"maternity ward"

[solitaire89]

This is not meant to troll, but I recorded "maternity ward" off the television this week. I'm just watching it and am now utterly shouting at the television. This isn't birth, it is unnatural! I mean, the comment I've just heard from the "obgyn" is that he "induces 45% of my patients because pregnancy, labour and birth is so unpredictable". Say WHAT?!
Its so medicinal. Its just so far from my experience of birth that it makes my blood boil. Its not about a woman birthing her baby, but about another person delivering a woman of her baby. The gloves, the drips, the counting whilst pushing, the bright lights and sterility of it are just so WRONG!
I understand that not all births are easy, but this is something different.
End of rant. Until I watch the next 5 mins...

 

[Anthrogirl]

I have to have a bucket full of sponges to throw at the telly when I watch any of those shows! They are so bloody aggravating!!

 

[solitaire89]

I have to have a bucket full of sponges to throw at the telly when I watch any of those shows! They are so bloody aggravating!!

Sponges? I'm on bricks!!! one born I can just about deal with. This I want to stab!

 

[summer rain]

Is it American? When expecting my second eldest there were so many American birth shows on the various discovery channels and a lot of them really knocked me sick, I really felt for the mums on them because they were clearly seen as a cash cow by the doctors and hospitals. xx

 

[Anthrogirl]

I have to have a bucket full of sponges to throw at the telly when I watch any of those shows! They are so bloody aggravating!!

Sponges? I'm on bricks!!! one born I can just about deal with. This I want to stab!

OMG, my hubby would throw a fit if I used bricks! We only have one television!!

 

[sue_88]

Yeah I think Maternity Ward is American.

It's a horrible programme to watch - the doctors don't see a patient...they see a walking dollar sign!!! It's disgusting. Horrible programme to watch - I refuse to.

 

[MindUtopia]

Is it on here in the UK? Yeah, that stuff drives me nuts and also makes me really sad because so many people really have no idea what birth could be like if allowed to just unfold naturally. Even my husband shouts at the tv now if we watch OBEM.

I was watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta yesterday (one of my few viewing options in the afternoons as I am at home on maternity leave, unless I want to watch Jeremy Kyle, which I don't!) and Kim was having her baby and it was so medicalized and sad. She was being induced 'just because' and was like 'anyone who does this naturally is an idiot'. Um, no, anyone who gets induced just because it allows them to schedule to have their hair and make-up done first is an idiot!

Although I have to say, the first time I ever saw a home birth on film was on A Baby Story (it's a U.S. series kinda like OBEM, but they do occasionally have birth centre and home births) and I was like THAT is what I want to do one day. It just looked so much easier and more awesome. I was a teenager then and used to watch it after school some times. Fast forward 15 years, I had my first baby at home just like I'd planned. So tv birth shows can be good for something! Just wish they'd be a bit more realistic sometimes.

Btw, did anyone watch Home Delivery when it was on in the UK?

 

[sue_88]

Is it on here in the UK? Yeah, that stuff drives me nuts and also makes me really sad because so many people really have no idea what birth could be like if allowed to just unfold naturally. Even my husband shouts at the tv now if we watch OBEM.

I was watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta yesterday (one of my few viewing options in the afternoons as I am at home on maternity leave, unless I want to watch Jeremy Kyle, which I don't!) and Kim was having her baby and it was so medicalized and sad. She was being induced 'just because' and was like 'anyone who does this naturally is an idiot'. Um, no, anyone who gets induced just because it allows them to schedule to have their hair and make-up done first is an idiot!

Although I have to say, the first time I ever saw a home birth on film was on A Baby Story (it's a U.S. series kinda like OBEM, but they do occasionally have birth centre and home births) and I was like THAT is what I want to do one day. It just looked so much easier and more awesome. I was a teenager then and used to watch it after school some times. Fast forward 15 years, I had my first baby at home just like I'd planned. So tv birth shows can be good for something! Just wish they'd be a bit more realistic sometimes.

Btw, did anyone watch Home Delivery when it was on in the UK?

Yes I did, loved it.

I actually also got my mum and older sister to watch it too because they're a bit nervous about my choice. Mum still needs some convincing but the programme has completely changed the mind of my sister - she's like go for it - and my mum was reassured as well but it still wouldn't be her first choice for baby at home.

But it was great show. Hope they do more !

 

[Toms Mummy]

I always thought maternity ward was film about 20yrs ago! Mainly due to the bad glasses most of the docs have on, and the highly medical ways of doing things like it's old fashioned!.... Is it actually 21st century stuff?

 

[Anthrogirl]

I always thought maternity ward was film about 20yrs ago! Mainly due to the bad glasses most of the docs have on, and the highly medical ways of doing things like it's old fashioned!.... Is it actually 21st century stuff?

Nope, it's recent. That's modern American maternity care (I'm generalizing, let's say 80something% of modern US maternity care) where everything is high tech from the unnecessary c-sections to the unnecessary inductions! No wonder women are so terrified of giving birth.

 

[aliss]

An American delivery ward?? No thanks! Actually, our Canadian ones are almost just as bad. I've seen Baby Story several times (mostly before I had a terrible hospital birth which led to a subsequent home birth!!!) and I hate how the rare natural hospital birth is treated like she's some sort of hippy whackjob.

 

[Toms Mummy]

That's really sad! Condsidering that the US is one of the most developed countries in the world, the fact that it has limited choices/opportunities for mothers it awful!

 

[sue_88]

It just seems all to do with the money with the healthcare system.

