A Baby's Story

I am facing the back seat of my mother’s car listening to her talk to someone on the phone. I have no idea where we are on the road, or where we are headed. I’ve been in the car several times in my short one month of life and I like it. The motion and sound of the radio put me right to sleep, and I can already feel myself dozing off.

I jump awake when I feel my mother unlatch my car seat and lift me and my carrier out of the car. We enter a building that I have never seen before, but I do not like the smell. My mother sets my carrier down on the ground and begins to talk “Hi, we are here for Anna’s one-month check up.”

An unfamiliar voice responds “The doctor will be with you shortly, just fill out these papers and return the clipboard once you have finished.”

My mother then lifts my carrier and enters another door where there are lines of chairs with other moms and children waiting. The children look terrified.

I hear the sound of a baby crying from far away. What is this place? There are so many questions I want to ask my mother, but am unable to. I am only capable of crying and smiling.

I hear another unfamiliar voice call my name.

“Yes, that’s us” responds my mother

“You can follow me”

We enter another small room where there are wires and different things hanging from the walls. Everything in here looks terrifying. There is a tall bed that looks like the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen in the middle of the room with a long piece of paper running from the top to the bottom.

My mother lifts me out of my carrier and holds me. The unfamiliar lifts up my shirt and puts something cold and uncomfortable on my chest. She flips me over and does the same thing to my back. I start to cry. This is torture.

She continues to poke and put different things in my ears, nose, and mouth. What did I do to deserve this punishment? Then, the worst of it all happened.

My eyes are closed from me screaming and crying through this torturous punishment when I felt it. I felt six different pinches on my arms and legs. This is the worst pain I have ever been in in my life. If I wasn’t screaming loud enough before, I think now everyone in this building can here me.

My mother tries to calm me down, but after that torture, I am not letting her win. I cry louder to let her know how angry and upset I am. I trusted her. Why would she let any of this happen to me?

My mother sets me back in my carrier and starts to carry me out to the car. This time, I do not sleep on the way home.