A Conversation Between Hopeful Parents En Route to the Hospital
🗓️ September 22, 2020 📖 3 min read
It’s well established that the first few years of life are the most formative. But how about the first few minutes? It’s the endless debate (and acceptance) of nature versus nurture. Although we can’t really help the former, what if we could totally design their life experience - starting from those special moments they leave the hospital?
A 15-minute prompt on a fun little conversation that would be the result of too much due diligence and baby anxiety. I always imagined something like this would happen in a dystopian future. Reminds me a bit of the Arkangel episode from Black Mirror.
“We’ll have to bundle him up on his way back. Make sure he’s stable. We can’t have him in the backseat in the baby carrier.”
“That’s just the stuff of movies anyway - when they get rocked back and forth violently in the car. But I want him on my lap. I’ll make sure we get skin to skin.”
“Yeah, okay - you have to support his head, make sure his back is upright. Wrapped tightly against your chest. Hold him well.”
“I’ve practised on the dummy, don’t worry.”
We were both very familiar with Harlow’s monkey experiments which underscored the importance of physical touch and maternal contact. This was perhaps a bit gratuitous… but to ease some of our fears, I found an old doll in the aged attics of my youth. We had practised wrapping diapers on it, bundling it in the car seat, and different ways of carry and hold.
“I’ll remember to pack the high thread count blanket.”
It’s the new fabric that was trending on ProductHunt. Really good for babies. Only the best. We had researched this appropriately; it would be the first material Baby would feel against his soft, supple unadulterated skin. There may be compounding effects if we used the wrong stuff. There was some sense that we had to preserve him from this world. It was a special blend of vicuña alpaca wool and viscose. This was a grand debate for a while at the house - whether to go 100% natural materials or incorporate 1% synthetics because it wore and draped more naturally, and could withstand consecutive washes better.
We didn’t know whether we were thorough enough in our research; I always felt like more could be done. A friend suggested one day that I had gone off the walls. After that conversation, I found myself restraining myself on the baby forums and in my research in defiance of swallowing this uncomfortable truth. I only wanted what was best.
“Have you finalized your route plan yet? We won’t take lefts, rights only for safety. Scenic road to get home.”
“As scenic as we’re going to get in Inglewood… I’m not sure if I should take the right on Mabel or drive further along to go along the shore, but it’s a little out of the way.”
“I like the idea of driving along the water; could inspire something in him, right?”
“Check.” He furrowed his brow and made a couple of adjustments in his notebook. “We’ll take the long road to drive by Bayfront then.”
“Pretty sure his little eyes won’t even be open. Is that a thing? Will it be too sunny, should we get sunglasses? Those screens to tack onto the window?”
“I’m nervous, are you?”