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"I went and talked to the only person I felt might really understand my need to not mother: my mother."
"A decade ago, I would’ve booked the surgery on the spot. Back then, it was always the plan."
"She took my hand in hers, and the next thing she said shocked me as much as it thrilled me."
"My husband is not on board. 'Who put this idea into her head?' he asked."
"I’m furious my doctors didn’t take my concerns seriously. And my kids’ brains are affected for life."
"At first, my parents chalked up our neighbors' peering eyes and hushed whispers to curiosity. But we soon learned there was something else going on."
“Some days, I felt euphoria, as if I’d finally found my true home. Others, I broke down.”
"Those articles I read about European parenting — they don’t mention how hard it is to be an outsider."
"All I knew was that when I yelled, people stopped what they were doing. When I broke things, people listened."
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