spread over the span of two days and are monitored throughout. The applicants are expected to sit in front of the computer with their camera on to ensure there is no cheating.
Within the first thirty minutes of the exam, Brianna felt something and just hoped it wasn’t her water breaking. But since she just couldn’t go and check instantly due to the strict monitoring policy, she decided it was best to finish her test. After completing the first section of the exam, in the little break she got, she got up and realized that it was indeed her water that had broken at the start of the exam. However, unlike the rest of us who would have ditched the exam faster than we ditch a diet and have a baby instead, Brianna did the exact opposite. She took a break, got herself all freshened up, called everyone important, and shed a little tear in panic. She then checked if she had some time before she could go to the hospital (which she did) and finally sat right back to continue giving her exam.
Soon after, when she was finished with her second section, she drove to the hospital and gave birth to her baby boy! During her entire delivery and post-delivery period at the hospital, Brianna was crystal clear that she wanted to continue taking the exam the next day. There was no other way to go about it. Luckily for her, her delivery was smooth and fast, and her husband, midwife, and nurses were super accommodating. They all somehow managed to set up her hospital bed in a manner that she could easily take the exam the next day. The hospital staff made sure there was a strict ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign molded on her door. Her family and friends were supportive and extremely encouraging—it gave her the strength to trust herself and sit for the exam without any reluctance.
Like we said before, Brianna Hill from Illinois deserves a standing ovation from all of us. Our newbie mommy will soon be admitted to the bar with a lifetime certificate to practice and lifetime right to share her pregnancy story at every party she ever goes to.
