It was supposed to be a happy Sunday afternoon to welcome baby Georgina into this world. Wendy, my friend, asked me to be with her in the hospital during her delivery. Although it seemed so odd to see Wendy’s sad face that day, I gave her my encouragement that everything will be all right.
I did not know that something was wrong with her baby – everyone knew, except me. I was inside the delivery room while waiting for her safe delivery and when the doctor said it s time, Wendy asked for me.
The doctor told me that I can t stay long and Wendy would just like to say something to me. So, I went to her delivery bed and asked what I can do for her.
She clasped my hand and cried. I was shocked to see her face so pale – pale almost like a ghost. I asked the doctor if she is okay and the doctor assured me that she was fine but the baby’s delivery would not be smooth.
She told me about her baby s situation. She told me there was something wrong with her baby and they knew all along. She was going to be delivering an anencephalic baby. I was shocked and could not believe what I was hearing.
I have read articles about anencephalic babies when I was pregnant, but I could not believe that my friend would be having one. I tried not to cry in front of her. I even swallowed my sobs, but my tears betrayed me.
She said, When the baby comes out, I do not want to see her, please tell the nurses and the doctors not to show her to me.
I replied, Yes, of course.
I did not want to ask why. I could not bear seeing the pain in her eyes. It was my first time to see emptiness and pain in those beautiful brown eyes.
She said, I would like to keep her in my mind as a healthy looking baby girl, just the way I imagined her for the past 7 months.
I just nodded. I couldn’t speak. I was afraid my voice would betray me, too.
She said, I want you to picture her and post her in your blog. Discuss what an anencephalic baby is, let other mothers and soon-to-be mothers be aware of this kind of congenital abnormality. In this way, my baby Georgina would leave in this world making a mark by telling future moms to be careful during their pregnancy.
I just nodded. Though I know Wendy to be a strong willed woman, I never thought she could be as strong as she was that day. How could she think of this idea putting her baby s picture in my blog in order to make future moms be aware about anencephaly?
She told me that she already asked her doctor to discuss with me about what anencephaly is. She even requested me to picture the baby.
When baby Georgina came out, the doctor let me into the delivery room to take pictures of her. I could hear Wendy’s sobs on the other connecting room. My hands were shaking while taking baby Georgina’s pictures.
For Wendy and baby Georgina s goal, I will be discussing what is Anencephaly is on my next post.
I can’t believe the mother did not want to see her because she was not as “healthy looking” as the mother would like her to be. It’s her child. And anencephaly is not something you can avoid by just “being careful” during the pregnancy. That’s just ridiculous.