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 am very paranoid about my kids being kidnapped, but it's not irrational. I was abducted by a small group of drug addicts when I was only five, so that fear is very real to me.
When I was pregnant with my first child 18 years ago, my husband and I went to see the movie "The hand that rocks the cradle". That movie scared the shit out of me! Especially when the nanny started showing her true colors. Didn't let many strangers around my baby or my second one either.
I have that kind of fear. My 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter(she sleeps in her crib) sleep in our room. I have heard so many cases of children wondering off in the middle of the night or being kidnapped in their own homes. My husband works nights and I feel safer knowing they are right next to me.