HOPKINS, GATOS 2 (2)

The bedroom was the finished room in the new section of their house in the deep woods of Platt Herrick's land. John was working as a post-and-beam house builder. Pam had had both children at home with a midwife.

Pam and John split up in 1986.

REFER - HOPKINS MAPLE SYRUP; HOPKINS,JOHN & PAM 1

INTERVIEW EXCERPT

Pam:

"Very much a conscious decision - well researched. John wanted a home birth, John wanted a home birth from the beginning and I wasn't going to make any decision one way or another until I felt real comfortable one way or another. After a couple classes and getting to know Lee, the midwife, we just decided that this is what we wanted to do. This is really the way to go. Once the decision was made we really worked hard - I guess I was probably six, maybe even seven months pregnant before I made the final decision and I was doing prenatals with a doctor and the midwife really trying to figure out what I wanted to do. The fact that the birthing facilities were so poor in the hospitals close by certainly played an important part in our decision - as well as the fact that I was so healthy and everything was going right according to the plan - and feeling good about the midwife. It was intense, but the birth went well and after Brook's birth there was no question that we wanted a home birth for Robin. Such an incredible experience to have a baby at home."

(from interview - August 1982)