Sweat. Tears. Screaming. Cursing. Excruciating, indefinable pain. The glory of natural childbirth when the mother refuses pain medication and epidural anesthesia, relying solely upon breathing exercises and the emotional support (ha) of her Lamaze partner. Alternating between blowing puffs of air into my face and watching sports on television, he had a green hospital gown tied around his bare chest as I had ripped his t-shirt in two from the neck down while in the throes of a 9.9 magnitude contraction.
The drama unfolded in a Sheridan, Wyoming hospital and culminated in the birth of a plump 9 lb. 6 oz. boy who had been stubbornly clinging to my womb for the past 59 hours. I made history that day for my obstetrician. He told me, "I have delivered thousands of babies and have never witnessed a labor like yours." You're welcome, Doctor. The joy of Nathaniel's birth was immense, the relief equally profound. They whisked my son away from me and placed him in an incubator where he remained for three days, traumatized by the arduous labor and difficult delivery. Stitched up, assured that my newborn was fine, and slipping into grateful slumber, my final thought was "tubes tied."
I awoke to the sound of hushed panic coming from the hospital hallway and I groggily struggled to comprehend what all the commotion was about. The voices I heard were a combination of concerned hospital staff and newscasters reporting groundbreaking news from television and radio. One thousand nine hundred miles away in George Washington University Hospital, skilled surgeons were hovering over President Ronald Reagan, White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and District of Columbia policeman Thomas Delaney. A .22 caliber bullet had entered President Reagan's left lung, missing his heart by a fraction of an inch. Another bullet tore into James Brady's eye, resulting in permanent brain damage and paralysis. Timothy McCartney and Thomas Delaney eventually recovered from their gunshot wounds.
The person responsible for the assassination attempt was 25-year-old John Hinckley who claimed he was recreating a scene from the movie, Taxi Driver, which starred his imaginary lover, Jodie Foster. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity - a verdict widely criticized by American citizens and resulting in the "Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984." James Brady would later introduce, and celebrate, the successful passing of the "Brady Bill" which imposes a five-day waiting period and background check before the purchase of a firearm can be finalized.
Although a tragic day in American history, I was blessed on March 30, 1981 with a funny, extroverted, thoughtful, generous, and kind son who has presented me with a beautiful granddaughter. My tubes were tied the following day and I have never regretted that decision. Some women are built for birthing and some are not. Experiencing natural childbirth may very well be the best form of birth control.
