I remember staring like a deer in the headlights when my water broke that day. I was 28 weeks pregnant with my second baby. Being 32 and pregnant wasn't a big deal, but I remembered how hard it was for me to get pregnant the second time. By the time I got to the hospital that day, I was shivering in pain. The doctor started my ultrasound, never really looking at me at all. "Well, you're going to have to deliver the baby breech." I remember wondering what that meant, and it seemed so definite. Like there were no other options. As he covered my stomach back up, still not looking at me, he said "the baby probably won't last through the night." Thirty-five years later, my baby is still here, but she has major disabilities. Looking back, I don't know if they were really doing caesarean sections in 1984. Could they have done something different? Could they have stopped my labor and kept me in the hospital a few more weeks? I'll never know.
My daughter is beautiful, a ball of energy. Although she has cerebral palsy and is partially blind, she bring more life to me that I ever expected. She makes me appreciate what I have and be thankful for every moment I get to share my story with someone else. But, I'll never forget how invisible I felt that day. And, now that I'm 66 years old and volunteering with the center, it's sad to see that other women are still invisible. But I know that things are changing, and brighter days are ahead.
Story Shared By: L. Denise, 31 y/o
Comments