One Born>?

[Jenniflower]

I heard there's a waterbirth on tomorrow if anyone wants to watch. I may try to catch it.

I'm looking forward to seeing the water birth!
I wonder if she will get out for the birth? I hope not.
xXx

that's what I was thinking. There was one during the christmas special where she was doing amazing in the water and then the midwife took her out and put her on her back to deliver. I was like wha?

 

[summer rain]

Having had a 35hr labour and assisted delivery myself together with a failed epidural I would never judge how a woman handles labour but I will judge how the hospital appear to handle a woman's care. Of course we don't see it all but in some of the episodes I've seen I am certain we've seen enough to judge.

In the first series there were at least a couple of women who delivered kneeling or in other positions, the show is heavily edited by the production company, so sometimes there are medical indications for what happens that are not shown, also many of the women insist on lying down and midwives are not allowed to forcibly move women into other positions. Also, occasionally lying down, although not totally flat on one's back, is the best and most comfortable position for some women, especially if they have a tendency to have very fast labours. When I had my homebirth the mws insisted I adopt a very uncomfortable sitting/squatting position on my laminated lounge floor, it didn't make any difference to tears etc and I couldn't get up at the end because my tailbone was killing and I had cramp in my legs. The young 18 year old lady who was on last week is on B n B and she explained on a thread on here how different the reality is to how its potrayed and edited in the final version. No I'm not saying the hospital does things ideally but there is a lot that isn't shown on the programme, the hospital has a birthing centre upstairs and a traditional consultant led unit downstairs, if a woman has been in the birthing centre for hours and is screaming for an epidural and her partner is agreeing, then what can the midwives really do?

 

[PeanutBean]

Summer I think I said in my first post in this thread that I've not really seen the show before Christmas but was quite shocked by what I have seen since then. For example there was a woman at Christmas who was not on her first birth and had spent the whole labour stood against her OH rocking and having as comfortable as time as one can, then felt the need to push so the MWs got her on to the bed on her back. Maybe some enormously crucial happening was edited out, I don't know, but there weren't any complications and she had the baby in a flash and all was fine so I cannot imagine why she should've been moved on to her back to push.

With the screaming lady on last week's episode I noticed a scene where she tried to lie on her side and whoever was stood by the bed pulled her back on to her back. I don't have any issue about whether or not someone chooses an epidural, there just seems to be a lot of women lying on their backs.

In the main thread in the TV bit someone posted earlier that the cameras are in the unit for people needing additional care which would shed some light on why there are so many births with complications portrayed (aside from the obvious TV sensationalism; and I'm going off what others have said about previous series). It's a real shame if that's the case as it would be much nicer to see some of the birthing centre births too. It'll be ace if there is a water birth tonight.

 

[Bournefree]

I'm fully aware that it is edited and cut for (I use this loosely, as I don't think it is good-for-women-TV but supposedly ) "good" TV. but these are real women, and real births.. and like PB said.. there wasn't any editing in some of these women who automatically adopt the supine position.
There is little choice it seems in these ladies minds; There is a bed or a hard plastic covered non-slip concrete floor. Of course you could always get on all fours on the bed, take the pillows to the floor for your knees if you want to use the bed to lean on - but the psychological set-up of the room doesn't allow these options as an initial thought, or a very comfortable looking one. Not even in my imagination!

There is just far too much of the un-natural births, and it doesn't represent the reality in the population.

Filming is done on both the MLU and the Obstetric lead unit. (hence why screaming lady had to transfer to Obst to get her Epi last week.)
xXx

 

[chuck]

My year 13 girls were talking about the show in class today and how terrified they were of ever having children because it looks so horrible <facepalm>

Trying to speak to them about how what they see there is by no means the be all and end all and a good representation of labour and birth without getting ranty was not easy lol.

I just find it so sad now that there are girls watching these programs and being terrified and they're expectations are of agony and fear.

Its no as if I can even let them know from personal experience that it can be good - all I could do is le them know that from personal experience what they see is often not what s best for the woman but just seemingly accepted practice.

Thankfully the Mum of one of the girls is a MW who also thinks the program is a terrible representation of labour and birth.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Having had a 35hr labour and assisted delivery myself together with a failed epidural I would never judge how a woman handles labour but I will judge how the hospital appear to handle a woman's care. Of course we don't see it all but in some of the episodes I've seen I am certain we've seen enough to judge.

Agreed. I think it paints that hospital in a terrible light. If I were due to give birth there and didnt know any better, I'd be shitting myself to be frank.

 

[tink23]

I've been watching it and DO find myself shouting things at the telly like you...

"You can do it!" "Why the hell is she lying down?! Let her stand up and walk around!!" e.t.c

I wish they'd show more natural births and water births but I do enjoy watching it all the same...it almost enforces my belief that a home water birth will be a better option for me (this is me talking BEFORE going through the labour process of course!!)

 

[Bournefree]

My year 13 girls were talking about the show in class today and how terrified they were of ever having children because it looks so horrible <facepalm>

Trying to speak to them about how what they see there is by no means the be all and end all and a good representation of labour and birth without getting ranty was not easy lol.

I just find it so sad now that there are girls watching these programs and being terrified and they're expectations are of agony and fear.

Its not as if I can even let them know from personal experience that it can be good - all I could do is let them know that from personal experience what they see is often not what is best for the woman but just seemingly accepted practice.

