Medford mail tribune., October 02, 1960, Image 41

o
much enthusiasm, and some of my friends who
had children remained highly skeptical, particu
larly those who knew I could stand little (pain.
Of course, I discussed the subject with my phy
sician, Dr. Frances Holmes. I wanted her to
promise that she would not give me any anesthetic
at delivery, even if I demanded it.
While Dr. Holmes seemed delighted with my
wishes for a natural childbirth, she warned: "If
you insist that you don't want any anesthetic, my
hands are tied. That's a mistake. It's not childbirth
without anesthetic that you want, but childbirth
without fear."
I didn't understand. Wouldn't the exercises I'd
do for months preceding the delivery prevent the
custemary pain at childbirth by training the mus
cles to contract as necessary?
"There can be unexpected emergencies," Dr.
Halmes cautioned. "What if you needed a Caesar
ian seotisn?"
She had a point. I agreed to take anesthetic if
it was needed.
One reason I became so enthusiastic about
natural childbirth was that I felt it would bring
Stuart and me closer together by letting us share
an experience which drives some couples, apart
I have watched husbands being shoved aside at
the maternity ward as if they had no part in what
was happening. I have seen women, once devoted
to their husbands, turn all their affection and atten
tion to their children.
Birth Is a Husband-Wife Experience
I wanted Stuart with me during the hours of
labor. I wanted him to witness the birth of our
baby just as I would. I even wanted him to par
ticipate in my pregnancy, if that was possible.
And he did to the point where when any of our
friends asked: "When are you going to have yous
baby, Terry?" I would answer: "Stuart and I will
have our baby at such-and-such a date."
Stuart and I even learned how to deliver the
baby ourselves in case we should not be able to
reach the hospital in time.
Stuart read "Childbirth Without Fear" as thor
oughly as I did. Every morning and night, he saw
to it that I did my exercises. Often he got on the
floor with me to make sure I was breathing
properly. He watched closely as I lifted my legs
up and down to strengthen the muscles of the
abdomen and thighs, did knee bends to loosen the
knees and hip joints, and helped me do all the
other exercises designed to condition areas vital
in delivery.
Dr. Holmes had urged me to continue my cus
tomary activities, except horseback riding and
tennis. I continued to take ballet lessons until the
seventh month of my pregnancy.
In my eighth month I still swam 20 laps in our
pool every day.
One weekend Stuart and I sailed to Toyon Bay
on Catalina Island, although I didn't dare tell Dr.
Holmes about it because I was sure she wouldn't
permit it. In fact, our friends tried to talk us out
of it because the baby was due within a month.
But I wasn't worried. I knew what to expect and
that, if necessary, Stuart and I could deliver the
' baby. That's how much confidence Dr. Dck-Read's
ideas inspired in me.
In the meantime I continued on the strict diet
Dr. Holmes had ordered. After she measured me
during my second month, she told me the baby
would weigh approximately seven pounds. Dr.
Holmes said I could gain no more than 15 pounds
O
O
total if I were' tb regain my proper weight after
the delivery.
Stuart made sure that I followed the diet, just
as he closely supervised my exercises.
When the day finally arrived, if was a busy one
for me. I started by going shopping, taking a
steam bath, and doing my exercises. We saw a
play that night and attended a party given by
Ginny Simms. We got to bed at 1 a.m.
About an hour and a half later, I felt the first
contractions. Soob the pains came faster; by 3:30
I decided I'd better be prepared in case this was
it. I went to the closet to pack some night clothes
and toilet articles.
A few moments later, Stuart, who had awakened
as I moved about the room, found me on the closet
floor, doubled up with pain.
. This is ridiculous, I was telling myself, as he
rushed to my side. You knew exactly what to
expect There's nothing to be afrajd of.
Stuart called Dr. Holmes, who insisted he take
me to the Good Samaritan Hospital right away.
I II
ft "W"' V
Terry Moore and husband Stuart Cramer admire
little Stuart. Both parents watched birth of child.
I was well into labor when we arrived, yet I
could walk up the hospital steps without help,
and could have gone on to the labor room if
hospital rules hadn't required me to be pushed
there in a wheel chair. By now it was 4 a.m.
Once in the labor room with Stuart, everything
I had learned about relaxing automatically came
to my mind. I went through the muf cle exercises
prescribed in the book. To everybody's surprise,
including Dr. Holmes,' I could giggle Rappily and
tease Stuart about what was happening in between
contractions. O
Because I knew exactly what to expect, I was
far less tense than women less prepared and had
an easier time relaxing. That rrjeant less pain. I
knew, oo, that every contraction would bring
o
Stuart Cramer IV a little closer, so instead of
fearing the contractions, I looked forward to them.
About two hours after I arrived, Dr. Holmes
wanted to give me a sedative to help me sleep
for a while.
"I don't want toQgo to sleep," I protested.
."It'll help relieve the pain."
"It isn't bad," I assured her.
She looked me in the eye: "Is there anything
you're worried about?"
"I'm afraid if I fall asleep you might send
Stuart away."
She promised she wouldn't, so I let her give me
a dose: I dozed off for a short time.
At eight o'clock I was wheeled into the hospital's
delivery room, but another hour passed before the
actual birth.
Theacontractions and waiting went on. Stuart
continued to hold my hand, but I experienced re
markably little pain throughout that hour.
When the baby came at last, it was the most
thrilling, the most beautiful experience of my life.
By the way the contractions increased, I knew
almost the exact moment when little Stuart would
be born.
A mirror was held above me so I could watch
the infant come into the world. When I f ist saw
little Stuart appear, I felt an ecstasy that I am
unable to describe. It's a spiritual elation, a close
ness to God.'a complete union between mother and
child. And because Stuart was with me, it in
cluded my husband as well.
"We" Have a Baby
It was Stuart who proudly exclaimed: "We just
had a baby!" Subconsciously, he felt that he had
had as much to do with it as I did and he had.
In a way, there was a personal, yet impersonal,
feeling attached to the birth, if such a thing is
possible. Personal because it was my baby, and
I saw him born. Impersonal because through the
mirror 1 watched it like a motion picture, without
pain, without really feeling that it came from me.
But when the baby was put into my arms, it was
. not as if I had been asleep and somebody suddenly
was handing me a child and saying: "This is
your baby."
I already knew this son with great intimacy.
Our baby weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at
birth. I thought then he looked like his father, and
I still do despite some modest scoffing by Stuart.
. When I got back to my room after the delivery,
I felt wonderful. Part of Dr. Dick-Read's theory
is that natural childbirth reduces the usual fatigue
and postnatal "blues." With me, it eliminated them.
I fixed my hair that morning and put on some
make-up so I'd look presentable when Stuart came
by to see usa
Next, I got on the telephone and started calling
all my friends, especially the skeptics. I talked and
talked about the wonders of my delivery and the
wonders of my baby. When Dr. Holmes dropped
by that afternoon, I was still chattering, but by
then my voice had gone hoarse.
"No more telephoning," Dr. Holmes said. "I'm
not -worried about anything resulting from the
birth just your talkativeness." .
I spent six days in the hospital althoffgh I was
up and around most of the time, It was more of a
vacation than a recuperation. . 0
As far as Stuart and I are concerned, natural
childbirth is the only way to have children.
And we can't wait to have our next one in the
very same way.
G
Family Weekly, October 2, 1S60 J