Watching childbirth t.v. programmes while pregnant - is this helpful or not helpful?

[morningpaper]

What do you think? Lots of pregnant women like me seem to become embrassingly drawn to Discovery Health and Leisure...

Do I NEED to see lots of women begging their husbands to kill them? Is this helping me or is this driving my childbirth paranoia?!

[WideWebWitch]

Well I can only watch them because I'm never doing it again. No way could I have watched while I was pregnant for the 2nd time. While pregnant for the first time YES, because I didn't know how bad it could be and any info was useful but the second time round I didn't need any reminders thank you very much! I sometimes watch now and find it all quite fascinating!

[anchovies]

I love the childbirth programs, I am addicted to discovery health and love desperate midwives. I cry every time without fail when a baby is born. Always a happy ending so I can't see the harm!

[Donbean]

Nonononono!
I watched some through my fingers with the remote control poised to quickly turn over at the awful bits.
I made a complete wreck oof myself and panicked no end. I ended up chanting over and over "I cant do it, i cant do it,i cant do it" while rocking backwards and forwards in a strange way.
Dont watch them, dont do it to yourself. IMHO.

[Caribbeanqueen]

I used to watch them all the time until I got pregnant. Then I stopped and only watched the first few minutes while they were talking about their families etc and then the end to see the baby. No way could I watch the birth while I was pregnant!

[morningpaper]

I think maybe I should just stick to Big Brother...

[WigWamBam]

Not helpful! They only ever show you the most dramatic and traumatic births, not what you want to be looking at!

[SenoraPostrophe]

no, but watching kids telly is very useful.gets you in the right frame of mind.

[lilaclotus]

i'm watching them now, before being pregnant again. so i know what i am getting myself into.

[Satine]

completely agree with www!

[Lonelymum]

Isn't it funny how when you watch a woman giving birth after you have done it yourself, you know exactly what she is feeling! I always think thank God I am not doing that again, but like Anchovies, I can't see a birth without crying at the end!

[Lizita]

Childbirth, no, we all get on with it fine when the time comes. I think it's important any mother to be should be told honestly what having a baby will be like though. Most people have unrealistic expectations.

[Redhelen]

I'm keeping away from tv and even books and pregnanacy mags - I've seen so many with a negative slant recently - you just end up confused and worried!

[morningpaper]

I've already done it once and confused and worried seems like a sensible approach to me ...

[fisil]

I was off work from 26 weeks so I watched a lot of them. I realised that they always had positive outcomes, so they weren't too scary. And I reckon they did help cos I definitely remembered bits in the delivery room which comforted me or helped me to know what to do.

[Redhelen]

Thanks Morningpaper! I've done it once before too - but 5+ years ago!! Can't believe I'm doing it again - but can't wait to meet the little person!

[paolosgirl]

No - but every pregnant woman does it! All the boring births are left on the editing room floor, so it's not very realistic. I know it's a cliche, but the end result really is worth it

[ChaCha]

LOL @ Donbean!!!! That is just me!

[jessicaandbumpsmummy]

I was addicted first time round.... and just took them as a pinch of salt.... i was scared a few times, dont get me wrong, but compared to the birth experience, it was rubbish!

Havent watched that many this time round, mainly because cbeebies is more entertaining for jess!

[WideWebWitch]

hahahahahaha at kids' tv senora!

[SenoraPostrophe]

actually I wish I had a copy of the video they showed us in our ante natal classes. It was in spanish, but it went something like this:

woman (looks lovingly at husband): darling, it's time

man: (hands to face) everything is prepared?

woman (goes to bedroom to get very neat little bag): yes.

both smile at each other and leave

scene: maternity hospital

man stands around looking like catalogue man while woman sighs as if having sex. she is sweaty. midwife hands baby to woman. all smile.

[WideWebWitch]

if only...

[SenoraPostrophe]

that was what it was like for me. was it not for you?

[expatkat]

I loved those programs when i was pregnant. But there weren't so many back then (6 yrs ago, the first time), only "Special Babies" which was probably NOT a good one to watch b/c it was all about babies born with difficulties. . .But education, for me, makes things less scary, so I was drawn to the programs, and I think they helped me. And I loved that series with Kypros Nicolaidesthe operations he did on fetuses still in the wombwhen I was pregnant with my second. (Again: not an optimal choice.) But now that I'm not pregnant & have no plans to be in the near future, I find nothing more boring.

[babyonboard]

yes i love them, and watch as many as I can..it is my first and I ould rather be fully prepared and know what I am letting myself in for.
seeing the women screaming doesn't phase me at all..we all know it's no walk in the park..
also one of my favourite websites has around 50 birth stories with graphic step by step photos, which I also appreciate seeing.
we are much luckier then women just a couple of decades ago who got no information on what to expect, and very little education.

[basketcase]

I was addicted to these programs too - when pregnant. Now I don?t need the reminder
Paolosgirl - is there really such a thing as a boring birth?!! I know what you are getting at but I thought that the series I watched (and plenty of them too) were fairly well balanced without too many extreme scenarios or last minute rare life threatening illnesses. Personally, if anything, I thought they were a little repetitive on the plot line
The one thing I found tricky was that many of the series when I was pregnant were American and the facts and procedure routes were often subtley different which I found confusing. Also found the baby showers where all these pregnant mums had huge huge families all loving each other and sitting around making perfect tummy henna picture things, everyone giving gifts by the mansion poolside rather irritating