home and family Th" Citizen Tuesday, July 17, 1984 — 17 PROS AND CONS OFFERED Childbirth: should there be spectators? coming events HAMILTON (CP) — Convinced that childbirth is a joyous celebration of life to be shared with loved ones, some couples are making it a family event. Everybody and his uncle — and mothers, sisters, friends, children and in-laws — can accompany Dad into the delivery room as observers or labor coaches. And why not, asks Corinne Devlin, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McMa-ster University Medical Centre. “It’s the woman’s birthday party,” she said. “If she wishes this kind of support and it doesn’t infringe on the safety and procedure of the delivery, it’s up to her to make up the guest list.” On the other hand, family practitioner Dr. Henry Lee says even the presence of the father puts added pressure on the medical team, especially if the delivery or the baby is less than perfect. “The fewer people there are in the delivery room the better,” he said. “It’s fine for the father to go in and it’s fairer to the mother, but that’s as far as it should go.” Just as privileged friends are invited to a NO SALT, SUGAR wedding, christening or any major family event, outsiders may attend the birth as supplements to the father. Others may act as his substitute — the father may have died or the relationship may have ended since conception; he may know he’ll be unavailable at the due date; or he simply may not want to attend. Whatever the reason, the issue of ‘significant others’ in the deliveryroom never fails to elicit reaction from people, whether it’s criticism, boredom, or enthusiasm. For every person who calls it weird and exhibitionist, another considers it a healthy and natural complement to an exhilarating experience. And the women who give birth with other people around speak of it in glowing terms. When 28-year-old Rita More and her husband, Robin Wardlaw, decided they could use extra non-medical help, they invited two married friends to attend. “We knew both of them very well and we were pretty sure they’d be open to it,” More said. “We had a sense they’d be very helpful and keen. When we asked them, they were just delighted and very honored. Their only concern was that they might not know enough.” Friends and family had mixed reactions to their decision. Some found it odd, others thought it interesting and still others were highly supportive. Devlin said as far as she’s concerned there are only two criteria which have to be met — the presence of others must not compromise the safety of the delivery, and common sense must prevail. “The medical profession has traditionally been very conservative but I suspect that it has now recognized the need to humanize the birth process,” she said. “While doctors are increasingly comfortable with husbands participating, we need further education in the importance of the role of significant others.” Births attended by other than parents are not customary, but they are not uncommon, said Devlin. Whether young siblings attend depends on the individuals, she said, noting that chil- dren aren’t nearly as fascinated as people think. The thought of a crowd milling around the delivery room appalls Lee, a general practitioner for 42 years. Birth may be a celebration for friends and family, the Hamilton physician said, but for the medical team, it’s like any other critical medical procedure, demanding full concentration and the absence of unnecessary distractions. The last thing they need is a terrified child, well-meaning bystanders or panic-stricken family who do not understand what’s going on, especially if there’s a crisis. Lee, who has retired from obstetrics, said it was bad enough for doctors to accept fathers when they first began to appear in the delivery room. “I felt at the time that even having the father there kind of put a little extra pressure on you and created more tension,” he said. “It put you under the gun, but that was counteracted because mothers seemed to feel better having them there.” REUNION: The Jas-per-Kamloops Reunion will be held July 21 to 22 at Heffley Creek Ball Park, Kamloops, B.C. For more information phone Kamloops, 579-5826 or 578-7449. S.A.R. TRAINING: Prince George Search and Rescue tracking training sessions are held from 7:30 p.m. each Thursday at the north end of the Nechako River bridge. Come equipped with compass, pencil and paper, expecting some map and compass work, or to make notes on knots, first aid or other training. HUNTER TRAINING: A CORE hunter training program begins July 23. For more information phone 562-1044 days. Cancer Can Be Beaten Protect yourself against cancer in two ways: know the “Seven Steps to Health" and contribute generously to the Canadian Cancer Society, which through research and public education is working to prevent cancer. Canadian Cancer Society Healthier baby food wanted OTTAWA (CP) - Canadians might like inventive and flavorful cooking, but the best baby foods are still those that have no salt, spices, preservatives or sugar. “You’re trying to develop good eating habits in a baby right from the word go,” says Colette Dervish, a public-health nutritionist with the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Health Unit. Dervish said Canada’s passion for sweets and seasonings could be avoided if we feed our children well-balanced diets from infancy. Fortunately, she says commercially prepared baby foods haven’t contained salt since 1978 and only a few have ad- ded sugar. The only additives generally found are water, broth and the occasional flour or starch binding agent. Dr. Bruce Lauer, a scientific evaluator with Agriculture Canada’s health protection branch, agrees. “Generally speaking, baby foods you see on the shelf are not allowed to contain additives with these specific exceptions: ascorbic acid in baby cereals which contain banana, soya bean lecithin in cereals, or citric acid used as an acidulent in processing.” There are, however, unnecessary baby foods on the market, and Dervish says parents should learn how to read product labels. Cereal products containing sugar are not recommended, for example, because the sugar serves no purpose and could lead to dental problems later. Dervish also says single, strained products are more nutritious than desserts or dinners with combined ingredients. The same point was made in a recent edition of Protect Yourself, a Quebec consumer magazine. A feature article on baby food compares the nutritional quality of various commercially prepared foods and says that vegetable-meat combinations contain little meat. It is more economical and more nutri- ann landers Dear Ann: I married a widower late in life. After several years, 1 am still running into locked closets, locked doors and locked boxes. Last week I found some 40-year-old love letters