carl jones
January 1st 05, 11:30 PM
Our first son, Carl, was born in a hospital, where my wife, Jan had
first-rate medical care that focused on her wishes. The obstetrician who
attended the birth is one of the most prominent and highly skilled in New
England. He is also one of those rare physicians who is fully committed to
helping parents give birth the way they choose. The dimly lit room where
Carl was born was peaceful, pleasant, and comfortable. The birth was one of
the peak experiences of our lives. Yet we decided to give birth to our next
child at home.
Despite our positive in-hospital experience, we couldn't dismiss the fact
that leaving our comfortable home in the middle of the night to go to a
hospital a place associated with sickness, had been unnecessarily traumatic.
Beginning a family is a tremendously emotional time for the new parents –
to say nothing of the baby. We felt it should take place at home.
When our second son, Paul, was born, we were living in an apartment in
Brookline, Massachusetts. Since our apartment never quite felt like home we
made arrangements to rent a house on a high hill in Central Vermont for his
birth. There I “caught” our son Paul, as Dr. Thurmond Knight, a now-retired
family physician, played Renaissance flute while waiting to assist if
necessary.
Jan seemed far more at peace at home that she had in the hospital. “I felt
more comfortable and more secure,” she says. Also it was wonderful for her
to be able to stay in one place throughout labor.
Just a few miles from our rented home where Paul was born was a hospital
with one of the most flexible birthing units I had ever visited.
Nevertheless, we chose to give birth in the mountaintop home.
A pediatrician who cares about mothers having joyful birth experiences as
well as healthy babies, was incredulous. When I told him I thought our
rented home was more comfortable than the hospital, he exploded: “You can't
tell me that your rented house high on the top of that hill = where you are
surrounded by two feet of snow and ice, where it's twenty below zero and the
wind howls, where you have no central heating and you have to get up during
labor to stoke up the stove with more wood – you can't tell me that is more
comfortable than our birthing rooms! Here you have all the conveniences of
home. You don't have to be concerned about changing the sheets and cleaning
up. Everything you need is provided for including absolute privacy. And you
don't have to worry about medical help if you need it. I simply can't
believe that the place you and your wife chose to give birth is more
comfortable in any way.”
He had a point. If Jan had given birth in the birthing room, she could have
had the same non-interventive care and the same peace and quiet. I could
have caught the baby and the physician could have even played the flute. And
there was even a view of ancient sugar maples outside the window.
Yet there was a difference. Our rented home was our place – at least for
the duration of our stay. And it had a personal ambience, a sense of peace,
comfort, and security that no hospital could reproduce. Not even a hospital
with a view of sugar maples.
More later - onto the birth of our third son - also born at home with a
midwife.
first-rate medical care that focused on her wishes. The obstetrician who
attended the birth is one of the most prominent and highly skilled in New
England. He is also one of those rare physicians who is fully committed to
helping parents give birth the way they choose. The dimly lit room where
Carl was born was peaceful, pleasant, and comfortable. The birth was one of
the peak experiences of our lives. Yet we decided to give birth to our next
child at home.
Despite our positive in-hospital experience, we couldn't dismiss the fact
that leaving our comfortable home in the middle of the night to go to a
hospital a place associated with sickness, had been unnecessarily traumatic.
Beginning a family is a tremendously emotional time for the new parents –
to say nothing of the baby. We felt it should take place at home.
When our second son, Paul, was born, we were living in an apartment in
Brookline, Massachusetts. Since our apartment never quite felt like home we
made arrangements to rent a house on a high hill in Central Vermont for his
birth. There I “caught” our son Paul, as Dr. Thurmond Knight, a now-retired
family physician, played Renaissance flute while waiting to assist if
necessary.
Jan seemed far more at peace at home that she had in the hospital. “I felt
more comfortable and more secure,” she says. Also it was wonderful for her
to be able to stay in one place throughout labor.
Just a few miles from our rented home where Paul was born was a hospital
with one of the most flexible birthing units I had ever visited.
Nevertheless, we chose to give birth in the mountaintop home.
A pediatrician who cares about mothers having joyful birth experiences as
well as healthy babies, was incredulous. When I told him I thought our
rented home was more comfortable than the hospital, he exploded: “You can't
tell me that your rented house high on the top of that hill = where you are
surrounded by two feet of snow and ice, where it's twenty below zero and the
wind howls, where you have no central heating and you have to get up during
labor to stoke up the stove with more wood – you can't tell me that is more
comfortable than our birthing rooms! Here you have all the conveniences of
home. You don't have to be concerned about changing the sheets and cleaning
up. Everything you need is provided for including absolute privacy. And you
don't have to worry about medical help if you need it. I simply can't
believe that the place you and your wife chose to give birth is more
comfortable in any way.”
He had a point. If Jan had given birth in the birthing room, she could have
had the same non-interventive care and the same peace and quiet. I could
have caught the baby and the physician could have even played the flute. And
there was even a view of ancient sugar maples outside the window.
Yet there was a difference. Our rented home was our place – at least for
the duration of our stay. And it had a personal ambience, a sense of peace,
comfort, and security that no hospital could reproduce. Not even a hospital
with a view of sugar maples.
More later - onto the birth of our third son - also born at home with a
midwife.