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NewsNurse tells expectant mother what to expectAugust 5, 2007The News Tribune by M. Alexander Otto Tanya Baker sits in a small Tacoma house rented by Jenae Fries, 21, and her boyfriend, Carlo Mendoza, 20. At the other end of the couch is Jenae, her tiny faux-diamond nose stud catching the afternoon sun slanting into the room. She's slim, chatty and pregnant with Ellyanna, who's due in October. Jenae runs her palm across her belly as she talks to Tanya, a nurse with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department who is making her sixth call at the home. "It's so scary; she's going to be here soon," Jenae says. "I'm so nervous." Jenae qualifies for the Nurse Family Partnership program due to poverty. She quit her cafeteria job at Boeing awhile back after a dispute with her boss. Carlo makes $11 an hour installing heating and air conditioning. A sheet, its end twisted over the back of a chair, covers a window; on the other side, a torn screen flaps against the pane. Janae's worn stuffed Care Bear is nearby. Four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures in un-opened boxes decorate the walls. They're not for the baby - Carlo is a fan. "Last night," Jenae says, "she was kicking my back. I was practically in tears, it hurt so bad. So bad. Carlo just laughed at me. I said, 'I wish you knew what it felt like having a baby kick your back.'" Jenae says Carlo "thinks I'm crazy" for planning to deliver the baby without an epidural to ease the pain. "He thinks I won't be able to do it," she says. Tanya responds quietly: "We'll see." Between the two women lies an open binder full of information about carrying a baby and being a mother. Tanya works through her list of topics for today - diet, proper weight gain, exercise, breast-feeding, the baby's development in the uterus and how things will change once Ellyanna arrives. Jenae watches her nurse closely and doesn't interrupt. As she reads a sheet about preterm labor, she traces the lines with her finger. Later, Jenae mentions seeing the action movie "Transformers" with her older sister. Her baby "would not stop moving" during the film, she says. "What do you think she was telling you?" Tanya asks. Jenae pauses, the smile goes away. "That it was loud," she says. "I didn't expect it." "Yes, she was telling you it was too loud," the nurse says. There are lulls in the conversation. They find common ground again talking about Leo, a fat, happy tomcat walking about the room. Eventually, Tanya turns the conversation to birth control and shows Jenae a handout. "This box shows the effectiveness and this box shows the HIV/STD protection," Tanya says. She promises to bring, on her next visit, a kit with examples of the various options. "Carlo's gonna feel awkward with this," Jenae says. "I told him after I have her, I might never want to do this again." "It's your body," Tanya responds. An hour goes by. Jenae pushes herself up off the couch with a sigh, disappears past the Bob Marley poster into the kitchen for a moment, then sits back down. Leo hops in Jenae's lap. He's a well-cared-for cat. Outside, a stroller from a neighbor sits on the porch. In a nearby room are a tiny pair of sandals and a dress, both pink, and a drawer full of diapers. "You're doing a good job with this," Tanya says. "I try," Jenae says. She thinks for a moment, then asks, "You do care about me, right?" "Absolutely," Tanya says. She'll be back in two weeks. |
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© 2008 Evidence-Based Associates