thedrifter
12-19-08, 08:20 AM
A Web-based labor of love
By JO CIAVAGLIA
Bucks County Courier Times
U.S. Marine Daniel Thompson thought if he wanted to see the birth of his first child he'd have to go AWOL.
Turns out he only needed to go AOL.
In what was described as a first for St. Mary Medical Center, the Middletown hospital Thursday arranged for the 23-year-old lance corporal from Langhorne not only to witness his son's birth, but literally be by the side of the mother-to-be. Sort of.
Thompson was at the bedside of Sarah Maywhort during her labor and delivery, watching the long process through a Web-based video conference setup, which allowed the couple to interact in real time.
“I didn't want him to miss the experience,” his mom, Cheryl Thompson, said.
Daniel is serving his first tour of duty somewhere in central Iraq, where he is stationed until May.
The couple has been apart for most of Maywhort's pregnancy, which they learned about in May, shortly before he left for pre-deployment military training in California. The couple has only seen each other once since.
Maywhort, 20, kept Thompson updated on her pregnancy mostly through e-mails and instant messaging. She sent 3-D ultrasound images via cyberspace and photos of her growing belly. He sent her cyber encouragement.
“That was the most he could do,” Maywhort said, as the Bensalem woman relaxed in her hospital bed. Beside her was her laptop with a screensaver photo of Thompson.
The couple reluctantly accepted that they'd be apart when Maywhort gave birth to the son they plan to name Zachary Brian.
Cheryl Thompson initially considered videotaping the birth and uploading it on her son's mySpace page.
That is until Maywhort, a tech-savvy college student, heard about another new Marine mom who had set up a live video conferencing through a Web camera during her birth. So two weeks ago, she called the hospital and asked if such an arrangement was possible.
Normally, St. Mary doesn't allow photographing or videotaping until after a baby is born since it could create too much commotion, hospital officials said. But when hospital higher-ups heard Maywhort's story, they made a rare exception once the Marines gave Thompson the go-ahead to watch.
The hospital's information-technology department had only a few hours Thursday to figure out how to make the live Web connection happen, IT support analyst Allen Wilson said.
St. Mary has wireless access, meaning anyone with a laptop can connect to the Internet on the campus. The hospital used one of its laptops and an Internet phone service to do the video conferencing.
“It's amazing you can do this now,” Cheryl Thompson said. “I'm just floored.”
Shortly after Maywhort was admitted, the two-way Web camera with a picture-in-picture feature was up and working. Thompson still missed some of the front-line action, like the epidural and when the doctor broke Maywhort's water. But he was able to watch the labor and delivery as it happened, minus about a 10-second delay.
Via the Web connection, Thompson, who was set up in a converted bathroom on his military base, said he is aware of a few other Marines who've used the Web technology to witness the birth of their children.
“I was pretty excited about it, just to see everything,” Thompson said. “I'm tired but excited.”
“Dan, do me a favor, say something to irritate Sarah so she'll start pushing,” Cheryl Thompson joked, as she crouched next to the laptop.
Watching the couple interact online, it almost appeared they weren't thousands of miles apart. At one point, Maywhort playfully swatted the computer screen when she didn't like an answer Thompson gave.
“They just broke my water,” Maywhort told him.
“Why?”
“I don't know. I had to wait for the epidural.”
“Did you get it?”
“Have you seen me scrunch up my face at all?” Maywhort playfully replied.
“Did they say anything about how long?”
“Probably tonight,” Maywhort said.
At that point, it was nearing dinner time in Bucks County. In Iraq, it was Friday morning. Her doctor was predicting she might deliver around 11 p.m. Around breakfast time for Thompson.
“This may be a long night,” Cheryl Thompson warned her son.
As of early this morning, they were still waiting.
Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at 215-949-4181 or jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com.
Ellie
By JO CIAVAGLIA
Bucks County Courier Times
U.S. Marine Daniel Thompson thought if he wanted to see the birth of his first child he'd have to go AWOL.
Turns out he only needed to go AOL.
In what was described as a first for St. Mary Medical Center, the Middletown hospital Thursday arranged for the 23-year-old lance corporal from Langhorne not only to witness his son's birth, but literally be by the side of the mother-to-be. Sort of.
Thompson was at the bedside of Sarah Maywhort during her labor and delivery, watching the long process through a Web-based video conference setup, which allowed the couple to interact in real time.
“I didn't want him to miss the experience,” his mom, Cheryl Thompson, said.
Daniel is serving his first tour of duty somewhere in central Iraq, where he is stationed until May.
The couple has been apart for most of Maywhort's pregnancy, which they learned about in May, shortly before he left for pre-deployment military training in California. The couple has only seen each other once since.
Maywhort, 20, kept Thompson updated on her pregnancy mostly through e-mails and instant messaging. She sent 3-D ultrasound images via cyberspace and photos of her growing belly. He sent her cyber encouragement.
“That was the most he could do,” Maywhort said, as the Bensalem woman relaxed in her hospital bed. Beside her was her laptop with a screensaver photo of Thompson.
The couple reluctantly accepted that they'd be apart when Maywhort gave birth to the son they plan to name Zachary Brian.
Cheryl Thompson initially considered videotaping the birth and uploading it on her son's mySpace page.
That is until Maywhort, a tech-savvy college student, heard about another new Marine mom who had set up a live video conferencing through a Web camera during her birth. So two weeks ago, she called the hospital and asked if such an arrangement was possible.
Normally, St. Mary doesn't allow photographing or videotaping until after a baby is born since it could create too much commotion, hospital officials said. But when hospital higher-ups heard Maywhort's story, they made a rare exception once the Marines gave Thompson the go-ahead to watch.
The hospital's information-technology department had only a few hours Thursday to figure out how to make the live Web connection happen, IT support analyst Allen Wilson said.
St. Mary has wireless access, meaning anyone with a laptop can connect to the Internet on the campus. The hospital used one of its laptops and an Internet phone service to do the video conferencing.
“It's amazing you can do this now,” Cheryl Thompson said. “I'm just floored.”
Shortly after Maywhort was admitted, the two-way Web camera with a picture-in-picture feature was up and working. Thompson still missed some of the front-line action, like the epidural and when the doctor broke Maywhort's water. But he was able to watch the labor and delivery as it happened, minus about a 10-second delay.
Via the Web connection, Thompson, who was set up in a converted bathroom on his military base, said he is aware of a few other Marines who've used the Web technology to witness the birth of their children.
“I was pretty excited about it, just to see everything,” Thompson said. “I'm tired but excited.”
“Dan, do me a favor, say something to irritate Sarah so she'll start pushing,” Cheryl Thompson joked, as she crouched next to the laptop.
Watching the couple interact online, it almost appeared they weren't thousands of miles apart. At one point, Maywhort playfully swatted the computer screen when she didn't like an answer Thompson gave.
“They just broke my water,” Maywhort told him.
“Why?”
“I don't know. I had to wait for the epidural.”
“Did you get it?”
“Have you seen me scrunch up my face at all?” Maywhort playfully replied.
“Did they say anything about how long?”
“Probably tonight,” Maywhort said.
At that point, it was nearing dinner time in Bucks County. In Iraq, it was Friday morning. Her doctor was predicting she might deliver around 11 p.m. Around breakfast time for Thompson.
“This may be a long night,” Cheryl Thompson warned her son.
As of early this morning, they were still waiting.
Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at 215-949-4181 or jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com.
Ellie