News Release

Home Birth in Comic Strip Garnering More Praise than Concern

Eugene, OR  (06/28/2007)  E-mails praising cartoonist Jan Eliot’s storyline in “Stone Soup” about her central character’s pregnancy and home birth have been arriving daily to the Eugene, Ore. artist. The baby’s arrival with the help of a midwife is imminent in the strip. http://www.gocomics.com/stonesoup/

Many midwives and mothers are happy that this alternative method of childbirth is being examined on the comic pages. Even the one person self-described as a Portland obstetrician and fan was not overly critical about the home birth scenario.

“The doctor who wrote me is actually very supportive of midwives. He just prefers they deliver in hospitals or birth centers, believing the chances for the health of the child and mother increases,” says Eliot, who first introduced “Stone Soup” in November 1995 and is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate.

“I expect to get opinions on both sides of this issue up until the time Joan delivers,” says Eliot. "The mail so far has been overwhelmingly supportive of the home birth. For healthy women under the care of a professional midwife, home births are certainly an option today that's chosen by many."

One fan with home birth experience told Eliot in an e-mail: “It’s great to see this safe and healthy choice get more exposure. I wish more people realized there are options besides ‘Go to the hospital and be a good little patient and do everything the nurses tell you...’”

“So many people believe that the only place a baby should be born is in the hospital, when studies show that normal, low-risk women fare better having their babies at home,” commented another fan.

Eliot plans to introduce Joan’s midwife this weekend (June 29-30). The character will have a master’s degree from Yale’s Certified Nurse Midwife program, which is one of the top programs in the country.

Eliot’s daughter in real life has had two home births, and one of Eliot’s first newspaper publishers, Jody Rohlnik of the Cottage Grove (Ore.) Sentinel, had both her children at home using the water birth method that Eliot has introduced into the storyline of the script.

Eliot has pulled out all the stops to make sure Joan’s pregnancy is portrayed as realistically as possible, including morning sickness in the car, suppers of only saltines and grapes, and the massive swollen ankles. The storyline included Val’s 13-year-old daughter Holly planning to have kids before going to college, but Val convinced the teenager of the fallacy of that plan, partly by having her view a birth DVD.

However, the storyline isn’t completely steeped in reality. Eliot created a comic-character-centered baby shower hosted by Val’s recurring book club, which includes Elly from For Better or For Worse, Connie from Zits, Cathy from Cathy, and even Alice from Dilbert, who just came for the gin.

In just a few weeks Eliot has scheduled the birth, so soon Joan will have to balance a brand new baby and her two-year-old son, Max, who doesn’t seem too excited about having to share his mama. Despite husband Wally’s sweet nature and enthusiasm, Joan worries how she will ever raise two kids, especially when one of them is the mischievous and ever-busy Max.

“Between the circus clown maternity clothes and summer heat, Joan (a.k.a. Shamu) is more than ready to be done with pregnancy,” says Eliot.

Creator(s): Jan Eliot

Contact(s): Kathie Kerr

Search News Releases