Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey Page B

expected and results were impressive, even beautiful.
    It was a happy time for them both, not least because Celia was,
    by now, five months pregnant.
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The birth of Celia and Andrew's first child occurred-as Andrew was apt to
    tell his hospital colleagues-"precisely according to Celia's schedule."
    It happened in August 1958, nine months and one week after their marriage,
    and the child was a girl, healthy, weighing seven and a half pounds. She
    was a contented baby who cried hardly at all. They named her Lisa.
    During her pregnancy Celia had been firm about birth procedures, which
    caused an early clash with her obstetrician, Dr. Paul Keating, a fellow
    staff member of Andrew's at St. Bede's Hospital. Keating, a fussy,
    middle-aged man who inclined to pomposity, told Andrew at one point, "Your
    wife is really quite impossible."
    "I know what you mean," Andrew sympathized, "but it sure makes life
    interesting. The funny thing is, what's impossible for some people becomes
    possible for Celia."
    A day or two earlier Celia had informed Dr. Keating, "I've been studying
    natural childbirth and have begun the exercises which go with it." When the
    obstetrician smiled indulgently she added, "I'll want to participate
    actively in labor and be fully aware at the moment of birth. That means no
    anesthesia. Also, I want no episiotomy."
    Keating's smile changed to a frown. "My dear Mrs. Jordan, both those
    decisions must be taken by your obstetrician during delivery. "
    "I disagree," Celia said quietly and calmly. "If I concede that, I'm likely
    to be overruled at a moment when I'm not at my best."
    "What if there's an emergency?"
    "That's entirely different. If it happened, obviously you'd have to
    exercise judgment and do what was needed. But afterward you would have to
    satisfy me, and also Andrew, that an emergency had existed."
    Dr. Keating grunted noncommittally, then said, "Concerning an
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episiotomy. You may not realize that cutting the perineurn with surgical
    scissors just before birth prevents a tear when the baby's head emerges-a
    tear that is painful and heals less easily than a clean surgical cut."
    "Oh, I do realize that," Celia said. "And I'm sure you're equally aware
    of the increasing number of doctors and nurse-midwives who disagree with
    that view."
    Ignoring the obstetrician's growing disapproval, Celia added, "There are
    plenty of recorded cases where natural tears have healed quickly, whereas
    episiotomies have not, and have produced infections or months of
    postpartum pain, or both."
    Dr. Keating regarded her dourly. "You seem to know all the answers."
    "Not at all," Celia assured him. "It's just that it's my body and my
    baby."
    "Speaking of your body," the obstetrician said, "I'll point out that
    although it is not the purpose of an episiotomy, the sewing up afterward
    does maintain vaginal tightness."
    "Yes," Celia acknowledged, "I'm aware that vaginal tightness is for the
    pleasure of my future sex partner. Well, doctor, I don't want any
    complaints from my husband about a loose vagina, so after my baby is born
    I'll do exercises to tighten the pelvic muscles."
    Soon after, by mutual consent, Celia changed obstetricians and became the
    patient of Dr. Eunice Nashman, who was older than Dr. Keating but young
    enough in mind to share many of Celia's ideas.
    Subsequent to Lisa's birth Eunice Nashman confided to Andrew, "Your wife
    is a remarkable woman. There were moments when she was in great pain and
    I asked if she wanted to change her mind about anesthesia."
    Andrew, who had intended to be present at the birth but was called away
    by a medical emergency involving one of his own patients, asked
    curiously, "What did she say?"
    Dr. Nashman answered, "She just said, 'No, but someone please hold me.'
    So one of the nurses put her arms around your wife and comforted her, and
    that was all she needed.
    "Then, when your daughter was born, we didn't take the baby away, as
    usually happens, but just left