If I were in labor, I'd want whoever had the highest probability of delivering my baby alive with all limbs intact.

I don't see any real debate in this scenario (not yours, Jessica, just generally) that this person wasn't Kate. Maybe we're more hung up on her gender than the writers or the other characters.

I guess I need to take Nutty with me if I hike pregnant. I don't know much more about birthing babies than Charlie (did he ask about towels?).

If I were in labor, I'd want whoever had the highest probability of delivering my baby alive with all limbs intact. I really wouldn't care if they were male or female.

I'm thinking that's neither the guy who doesn't speak English nor the cute but high-strung guy you may want to get groiny with.

In the absence of Jack and Sun, I do think the most qualified person is Kate, in the not-panicking sense if not the actual medical knowledge sense. Or Michael, depending on whether he was a part of his kid's actual birthing. Or any of the extras who has had kids herself (except, by dint of being an extra, no luck there). The Lost Islanders are really a childless bunch, aren't they?

Imagine giving birth with Snickerbitch in attendance. I think that is the ultimate "shut up, I'll just do it myself!" situation.

Not so much the gates of paradise at that particular moment, though.

At that point, Joey Buttofucco could be playing catcher, I wouldn't really give a shit as long as someone was there to pull.

I don't want Joey Buttafuoco anywhere near my goolie, thankyew very much. Although, if I were in labor at the time, nobody would fault me for swatting him hard, right?

Catchers themselves are probably bad candidates for birth coaches, all things considered. They would be wearing oven mitts, for one thing, and would be expecting the baby to be very fast-moving.

I don't any real debate in this scenario (not yours, Jessica, just generally) that this person wasn't Kate. Maybe we're more hung up on her gender than the writers or the other characters.

Probably. It's just a pet peeve of mine, because nearly every emergency labor on television plays out in exactly this way, right down to the woman giving birth in three pushes to the cleanest newborn in medical history. It's tiresome.

As a family member I wouldn't think it weird to be told someone's last thoughts were of me. Especially if it were true.

Plus, only Locke and Sayid know that Shannon and Boone were step-siblings, and probably only Locke knew about Boone's unholy obsession with Shannon.

Everyone else, including Jack, pretty much just thought that Shannon and Boone were regular siblings. And if my bro died and his last words (or words at any time during his hideous jungle surgery ordeal, really) were about me, I'd want to know.

t edit Actually, I'd just want to know *anything* he said, period, particularly if I hadn't been there.

Though I'm needy. As well as nosy.

Excepting the exceedingly squeamish of both sexes, most women have more education about what happens at birth than most men do.

Both mine were delivered by women, but it would have been a man if the male doctor had been on call that day. Personally it seems that a woman would have more of a concept of where the pushing needs to come from and a certain empathy whether from experience or not. Just my feeling, but amoung the inexperienced I would pick the woman to help me.

As far as the cleanliness, 2nd son was pretty messy, but 1st was just wet looking, not nasty at all. YnewbornMV (eta: I have video!)

As far as Claire is concerned, although I was bright eyed and chipper after birth, I sure as hell wasn't walking around.

I want the next episode NOW! Poor Locke! I want to see the fallout.

A quote from the EW article on Boone's demise:

Now he wants movie roles, quality projects — more Ian McKellen than Ian Ziering.

Hee.

Note: The last paragraph has an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny spoiler. As in, it didn't bother me too much, and I'm a spoilerphobe. But I'm just saying. (It's about the nature of the flashbacks in the finale.)