Despite its progressive health care system, French medical advice can seem pretty old-fashioned--and not in the good way. So unless your OBGYN moonlights as a Yogaphile osteopath, she'll most likely assume that you're looking for a nice 1950s-style, heavily anesthetized birthing experience.Breastfeeding? Well, if you're sure you want to go to the trouble. Doesn't matter too much, though, because the baby will spend his days at the crêche by the time he's three months old anyway. In the meantime, are you suffering from morning sickness? Diet Coke works wonders. (Ah, yes, lovely thing, aspartame.) And here's a prescription for some anti-nausea medicine. It's not recommended for pregnant women, but it can't do that much harm. And you should also get the swine flu vaccine, of course. Thimer-what? No, no, if it weren't safe, I would have heard something. Now, have you chosen a hospital? What? A doula? (Looks searchingly at my French husband, hoping for an intelligible word from one of the future parents.) Uh, no, I highly doubt that a respectable public hospital in Paris would let someone like that in the delivery room.
Any other questions?
Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo. [Online image] 1952.
