Before my daughter was born, I had a recurring nightmare about some shadowy figure stealing her away in the night. I would wake up in a panic only to remember -- forehead smack -- I was still pregnant! That was over 11 years ago, but it still sends a chill down my spine to think about the woman who dressed up in scrubs and attempted to steal a newborn baby girl from a Southern California hospital ... in a tote bag. A purple tie-dyed tote bag, no less!! (Even my nightmare didn't feature a purple tie-dyed tote bag.)
Thanks to hospital staff (and sensor ID tags), the woman, 48-year-old Grisel Ramirez, was apprehended quickly. The baby is fine and back with her mom (who will no doubt never let go of that child again, poor woman). But still! This is the stuff of nightmares and/or Lifetime movies, not real life. How is this new mom supposed to be able to distinguish between rational and irrational parenting fears from here on out?
If you're a mom, you know exactly the ongoing battle I'm talking about. We're always having to check ourselves when it comes to maternal worry. If you're up all night worrying about a giant hawk coming along and snatching your kid from the sandbox with its creepy talons, well, maybe you should think about filing that one under the "irrational" category (also, you should probably figure out where that weird hawk-related phobia is coming from). If, on the other hand, you're up all night worrying about a funny looking rash on your baby's tummy, well, might as well go ahead and call the doctor -- it's probably nothing, but it COULD be something. In other words, that one is a "rational" concern.
The fact that the would-be thief dressed up like a nurse and instructed the new mom to take a shower (then made off with the baby!) only makes things worse. It's hard enough trusting people to keep your kid safe -- every doctor, teacher, and babysitter is going to look like a would-be kidnapper to this mom! So unfair.
What is (or was) your worst new mom nightmare?
Image via Nate Grigg/Flickr
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Comments 36
I was so worried about this very thing (there were a couple people we had kicked out of our lives that had threatened to do us harm) that one of the top questions I asked when shopping around for a hospital was about their security systems, etc. I ended up delivering at the hospital I wanted because of the security. My son also has a very rare disease and spent time in Peds after he was born. I was worried about that more than anything else in the end.
Did the woman who tried to steal the baby go to jail? and did the hospital do anything for the mom since they let the lady get far enough into the hospital to snatch the baby??
my son is 5 months old and i made my bf bring his bed into our room because i hate not sleeping close to him i get so scared and whenever his bed is in his room i dont sleep to well at night because i get up at least 5 times a night just to go in and check on him i get so scared and it doesnt help that our relationship isnt the best one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =[ but poor mom as scared as i am for anyone to watch my son if this had happened to me i would never want to leave my child!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't really have any fears, my son was in the room at all times and he had an ankle bracelet on. If the bracelet went past the maternity ward alarms would go off and every door on the maternity ward would lock automatically. it was pretty cool :), considering they had someones baby get taken (thats why they invested in the alarm and door locking mechanism.
That was one of my biggest fears,I didn't get too see my son he went straight to Nicu was over 13 hours before I seen him and I was worried someone would take him.Now I try not too worry as much I am with him 24/7 and would die if someone tried or kill them one!I love him so much he is my world.
i was 18 yrs old when i had my twins, i was a single mother and not close to family, i was always scared i would die in my sleep in the middle of the night and no one would ever no it, and my babies would starve to death in their crib