Allowing women to give birth in hospital with their pet dog by their side could make them less anxious, one of the first women to use a “birth dog” has said.
Charlotte Beard, 24, who suffers from non-epileptic seizures, was supported through her 50-hour labour by her aid pet Flump, who is trained to detect seizures before they happen.
Flump was prepared for the birth by being played audio tracks of babies crying at home and being introduced to staff at the maternity ward (产房) in Poole hospital. Beard joked. “He was visiting the maternity hospital on a very regular basis, getting to know staff, getting to know the different rooms and the setups.”
It is a legal requirement that assistance dogs are allowed into hospitals, but Beard said a lot of hospitals were not aware of this.
“It would have caused high levels of anxiety if Flump was not there,” she said. “I would have certainly been more concerned about my safety.”
“I am not suggesting that if I were to have a seizure, staff would not have been able to look after me. But no staff member can detect beforehand whether you are going to have a seizure or not. That is something that Flump can do that nobody else can, and it gives them such valuable time to make sure that I am safe and have the right support in place before it happens. Prevention is always much better than treatment.”
Beard got Flump at 10 weeks and has trained him since then. “From a human standpoint I cannot help but think how lovely it is that Flump was there. He was one of the first to see Alfie,” Beard said. “Being present there from the birth and meeting Alfie within moments of him being born, whether it has increased the bond or not, it was such a lovely experience for everyone. Flump was absolutely besotted (痴恋) with Alfie from the moment he first saw him.”
【小题1】Why did Beard have an assistance pet present during birth?A.To cure her disease. | B.To monitor the doctors. |
C.To ease her anxiety. | D.To keep the door. |
A.Understand human voices. | B.Get familiarized with the hospital. |
C.Play music for babies. | D.Learn about medical devices. |
A.Detecting the disease. | B.Medical treatment. |
C.Looking after the patient. | D.A seizure. |
A.It will be close. | B.It will be tense. |
C.It needs improving. | D.It is hard to say. |