Ignorant Comments

Today my husband and I went furniture shopping at a small town store where the clerk knew me. I had not seen her since before Addison was born so I did not know if she knew that Addison had died. I am still not comfortable broaching the topic so I did not bring it up. About 1/2 way into the conversation she said she was sorry for our loss. I thanked her and nodded my head sadly when she said it was hard. She then said it was similar to when the doctors told her daughter, who is 6 months pregnant, that there was something wrong with the baby and they may need to abort the baby. I, of course, become immediately sympathetic. She then continues and says they ran tests and it turns out everything is fine. At this point I start getting upset, this is in no way similar to my circumstances. Yes, initially the doctors told her daughter she may have to abort the baby, so she would have also lost a baby. However, the baby is going to be fine, so no, it is not the same. Then she tells me it was God's will that Addison had died.

Since the day Addison died I said that is the last thing I want to hear. It doesn't even make sense! Was it really God's will to give my baby non-immune hydrops? Or make her heart twice the size of what it should have been? Or have her kidney's go into renal failure? I don't think it was. Saying it is God's will is what someone says when they don't know what else to say. In my opinion, if you don't know what to say, say nothing! It would mean more to me if the person gave me a hug or squeezed my hand sympathetically rather than say something if they don't know what to say. I really don't think that people realize that what they say to parents who have lost a child really impacts them. We really do remember the good and the bad things that are said to us.

Not long after I returned to work and before I got the autopsy results I had a co-worker tell me that the reason Addison died was because she was a girl and I was destined to have a boy. He said if I had been pregnant with a boy he would have lived. Then he asks me if I can't have a baby would I do a surrogate! I had not even received the autopsy results to know why Addison died and he is already assuming I can't have a live baby! The surprising part to this part of the story is, he has a baby! Those words really stuck with me so when my husband and I got the autopsy results I asked the pathologist if she had died because she was a girl. I explained why I was asking that question and after a moment of stunned silence she said absolutely not, it had noting to do with Addison's sex, it just happened and they don't know why it happened. Although the pathologist said it was not because Addison was a girl, I am still scared to get pregnant with a girl the next time. That comment will live in my head forever.

When people say these stupid and hurtful comments I freeze up. I can't even make a coherent thought, so I never tell them that what they are saying hurts me. Of course, later on I have all sorts of comments I wish I had said. I really wish just once I could tell the people that make these comments that what they are saying hurts and that their words last in my head long after our conversation. Maybe one day I will be able to.