Jean: The Final Chapter

As you'll remember from our previous posts from "Natural Childbirth" by Herbert Thoms, M.D. (published 1950), we've seen Jean limber up, join her husband Chuck to prepare for childbirth, and enter the hospital to deliver.  Chuck left Jean to sort things out with her OB, which she did, with great ecstasy.  The result?  Baby Karen!   She holds the baby through a sheet, accompanied by...a Muslim woman?  Kidding!  A "sterile nurse", I suppose.  Please click on all photos to enlarge and read, if you'd like.

 

I'm not sure what these "name beads" are all about (maybe hospital ID, before the barcoded bracelets?), but I LOVE them.  Way to start life with a crafty touch, Karen!

 

Karen meets her father at the door to the hospital room.  I guess men weren't sterile enough in those days.  I love the look on Jean's face.  It says "You show up, now, Chuck?  Superb!  We'll see you tomorrow, Sucka..."

Jean begins a seven day "rooming in" period where she bonds with other mothers, and learns the tricks of this trade.  I love this idea!  Though knowing me, I'd probably hate all the other mothers and be preoccupied with anger that my husband isn't learning this stuff, too.  Still, the meal looks nice.

Oh wait!  Chuck is learning how to diaper wee Karen.  I love the text to these photos! Look at the man, everyone!  He's amazing!  He can master this difficult task and help take care of the baby, too!  You can see it in Jean's face; the amount she loves him has just doubled.  I look at Mr. Jones like this when he changes Penny...(don't you know).

Jean continues her tutorials with the other women, this time a doctor gives them advice as to what's to come.  I wonder how this compares to the psychological counseling Chuck received before the baby arrived?

Finally it's time to leave the hospital.  Jean has had such an amazing birth experience that she doesn't want to go!  In reading this book before I had my daughter, I thought she was totally delusional.  Little did I know, I would feel sentimental about leaving the hospital, too!  As for "When can I have my next one, Doctor?", I'll leave that to Jean for now.

Jean is steadied by Chuck.  Thanks, Chuck!  Jean's story has been inspirational and educational, don't you think?  Now they're on their way to a happy and healthy life...

Either that, or Chuck dies of a sudden heart attack, Jean finds LSD in the 60s, and Karen spends her time looking after despondent and bitter Jean, who drools through insults from a chair in the corner of the living room.

 

The End.  What do you think happened to them?