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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
***