At my final prenatal appointment, the doctor looked at the ultrasound, then whispered, “Ma’am… your baby has stopped growing.” My whole body trembled as he asked, “Are you taking anything unusual?” I told him I’d only taken the prenatal vitamins someone gave me and the moment I revealed who that person was, everything in the room changed.

During my last prenatal appointment, the hallway of the Valencia General Hospital felt unusually quiet. It was a bright April morning, but inside the ultrasound room the atmosphere felt heavy, almost frozen. I lay on the exam table as Dr. Serrano moved the probe across my belly—her movements were usually steady, focused, reassuring.

But this time… she stopped.

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