She mentioned the discomfort to a nurse during a midnight check. The woman’s polite smile faltered for the briefest second, her eyes flicking toward the scar. Then, just as quickly, she changed the subject to breastfeeding tips, her voice unnaturally bright, leaving the question dangling unanswered in the air.
Another nurse reacted the same way, her expression tightening as soon as the scar came up. She gave a vague reassurance—“These things sometimes happen after surgery”—but her glance lingered too long, betraying unease. To the new mother, it felt less like reassurance and more like practiced evasion.