As the months passed, complications began. Elevated blood pressure meant more hospital visits, endless monitoring, and whispered conversations between nurses. She clung to the sound of her baby’s heartbeat during scans, making it an anchor against her fears. Each week felt like a fragile victory barely earned.
Labor arrived too soon, fierce and unrelenting. Hours stretched into an ordeal of pain and exhaustion. The contractions clawed at her, breaking every illusion of strength she thought she had. When the baby’s heart rate dipped, the room shifted. Suddenly, doctors moved with alarming urgency, voices sharp with instructions.