Thankfully the Mum of one of the girls is a MW who also thinks the program is a terrible representation of labour and birth.

This is what really worries me - what are the next generation on women going to think about child birth??!
What are we going to do, to put women back in control of their own bodies.. and although the law is already here to support women.. (everybody has the right to say no) will it be in the future? There is an increasingly dwindling number of women who are saying no to the medicalisation of birth, so our experiences could become lost along with a legacy of normal birth (as it just won’t be the normal anymore) If I'm honest it already has been lost to some extent, as a majority of women are scared of child birth and submit to the hospitals as they are, sometimes without clinical indications, passively coxed in with the thread of fear behind them.

woooh - sorry, I'll just step down from that soap-box
Still it's not all doom and gloom, the ladies on here with their passion make me smile and not feel marginlised.

 

[PeanutBean]

I'm so glad I have the homebirth section this time. The more I get into this the more I feel isolated so it's wonderful to have you ladies and some of you are even more mad than me!

 

[PeanutBean]

I was just coming on here to say how much better it's been this episode (excluding the MW stating blindly there is zero risk to the baby from epidural), there's been a water birth and they just had another woman up on a ball and on all fours pushing, then next scene she was suddenly on her back again! Gah!

 

[Bournefree]

It really was alot better, wasn't it! I just fell in love with the Nigerian couple! Esp when they were laughing talking about porn!
XxX

 

[PeanutBean]

But he wanted a boy! Stupid patriarchy. I liked him say he could "see her pain". I remember looking at my continuous monitor readings and watching the scale go up.

 

[Anababe]

Im just watching it now, the girl who had a water birth has just delivered and I was crying more than they were!! Haha Aww and she was called Lydia which is what my little girl will be called

 

[Jenniflower]

Loved the water birth!! But man is that family pretty. hahaha. She did amazing she did. Even in the last stage where she was screaming just a bit she only did during the contraction and the pushing bit and then was calm again. It was more an animalistic moan than a scream imo. I started crying instantly when the baby came out and then nearly started to sob when I saw the dad tearing up. hahaha

I was shocked to see so much blood though. All the videos I watch the water is still relatively clear after birth. Or is the blood more normal?

 

[Jenniflower]

Still watching....

"It doesn't effect the baby, it doesn't go into the blood stream and into the placenta" WHAT THE F***??!??!!??!!

The medication used in epidurals (local anesthetics such as bupivicaine) crosses the placenta by diffusion. This means that when epidurals are administered, the medication rapidly diffuses across cell membranes, crosses the placenta and enters the bloodstream of the baby. According to one study, bupivicaine (administered via an epidural) was found in blood samples taken from newborns after the mothers had an elective cesarean.

I'm seriously so fired up that she lied to that woman!! That woman was afraid it would effect the baby and she was right about that. Seriously I think that midwife should be in trouble for telling a down right lie. Wow I'm really upset by this, hahaha.

 

[tink23]

Loved the water birth!! But man is that family pretty. hahaha. She did amazing she did. Even in the last stage where she was screaming just a bit she only did during the contraction and the pushing bit and then was calm again. It was more an animalistic moan than a scream imo. I started crying instantly when the baby came out and then nearly started to sob when I saw the dad tearing up. hahaha

I was shocked to see so much blood though. All the videos I watch the water is still relatively clear after birth. Or is the blood more normal?

omg same here, OH and I both teared up and had a little cuddle (normally he doesn't show his feelings at all, I've seen him cry once in 4 years..!)

She did amazingly well, I only hope my home/waterbirth goes half as well as hers!!

 

[Bournefree]

I was shocked to see so much blood though. All the videos I watch the water is still relatively clear after birth. Or is the blood more normal?

I would say clear would be more normal. Just because if your placenta hasn't detached and you haven't torn, there can't be a site for the blood to come from?!
However it's not abnormal to have blood in the water as, blood in water disperses quickly.. and looks ALOT more than it really is! You can try this at home (bear with me).. prick your finger with a sterile needle, and add just one drop into a cup of water. You might have noticed the effect in the bath or shower sometimes - esp if you are as haphazard as me in shaving your legs - it can look like a scene from Psycho!

My water was clear (picture below.. excuse the boobs and everything else on show, but I really don't care who sees my naked pics anymore), and interestingly smelt like very weak bleach.. and that was the smell of my amniotic fluid.
Not to be too gross; when my MW's asked to see my pad when I thought my waters had started to go - she gave it a sniff! I was shocked, and asked her what on earth she was doing.. and told her she must REALLY love her job! lol, but she was testing for that bleachy smell.
XxX

 

[AP]

Thanks bournefree. I have been thinking about a water birth for the past few weeks but thought it was impossible after my previous pregnancy, but after watching OBEM I though, sod it, I will ask. And the midwife said as long as I have no complications and get to term, it will be ok.
I was taken aback with the blood but what you said about shaving legs makes utter sense!! So thank you!

 

[Mervs Mum]

some women have a little gush like that but I think 2 things made it look worse.. firstly it does look more in water and secondly ALL the goddam lights were on full tilt!

 

[Bournefree]

some women have a little gush like that but I think 2 things made it look worse.. firstly it does look more in water and secondly ALL the goddam lights were on full tilt!

Busted!! Did you watch last nights show?
It was very bright in there though. I don't think I would have liked that so much.
XxX