to be irritated by adverts depicting childbirth as horrific?

[Goofus]

I can't remember what the advert is for but I think it's one of those cutesy 'through the ages' of a couples life, including the birth of their child. It's a new-ish one.
The image of her giving birth shows her face contorted in agony, screaming, clenching her husband's fist and generally looking like a sweaty, petrified mess.

My DDs, aged 8 and 6 have decided, from watching that advert they never want to give birth. My 6yo has gone from wanting 6 children to just wanting a dog when she's older.
Now, I know they are likely to change their mind at some point as most of us do get over the horror of finding out how you give birth.

But why do these adverts/films have to show it as such a scary experience putting the fear in girls from the start?

[ExitStencilist]

Because thats how it is?

[Goofus]

It isn't always though, is it?
I think they dramtise it far too much.

[janey68]

Yeap, I remember screaming in agony and no doubt i pulled some odd faces. The only images I've seen of women actually birthing (ie baby emerging) who look serene are where they are drugged up with epidural. What's wrong with showing the image that natural birthing hurts? My own dd has seen this advert and was intrigued but I don't see that as a bad thing. I'd hate her to grow up thinking being numbed up to have a baby is the only way to go

[ExitStencilist]

I think its the standard.
Childbirth fucking hurts, this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.

[HazleNutt]

Might not always be like that but it's more often like this than "Ohh... get that, would you, Deirdre?" or looking serene and undisturbed with not a hair out of place.

[Stinax]

I think I'd be more annoyed by an advert making giving birth look "nice". Horrific certainly seems in keeping with both my experiences.

[Goofus]

Ok, what about scenes in films where the woman is being rushed through hospital corridors in a wheelchair after her first twinge, etc.

When does that ever happen? It's all overly dramatic and unnecessary.

[Hemlet]

Agree with the majority. Childbirth hurts (probably, i'm preg with my first) and unless you're off your tits on drugs and seeing the unicorn nurses and flying anesthetist it will be pretty close to that advert.

It'd be worse to think it's alright and then suffer the shock.

[WaitingForMe]

YANBU. It's well documented that fear makes childbirth hurt more.

[hermionestranger]

YAbu. Childbirth is no walk in the park is it? Even the easiest birth is going to smart somewhat.

[Naysa]

Because it is horrific..?

[SchrodingersMew]

Childbirth is horrific for a lot of people and extremely painful for at least most.

Would it not be worse to paint it all flowery and lovely?

[Goofus]

Yay, WaitingForMe I agree.

[Goofus]

Naysa I don't agree that it is horrific, unless you've had a very bad experience, obviously. Yes, it hurts- a lot. I'm not saying we should completely gloss over that. I just think they make it look far worse and much more scary than it needs to be.

[MarysBeard]

I agree, it is often portrayed badly, and gratuitously, probably adding to people's fear. I watched a lot of births on Discovery Health - c sections also - and got a much more balanced image.

I didn't scream, shout or cry during labour, not saying it didn't hurt but not in a really bad way. I did scream and cry a lot when I was a kid and had an infection from chickenpox, and it felt like I was being stabbed in the stomach, and I wailed a lot when I had dental abscesses. I'd rather childbirth than the pain and worry of being ill, vastly different.

[KenLeeeeeee]

YANBU to wish that they also showed calmer, nicer births (which do happen) but there are some women for whom birth is just never, ever going to be easy (or even possible without major medical intervention). A nice bit of balance on tv would be better.

[KellyElly]

Well it's no walk in the park. Blood, poo, pain...the end result is wonderful, what you go through to get there is horrific.

[Annunziata]

DD is 19 and has just discovered you can tear, best contraception yet I think!

[Goofus]

Annunziata
Am now wondering if there is some alterior motive to these adverts. What with having one of the highest levels of teenage pregnancies in Europe and all that...

[emblosion]

Mine was horrific and agonising, I screamed the place down! I know its not like that for everyone, and I didn't expect it to be like that for me tbh.

Can remember being traumatised as a child when I found out how babies came out, still went on to have one tho!

[Ilovedaintynuts]

It is pretty horrific, even a 'normal' birth.
The only way the vast, vast majority of women birth without moaning, sweating, grimacing etc. is with an epidural.

I think that birth is portrayed in the media as not 'horrific' enough!
I think many women are traumatised after giving birth to their first child because they have been told that if they really concentrate it won't hurt

The best thing we can tell young girls is that it is very, very painful but the most beautiful amazing thing that you will ever do.

I watch OBEM and midwives with my 4 year old DD and have no desire to shield her from the realities of (normal) birth even as child.

[FallenCaryatid]

Sometimes at work it's like being surrounded by battle-scarred war veterans that constantly revisit their experiences. Over and over again. No one wants to remember the easy births, it seems the more life-threatening and gory the better, even if the experience was decades ago. I tend to read whilst the war stories are being retold, or find something else to get on with.
Yes, giving birth hurts, but rarely for long.
Agree with Annunziata, the more like a scene from Alien it becomes, perhaps the more off-putting the idea.

[CouvelaireHair]

Very painful, yes, but for me, not in the least bit horrific. Quite the opposite in fact.

[picnicbasketcase]

I cried throughout and did a fair bit of shouting so it's not that unrealistic for a lot of people. If they showed a calm, serene woman who just blinked a bit and produced a baby, folk would complain that that was unrealistic too

[JumpingThroughMoreHoops]

I always think a good perinium ripping child birth video would do far more good than the wishy-washy PHSE lessons and lower teenage pregnancy