Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site luke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!bene!luke!itkin From: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: Sibling presence at childbirth Message-ID: <315@luke.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 20:39:43 EDT Article-I.D.: luke.315 Posted: Thu Aug 15 20:39:43 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 07:45:34 EDT References: <306@luke.UUCP> <16600003@convexs> <5203@elsie.UUCP> Reply-To: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List) Organization: Benetics Corp, Mt.View, CA Lines: 40 Summary: In article <5203@elsie.UUCP> yoddy@elsie.UUCP (yoddy schwartz) writes: >I looked at my husband and said "Why would anyone want >to stay concious for major surgery?" >My second question was "Why would a husband want to watch >his wife have major surgery?" You only have that child once. If your (anyone's) partner wants to be present and participate, they have to make the decision as to whether or not a Caesarian precludes that parcipation. I know MANY fathers who were present. The focus is not on the surgery, but on the emergence of the child. >I guess that shows my "alien" attitude towards childbirth. I >can't imagine sitting around watching vidios after the fact. >Nor can I imagine wanting Chris (my son) around during the birth >of our next child. I guess I never viewed the whole thing as >a spectator sport. He might be able to handle it---he might >love it---but actually I'd worry about a kid that loved seeing >his mother go through labor. If you view it this way, so will/would he. It's your attitude he would reflect. Our children were taught to view the event as a miraculous, warm, sharing opportunity. My wife said, after the birth of the first, that once into labor she didn't care who or what was watching. As long as she got the baby out in one piece and could stop pushing and throwing up. While the other two were much easier, she/we wouldn't be without the pictures and videos. I guess it all depends on how you feel about the birth experience. If you consider it something unpleasant, to be gotten over with with the minimum of fuss and attention, then obviously you wouldn't want pictures and so on. We don't. It's wonderful, exciting, uplifting. If people like to watch movies over and over again and read books repeatedly, why not this? Sarah Melinda, Steven Matthew, and Samantha Megan's father. -- *** * Steven List @ Benetics Corporation, Mt. View, CA * Just part of the stock at "Uncle Bene's Farm" * {cdp,greipa,idi,oliveb,sun,tolerant}!bene!luke!itkin ***