to think I am both right and unreasonable, and it's all MN's fault?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Warning: If you are the sort of person who expects AIBU to be full of deeply important life issues, this is not the thread for you. If you expect deep indignation, this is also not the thread for you. But I blame MN entirely for my situation, so there.

My dear brother has a baby, and it is the most amazing baby in the world, of course. And DB enjoys educating me and DH because we're poor childless fools (and we like the baby).

Now, I know bugger all about having children, I have never been through labour, and I should, I know, confess my ignorance with a becoming modesty.

However: being a fine, upstanding and lazy member of MN, I spend time on here and I watch stuff like Call the Midwife (which I am sure is practically a documentary, naturally) and One Born Every Minute. And sometimes some of it sinks in, sort of vaguely.

So, we were listening to DB monologue chat about his wife's labour, and DH happened to mention a mutual friend who'd had a difficult time because her baby's shoulder got stuck during delivery. So my brother says, 'oh, no, that doesn't happen! You see, the baby can move around during the pregnancy - but when it wants to be born it puts its head down, and straightens out, and it comes out like that, so there is no way it could get stuck. It's all instinct and nature!'

Leaving aside the fact I'm not 100% sure we needed telling most babies are born head first ... AIBU to feel I am quite right that some babies do get stuck during tricky labours and to feel I must bite my tongue and say nothing about this to my brother because he - rightly - will assume I am a childless know-it-all talking bollocks?

He also came out with, 'You see, LRD, you can't really have drugs during pregnancy because if you do, the baby will not learn to breastfeed - if you don't have drugs, the baby knows what to do by instinct.' So, you know, no pressure.

Now, AIBU to think that if I had never found MN I would never have absorbed any vague inkling that the above information might be in any way incorrect, and I would have trusted by brother and gone around in blissful ignorance?

hmm - yes, sorry, I do believe it's educational. I added the 'right?' because it would also be a little pointed, coming from me, since it would demonstrate to him that he was wrong about something we'd discussed.

If we'd not disagreed (ie., if I were better at keeping my mouth shut!), I'd have no hesitation in telling him they were good episodes to watch to educate himself.

Theres got to be a DVD market out there for women to give to all irritating men who need educating on the subject.

Op you are right and the bro is wrong.
Also my two oldest tried to come out bum first, so I have a nice scar across my bikini line for that one.

My ds should have been told that babies don't get stuck...........oh he was by the doctor I saw a few days before his birth. Ah, well, he obviously wasn't listening!!
The labour was like the story of the biggest turnip, with about 20 people between my legs trying to get him out. Eventually they decided to give me a c-section and tried to give me an epidural and they couldn't because I was too far on and pushing too much. They gave me an anaesthetic and when he was pulled out of me he did a back flip and ended up having to be pulled out again. He loved it there that much.
As a result of the traumatic birth, I ended up in intensive care and my son has got a condition called ptosis, damage to the nerve and muscle of the eye lid. Not a great deal in the grand scheme of things but had the docs listened to me and given me a c section a week earlier, this would not have happened to him.

Mine got so stuck he couldn't even enter the birth canel properly. His poor wee head was so coneshaped from banging at the entrance it was about half a foot long when they finally got him out via emergency csection. No charming newborn photos for us. :o

it was a long time ago, i admit, but i was definitely stuck - my mum's still talking about it.

and i had pethidine (can't spell it) when i had my daughter - she was breastfed to age 4.

Also not only did I have drugs they gave me so much block for the csection it slowed my heart down to the point it stopped and shut my throat down. I still bf for 11 months.

Another one with a DC who was obviously born without this "natural instinct". DS turned his head and got stuck so I had to be rushed to theatre for a ventouse delivery.

Doesn't seem to be a particularly rare occurrence does it?

But then DS also never had the "natural instinct" to breastfeed.. poor darling isn't doing so well is he? Good thing he's so lovely, he can get away with it