I thought we had a good childbirth story when, on the way to the hospital to give birth to Duncan in 2003, Erin’s water broke as I plowed our brand-new car over the train tracks.
But Tim Whitman, one of my security PR friends, and his wife, Lauren, just wrote their own birthing tale that just goes to show how far Tim will go to generate publicity.
Here’s a bit of the story from the Brookline Tab:
Lauren Arnold planned to give birth to Wyatt Whitman from the comforts of a hospital bed, surrounded by nurses and family. Wyatt? He chose the corner of Independence Drive and Russett Road in Brookline.
“When he walks to school every day he’s going to be able to say ‘this is where I was born’,” Arnold said with a laugh, gesturing towards the corner where she gave birth to her second son on July 19. “It’s crazy.”
Like many expecting parents, Arnold and her husband Tim Whitman spent months preparing for Wyatt’s birth. So when her contractions worsened they knew what to do: they hopped in a car and drove to the hospital.
At the hospital the staff told her she was not quite ready to give birth and sent her on a walk. When that did not work they sent her home with instructions to take a warm bath and walk some more. The couple headed home, even though they were surprised by the decision.
Around 4:30 a.m. the couple decided to take a stroll around their neighborhood. About halfway through the walk Arnold’s water broke. Cue the chaos.
I guess the water breaking all over the floor of a new car isn’t so dramatic after all. Oh, well.
A hearty congratulations to the Whitman family on their latest addition.
