Knowing Too Much
A close friend of mine is expecting. She also works in neo/peds, so what should be a happy occasion, is a time of nerves. We know too much.
Things like alveolar capillary dysplasia and Cornelia de Lange syndrome are floating through her head. I can't say I know how it feels. I've never had children, but I was a wreck when my sister was pregnant with both of my nieces. I truly don't think I could breathe easily until she hit 36 weeks in either pregnancy and I knew all fingers, toes and heart chambers were accounted for.
So how do I ease her mind? We see the worst of the worst and we both know these complications and syndromes don't happen often. It's just hard to separate that from how much of the "uncommon" we see.
One dear friend has the most adorable son born with Down syndrome. Another friend had a 28-week preemie and saw him on the oscillator. And there's another girl whose son has Duchenne.
I'm an honorary aunt on this one, so it's my job to help out through it all. Any ideas on how to make her worry less? How have you handled things when it hits close to home?
Stephanie