THAT Medical Question

You know the one - and it usually sneaks out when you least expect it:

"How many pregnancies?"



Most recently, it was during pre-screening checks to donate platelets/plasma/whole blood.  I remembered a different nurse asking me the same question last time I donated, and last time I simply said, "three."  The nurse had written it down and carried on taking vitals, pumping up the blood pressure cuff with two fingers pressed to the inside of my wrist.

This time, just when I was ready to sigh in relief that the response wasn't being expanded upon, the nurse said, "I have three, too - and aren't they a handful?"

 And I guess I could have just smiled and nodded in agreement.  I didn't want to make her feel bad or anything - but who knows, maybe she was a member of The Secret Club too and she would totally understand and we would briefly connect, two strangers with a common bond.

During the millisecond debate going on in my head, she then asked how old they were.

So I said, "Well actually I have two children - they're four-and-a-half and two years old..."


And the nurse immediately understood, and graciously apologized, and then said "I shouldn't have assumed, I'm so sorry..."

And I said, and truly meant, "it's ok... two are still a handful, and yet I'm trying to decide whether to convince my husband that we want a third!"

She laughed, still sorry, but took my lead that it was ok; and three children are WHOA, but aren't they also the funnest ever?

And we were two strangers who connected anyways.