Where’s my baby?

A story about lost moments.

Audrey (30) is a mother of two who moved South to get away from the chaos surrounding her life in Ohio. Below is the story of her first pregnancy:

Giving birth to my son was hard.

It was an emergency C-section but I didn’t remember anything after coming out of surgery. I didn’t even know he’d been born yet. When I woke up from the anesthesia, I looked down at my stomach and thought, “Where’s my baby?”

It felt like something had been stolen from me.

My sister was with me, thank God. She told me everything later. Filled in all the gaps. That’s when I realized I didn’t want to go through that kind of experience again.

So for my next pregnancy, I went to Florida. That’s where I had my daughter. And this time, I was present. I made sure of it.

The video we got means I can look back and see her first seconds in this world. It makes me emotional. Because I got to witness it. I get to remember.

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Behind the Lens

Eight years ago, I stood beside my wife as she bravely birthed our son through an emergency C-section. This poem is a reflection on her fierce love and a nod to the many women, like Audrey, who have fought to bring life into this world.

emergency

c-section.

the last item

on a list

of moments

gone wrong.

wrong day

wrong doctor

wrong way

still

you were strong.

i wept.

there was no

making it pretty.

no moment of peace

to tie it all together.

just fear

disappointment

and a handful

of hope.

then he arrived.

and what met our son

what i will

remember

forever

is the song

of a woman

determined

to have her child

enter this world

wrapped in love.

despite it all.

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