That Time I Made a Doctor with a Broken Leg Hobble Up the Stairs Because I Was a Paranoid Parent
…or, how being a brand-new mom or dad makes you lose compassion for everyone but your baby.
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Illustration by Zelda Galewsky
Finally, she fell asleep in my arms. My infant daughter had been crying all day and all of the night before; I didn’t know why, but I knew something was wrong. I’d rocked her and held her and soothed her as best I could, trying to contain her writhing, fretful body. Her skin was livid, her soft baby hair damp with sweat and tears. She wouldn’t eat; she wouldn’t drink. I was – inwardly at least – almost as inconsolable as she, panicked and afraid. I’d already called the doctor; the receptionist promised me he’d visit as soon as he could. Now it was just a matter of waiting. I cradled her across my body, gently patting her hot back, until finally, exhausted, she closed her eyes. I carried her carefully up the steep wooden staircase and set her down in her crib. She stirred, let out a moan and fluttered her dark-lashed eyes open for a second, but then drifted mercifully back to sleep. I leaned in and stroked her cheek, listening for each breath. Her tiny bod…
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