I know, and I've said the same thing a couple of times. Especially since post partam depression wasn't as understood as it is now. I see tranquilizers in her future. I don't think the wine will help much now.

.....It was something of a surprise that Betty smilingly described her hospital experience to Francine as “all a fog.”

To most eyes the experience was a horrifying nightmare and, coupled with Betty’s Demerol dream music kicking in at the end of the episode, thereby initiating her into a long, sleepless haul of baby-raising duties, it occurred to me also that Betty could be likely take refuge in the tranquilizers.

.....It was something of a surprise that Betty smilingly described her hospital experience to Francine as “all a fog.”

To most eyes the experience was a horrifying nightmare and, coupled with Betty’s Demerol dream music kicking in at the end of the episode, thereby initiating her into a long, sleepless haul of baby-raising duties, it occurred to me also that Betty could be likely to take refuge in the tranquilizers.

.....Sorry, guys, it told me it wouldn't submit, but obviously it did.

(Sigh.....)

I have never born a child, so I can't speak from experience, but I have heard repeatedly from friends that there is almost an amnesia that takes over after childbirth that makes it seem as if the experience wasn't nearly as painful and traumatic, etc. Because otherwise, without this amnesia, women would NEVER get pregnant again!

I think Betty has a lot more strength than we give her credit for. Great great episode. I feel like a peeping tom watching her and Don interact, the intimacy ! HOT ! She's a tough cookie : three kids ,a cheating husband, two dead parents , and always beautiful. She's earned her street cred !

Sometimes adversity liberates people. What I mean is, it's through some hard knocks that you grow up. She is starting to get some perspective on the crap she was raised with, the emptiness of the wife role and her life in general. She is the little caterpillar.

I think when somebody close to us completes their life path, we have to stop and think about the big picture, where is our own life going? Betty is beginning to recognize her life's truths and that's the first step to change, awareness.

@flowerpower: I agree that adversity liberates, and in a way, so does the death of parents. I don't mean like"Yay! My folks are dead so I'm free!" (although I'll bet many people feel that way). In Betty's case, I think her father dying might just pave the way for her to finally grow up. And I'm not sure what I mean by that, but Betty might now give herself permission to let loose and change from the caterpillar into the butterfly.

On the adverse side of things: it's summertime with two kids and a baby to care for and NO CARLA!! Carla has gone home to visit her family leaving Betty quite outnumbered (as Betty herself once complained about). Unless she has developed a brand new "can do" attitude, maybe I also see tranquilizers in her future. Will Sally and Bobby be relegated to the TV all day till their eyeballs fall out?
In the very last scene this time, Betty hesitated in the hallway awhile as this third baby cried in the middle of the night (boy can I relate!!). Was the hesitation due to the dream she had about Gene and going into his old room, or just the burden of the task at hand? I can tell you that I personally sometimes felt the duty and responsibility of having a baby joyful yet stressful, tiring and sometimes lonely. Realizing Betty didn't want to be pregnant in the first place, I'm not sure she's up for this but hoping for the best.

I think losing a parent is a sobering experience no matter how close you are to your parents and she is likely accessing her life

I'm not certain if it counts but after her mom died, Betty couldn't control her hands.

Now, after her father died and she's checking into the hospital, she complains that she can't write with that pen. The nurse doesn't have any trouble though.

Question to any of you women out there who "birthed a baby" back in the '60s and prior: How did that baby come out if you were doped up? How did you do the hard LABOR (great word) of pushing it out? Or did the doctors just go in once you were dilated and pull that baby out? "Splain please.

I had a baby in the '90s and it was hours and hours of hard, hard painful work. How could it be done if I was in twilight sleep?

.....Ritt…..The same thought occurred to me when Betty had trouble with the pen during admittance to the hospital.

Losing her last parent and bearing a child all in the same two weeks is more of a personal crisis than life-changing experience.