While we were chatting, Older Nephew's Wife mentioned to SIL that she was going to her cousin's baby shower the next day (Sunday/yesterday). Then I caught the ominous words: "...high-risk pregnancy... the baby is small... issues..."
SIL rushed to assure her that the doctors had told her Older Nephew was going to be a small baby -- and he was born at more than 8 pounds (and is now 37 years old and more than 6 feet tall).
Older Nephew's Wife wasn't sure exactly what the problem is, but she knew that it's a high-risk pregnancy, there are problems, and not simply a matter of the baby measuring small for dates.
I've met this cousin a couple of times -- a friendly, vivacious young woman, who bonded with dh over their shared love of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I asked what hospital she was going to have the baby at (ONW wasn't sure).
After that, I kept my mouth shut, and the conversation moved on to other topics.
I don't want to be the dark shadow, the voice of doom. And so often, these things DO turn out all right. Most people do get their ultimate happy ending.
But I'm living proof that sometimes (more often than most people think or want to imagine) they don't. And it's not an experience I would wish upon my worst enemy.
She will be in my thoughts until I know the baby is here and both are fine.
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
It's always so hard to hear something like that, and I know you will be thinking about the expectant parents. But equally, I find it hard to hear people brushing it off as nothing to worry about, dismissing concerns as if they don't matter. Because we all know that the worry is legitimate, based on hard experience (yours, or even that of my niece who was failing to grow in her last weeks because of cystic fibrosis) etc. And even if we don't worry, we still want people to know that their concerns are valid, that they're heard, and not denied or ignored. (Can you tell I'm a little annoyed at your sister-in-law!)
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I hope the birthday party was fun. Three years old already?! Good grief! (It's weird to be seeing kids grow up on the other side of the world, kids we've never met, but kids we feel as if we know! lol)
Come to think of it, I remember her offering the same "comforting" statement during my own tentative pregnancy. I know she means well (but)...
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