from my husband to his wife. Shall I throw them out? We have a good marriage but these mementoes bother me. — Too Many Locks in Ohio Dear Locks: You have the man and that’s what counts. Stop beha'ing childishly, or you may lose him. Leave his letters and pictures alone, woman. They belong to HIM. Dear Ann Landers: I am 52 years old, was widowed last year and want to change my life. I need some sound advice. Because I have always been a sun-worshipper, my skin is badly wrinkled and I look older than my years. My ears protruce at right angles from my head and I’ve never been able to wear my hair the way I wanted. I am seriously considering a face-lift and an operation that will flatten my ears back. Am I crazy to go through this at my age? Also, about how much will it cost? Is it painful? Is it dangerous? Will my health insurance policy at work cover the surgical bills and hospitalization? Thanks for your guidance. — Anonymous in Vallejo Hear Vallejo: First, don’t expect plastic surgery to change your life. It may give you a heightened sense of well-being, but you will still be you. The ear-pinning procedure and face-lift require major surgery which is not “dangerous,” although any surgical procedure carries with it ceratin risks. There is some discomfort, but a great deal depends on the individual's threshold of pain. Some people suffer a lot, others very little. Face-lifts (excluding ear surgery) can run anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the surgeon you select. Insurance companies consider this “beauty work" and will not pay for it. If you are a sun-worshipper I must warn you that if after a face-lift, you continue to worship the sun, you will have thrown out your money. Within a year you will look exactly as you did before the surgery. Dear Ann Landers: My husband and I are both 44. We have been married for 15 years and have four children. A few months ago Bill and I went back to his old hometown for a high school reunion. He called up a girl he had gone with when they were teenagers. Within the following six weeks he saw her eight times and decided to move out of the house. She moved out on her husband also. They believe God has reunited them and are at this moment living together. This woman is being very nice to my children, trying to win them over. I am furious. Do you think my husband has lost his mind? We never had any trouble like this before. Should I give him a divorce? (He hasn’t asked for one, yet.) Please advise. — Going Nuts in Middletown, N.Y. Dear Middletown: Seek out a competent cousnelor with whom you can discuss the details of your bizarre problem, and unload your anger. Since Lothario hasn’t asked for a divorce, do nothing. He may regain his sanity and dump the dolly. Good luck. rffyette's • Invitations 10% off • cake decorations • bridal registry • engagement rings • wedding band sets • wedding & shower gifts • bridal accessories Hyette’s is pleased to present the following July Brides and Grooms • Karen Griffith & Kevin Schmit “NEW FROM HYETTE’S” $3000 to $10000 Cake Rentals • 4 styles or combinations to choose from or design your own iffy Ette's First Choice For China, Jewellery & Gittware 562-3602 1435-3rd Avenue tious to use servings from meat-only and vegetable-only products, the article states. It also explains ingredients in baby foods are listed in order of importance, so a jar listing water or sugar near the top isn’t offering much else. Dervish said one of the biggest changes in infant nutrition has been the discovery that solids should not be introduced until the infant is four or five months old. A few years ago, people would start their babies on solids as early as one month of age, long before their digestive systems were ready for them. “The baby should be able to sit up, hold is head up and should be able to turn away,” said Dervish. A baby’s automatic tendency to spit out every solid should also have disappeared. Dervish says she has seen a growing interest in homemade baby food. It’s an economical and nutritious alternative, she said, as long as parents are scrupulously clean and process the food quickly and carefully. Dervish’s health unit recommends that parents start their babies on iron-enriched cereals at four to six months of age. Parents who make their own cereal mixtures should supplement them with commercial brands at least three times a week to provide the easily digested and essential iron found in them. These cereals should be part of a baby’s diet until 18 months of age. About a month later, pureed vegetables can be introduced. Dervish recommends each new food be fed exclusively for about four days so that any allergic reactions can be traced. She said a bad reaction to a particular food early in infancy may disappear a few months later. Whole milk can be given to babies six to eight months and older, along with mashed banana and pureed fruits. Once the child is teething, dried bread crusts will encourage chewing and some raw fruit and cheese finger foods can be introduced at 10 months. Ask Mister RENOVATOR about ANEW BATHROOM He’ll tell you how quickly and easily your old bathroom can be remodelled into a sparkling new room from ceiling to fixtures . . . and with a minimum of disruption to your family routine. Mister Renovator will also help with the selection of materials to suit your decorating taste, lifestyle and budget. Call Mister Renovator now . . . he’ll be glad to give you a free estimate. 562-7068 Days Mister RENOVATOR Each Offlc* lnd«p#nd«ntly Own#d & Op«rat«d 964-9177 Eves. Pick your FLAVOURmB. The fresh, good taste of Daiiyland ice cream comes in everyone’s favourite flavour. Qassic Vanilla. Tempting Banana Fudge. Rich Chocolate and Butterscotch Ripple. Cherry Custard, the triple treat of Neopolitan and a whole lot more. Plus—every month—a special feature flavour. There’s a lot of scoops of pleasure in a carton of Dairyland. Rich, creamy Daiiyland ice cream. Come pick your flavourite at * your favourite store. Best of all, it’s Daiiyland Enjoy $500 Worth Of M JOIN BIRKS * TABLE TOP PLAN! Here is how our convenient Thble Top Plan works. In order to qualify, you must buy a minimum of $500.00 worth of merchandise listed below (at regular prices), with a down payment of 15%, which is $75.00. This leaves, on a minimum purchase of $500.00, a balance of $425.00 which you can spread over 24 months paying only $17.71 a month. You save money because we won’t charge you a cent interest! In times of high interest rates this is a great saving to you. Naturally if you do not have an account, you must qualify for credit. You can buy any combination of the following merchandise: • Birks sterling silver flatware • our fine bone china • a complete selection of lead crystal stemware. Offer effective to August 11, 1984 ’* PINE CENTRE MALL 562-6333 BIRKS JEWELLERS 0