"Here have this induction, oh I'll just give you pethidine, here's your epidural now, acutally we'll take you for a c-section"

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[aliss]

Part of the problem here (North America in general) is that most women do not even know that it is abnormal to medically induce a baby and to get an epidural. It is considered normal. It's an odd situation. If you do not use an epidural, you are quite the exception. The first question women asked me when pregnant with my 2nd is "Which hospital? When are you getting your epidural" and a "huh"/stunned silence.

I was almost 42 weeks with Philippe and still going to Alex's play group, people were actually rather upset that I was not being induced (fortunately I had a very understanding midwife).

Followed by the inevitable, "Oh, I could never live with myself if something happened" roll: considering my natural birth was perfect and my epidural birth was a disaster with birth injury)

 

[Anthrogirl]

An American delivery ward?? No thanks! Actually, our Canadian ones are almost just as bad. I've seen Baby Story several times (mostly before I had a terrible hospital birth which led to a subsequent home birth!!!) and I hate how the rare natural hospital birth is treated like she's some sort of hippy whackjob.

I never saw any of the Canadian shows, but my first daughter was born in a Canadian teaching hospital (almost 14 yrs ago) and we had a wonderful natural birth experience until the young resident caused a pph with inappropriate cord traction and I almost bled out. The hospital I delivered in here, in Kentucky was the most awful experience. It was everything Maternity Ward promises and then some. They have a 92% epidural rate and an 85% induction/augmentation rate. I felt like I was fighting to keep everyone's hands off me and had OH sneaking food in to me as I was 48 hours NPO and didn't think I could sit up let along push a baby out...

 

[aliss]

An American delivery ward?? No thanks! Actually, our Canadian ones are almost just as bad. I've seen Baby Story several times (mostly before I had a terrible hospital birth which led to a subsequent home birth!!!) and I hate how the rare natural hospital birth is treated like she's some sort of hippy whackjob.

I never saw any of the Canadian shows, but my first daughter was born in a Canadian teaching hospital (almost 14 yrs ago) and we had a wonderful natural birth experience until the young resident caused a pph with inappropriate cord traction and I almost bled out. The hospital I delivered in here, in Kentucky was the most awful experience. It was everything Maternity Ward promises and then some. They have a 92% epidural rate and an 85% induction/augmentation rate. I felt like I was fighting to keep everyone's hands off me and had OH sneaking food in to me as I was 48 hours NPO and didn't think I could sit up let along push a baby out...

Oh dear hun that is so terrible, I'm sorry you went through that Some hospitals here are quite pro-natural birth (particularly in British Columbia) but I can't help but wonder if the popularity of certain birthing shows helps contribute to our increasing epidural rate. Those are shameful rates!

 

[Anthrogirl]

An American delivery ward?? No thanks! Actually, our Canadian ones are almost just as bad. I've seen Baby Story several times (mostly before I had a terrible hospital birth which led to a subsequent home birth!!!) and I hate how the rare natural hospital birth is treated like she's some sort of hippy whackjob.

I never saw any of the Canadian shows, but my first daughter was born in a Canadian teaching hospital (almost 14 yrs ago) and we had a wonderful natural birth experience until the young resident caused a pph with inappropriate cord traction and I almost bled out. The hospital I delivered in here, in Kentucky was the most awful experience. It was everything Maternity Ward promises and then some. They have a 92% epidural rate and an 85% induction/augmentation rate. I felt like I was fighting to keep everyone's hands off me and had OH sneaking food in to me as I was 48 hours NPO and didn't think I could sit up let along push a baby out...

Oh dear hun that is so terrible, I'm sorry you went through that Some hospitals here are quite pro-natural birth (particularly in British Columbia) but I can't help but wonder if the popularity of certain birthing shows helps contribute to our increasing epidural rate. Those are shameful rates!

BC is way ahead! I grew up in the South Okanagon and although I never gave birth in BC, all of my friends did and I attended/supported many births in the Valley and in the Lower Mainland! I think what kills me is that when my #2 was born, of the 5 nurses in attendance throughout the process, only 1 (ONE) had seen a birth without pain meds. Sad, really. This one's being born at home!

 

[aliss]

I had my first in Langley (I'm from Abbotsford originally) and unfortunately they were quite pushy with the meds They botched my 1st birth. I heard great things about the midwives from UVIC and UBC though, esp. the Women's hospital in Vancouver.

How'd you end up in Kentucky? Then again how the hell did I end up in Quebec.... LOL!

 

[Anthrogirl]

I had my first in Langley (I'm from Abbotsford originally) and unfortunately they were quite pushy with the meds They botched my 1st birth. I heard great things about the midwives from UVIC and UBC though, esp. the Women's hospital in Vancouver.

How'd you end up in Kentucky? Then again how the hell did I end up in Quebec.... LOL!

UBC is a fabulous hospital! You guys are so lucky to have the emerging midwifery up there! The US is so political about medicine! I don't know anything about Langley. I shipped down here by way of Alabama! I did my MA in medical anthropology at the University of Alabama and I'm trying to finish up my doctorate at the University of Kentucky. My husband is a blacksmith so we narrowed down graduate schools based on his opportunity to grow a business and so Kentucky it was! Quebec from BC?? I thought it was usually the other way around?

 

[aliss]

I've heard up to 30% of Vancouver Island births are midwife-led now! Amazing eh??

Yeah, it's usually the Quebecois going to BC, although that tends to be the homeless and/or the snowboarders in search of some decent pot.........