Shock Therapy

I would be lying if I said I'm not intrigued by Barbara Walters' 20/20 interview with Elton John and his partner, David Furnish. It's supposed to air on ABC tonight, and if I'm stuck inside like usual, I may watch it. I've always had every intention of letting my daughter hear Elton's music. I don't care what generation you're from. It's good stuff.

Anyway, I was reading a preview article to the interview in which the writer described what kind of questions the couple will be answering, including why they decided to take their shirts off in the delivery room when their son was born via surrogate last Christmas. Huh?

I'm already going to have all kinds of body parts revealed during childbirth. Why would I take my shirt off too. According to Furnish, "They call it skin-to-skin bonding because it's such a traumatic thing for the baby to come into the world." Well, ok. If you say so...

Call me a cynic, but I don't think removing my clothing is going to spare my baby from all the trauma the world has to offer. On the other hand, I guess I can understand the concept. I would be pretty pissed if I spent nine months curled up in an anti-gravity water bed only to be yanked into a place where everything is loud, fast and not regulated at 98.6 degrees.

I will strip down completely naked if it will make my daughter feel better about entering the world, but I don't know how much it will help. I wish I could hold her to my skin every time she's traumatized- by birth, bullies at school, a scary movie, or a boy who doesn't treat her right.

One of my earliest memories is of feeling very sick when I was a little kid. I couldn't stop coughing, so my mom took me outside in the middle of the night and put me on her lap while I inhaled the cold air. I don't know why it's such a strong memory for me, but it always comes to mind when I think of comforting a child.

So perhaps there is something to be said for a mother's touch. Regardless, I find comfort in the fact that my daughter won't remember her birth. I'll probably be equally traumatized, and nobody wants to remember their mom spazzed out and doped up.