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Pregnancy

To watch the Gore...or not??

20 replies

maltatheterrible · 07/09/2006 12:38

Hi All
I am 17 weeks today, fairly chilled out so far but am obviously starting to ponder the whole birth processs.
My best friend, when pregnant with her first, decided to prepare herself by watching the childbirth programmes on Discovery channel. Her husband came home to find her in a sobbing heap on the sofa, gibbering that she "couldn't go through with all that". He then banned her from watching Discovery
I want to be prepared, but don't want to scare myself silly like she did. Any advice on whether watching these programmes will help or hinder please? I am totally open minded about all birth methods at present, have made no decisions re: pain relief, just want to get it over and done with as quickly/positively as possible!

OP posts:

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MINNIE1 · 07/09/2006 12:44

I didnt watch them and i was fine through labour. My advice is take it as it comes and you will be fine.

shhhh · 07/09/2006 12:51

I watched them BUT then again I knew when to turn them off iykwim.

It helped me knowing what to expect and dh also found them useful. BUT remember how they are in programmes is not necessary how you will be. Most women I watched were major screamers which worried me..sounded shocking BUT know what, once in labour I didn't utter a word (Crumbs maybe I should become a scientologist ). DH reminds me now when we see women screaming in labour. He proudly says "You were nothing like them".

Good luck.

acnebride · 07/09/2006 12:51

I would say get the channel barred, as I would never have been able to stop myself watching them, and at about 36 weeks I would have gone into a complete tiz! I think for a lot of people there's a moment when all the information seems to arrive in your brain at once and all the worst bits seem to be picked out in neon. Information is helpful but there is definitely, definitely such a thing as TMI in birth. For me, anyway.

acnebride · 07/09/2006 12:52

But that's the thing, screaming (well, controlled howling) was excellent for me, and I wouldn't have wanted to have some image of 'don't want to scream like those others' in my mind, that wouldn't have been useful.

Scoobydooooo · 07/09/2006 12:55

Hmm i watched them & with my first i terrified myself & used to say i could not do it, every birth is different though & i did get through it & have done it twice now

I would say watching is torturing yourself

maltatheterrible · 07/09/2006 12:57

lol...thanks for replies so far. I did catch 5 minutes of the "early stages" the other day on Discovery.
This poor girl was making lowing noises like a cow in a nativity play I sat transfixed for a bit and then turned it off as I didn't feel ready for the whole blood and guts saga.
I had an idea that if I'd "seen it all before" i.e the monitors/doctors/midwifes/ the whole experience, then it wouldn;t be as scary as just turning up and everything being new and not knowing what was going on.
But if I have to watch anyone go through a 4th degree tear I will faint....maybe I should get Sky plus and get Dp to vet them for me like video nasties?

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acnebride · 07/09/2006 12:59

I'd say it's impossible to know what will get to you and what won't.

Someone being cheerful and saying 'X will really help you' can be the wrong thing to hear, on the wrong day.

I just wouldn't. Sorry. What a wimp I am.

maltatheterrible · 07/09/2006 13:06

nope, I think you might be right acnebride.
I will just go through this cavewoman stylee, listen to what my body is telling me and swear mightily at anyone who annoys me...by breathing.
Apparently my mother threatened the midwife with scissors whilst delivering me, I hope I'm more laid back than that

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aprilmeadow · 07/09/2006 13:11

I have to say that i watched them with great interest both before and during pregnancy. In fact the thing i was most looking forward to once my ML started was that Dicovery Home and Health were doing a 'baby week' special. It was great! I took on board that each birth experience is different and that i shouldnt be thinking thi could happen to me. I did find it useful in hints and tips for early labour stages. The odd thing is, is that after ds was born i found it hard to watch the programmes!! I am able to watch them again now though.

nikie1 · 07/09/2006 13:13

my advice would be that every birth is different so watching birth should just give you an idea of what SOME women go through different people tell many tales DONT LISTEN if you feel you want to watch them then do i did and it showed me most of all how to keep calm and relaxed and my first child was born in 2 hours weighing 81b 2oz good luck i'm sure you will be fine xnikiex

SophieB · 07/09/2006 14:17

I started watching those programmes when i was in early pregnancy, but after a few weeks they would worry the life out of me and i would get really annoyed by them!! i havent watched any since! I just ask my friend whos just had a baby!

emzickle · 07/09/2006 14:20

Watching the video the lady gave me from the NHS classes made me feel sick... the baby channel used to make me cry too... just be prepared to turn them off quickly if you have a "Oh grose" moment.

lucy5 · 07/09/2006 14:24

I didnt watch but I watched the one at the antenatal classes and I am glad I did, because the exact same scenario happened with dd. She pooed as she was being born and had to be resussitated [sp]. It was frightening but I knew what was happening and why.

TinyGang · 07/09/2006 14:31

Personally, I didn't find the video helpful. Giving birth is not a spectator sport..it's so so different when you're the one doing it.

You don't see it from the angle of a video camera and it doesn't sound that way either. I don't recall making much noise at all (although I bet I did!)Also veryone does it differently.

A video can look a bit stark and scary I think; although others may have different feelings I guess.

CurrantBun · 07/09/2006 14:42

If you don't want to scare yourself, don't read any of the birth stories here . I found them morbidly fascinating but had to stop after reading a few as was starting to get traumatised ...

I've watched a few of those Dicovery programmes but just keep telling myself every birth is different and you get a different perspective from the head end (she says hopefully ...)

maltatheterrible · 07/09/2006 15:01

currantban - I am nowhere near brave enough to follow that link! I'm just listening to all the positive birth stories where the baby is out in 3 pushes and everyone goes home for fish and chips straight afterwards
(she wanders off into rosy tinted sunset, fingers crossed with a manic determined grin)
no doubt I will be on the birth announcment board next feb with a hammer horror story

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Tatties · 07/09/2006 15:07

Like Aprilmeadow I loved watching these programmes - before and during my pregnancy. We don't have the channel any more or I would still watch them! I don't find it gory at all, just fascinating, amazing and informative. But that is me. It depends how you think you would react. There's no point in watching them if you think it's just going to wind you up - you can get information from other sources. And some programmes are better than others; the American programmes for example don't give much insight into the birth exprerience in the UK.
One useful thing for me was that I learned that it was quite common for the baby to be taken straight to the ressuscitaire at birth. This happened to me as ds was all pale and floppy on arrival and needed some oxygen. But I felt really calm, as I knew what they were doing even though no-one in the delivery room said anything. I think I would have been really frightened if I hadn't been equipped with that knowledge.

kittywits · 07/09/2006 15:09

I find the birth programmes fascinating, especially when they have really lovely happy outcomes and you see the mother and brand new baby gazing at one another (I'm going to start crying at the thought!). It's so magical to watch a baby's first few moments of life on the outside.
I was given the opportunity to be part of one of those disovery birth progs. I was hesitant at firs tbut did do it and I'm so glad. You forget the details of your own births so quickly and I have found it to be such a percious thing to have , to be able to watch my daughter's birth whenever I want.
I think some of these progs, especially the American ones can really scare you as it always seems to be panic stations. I like the progs that give a fairly good representation of the sorts of births women can have.

pennygaff · 07/09/2006 19:03

I would say No don't watch them, I got a book about birth when I found out I was pregnant and It scared the living daylights out of me!
All those horrible images of 70s women giving birth in a grotty hospital with husbands that looked like Noel Edmonds.
I won't watch a doll being pushed out of a pretend uterus either! No way let Nature deal with it thks.

pennygaff · 07/09/2006 19:06

don't follow that link.......its the old haunted house I had to look, then I regretted it.

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