to be sick of the soap baby story-lines?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

First it was Rocco in Home and Away and now Rachels baby in Eastenders. There was Ronnies baby in Eastenders last year.

Its all too much. I know its drama and they need storylines and it does happen in real life. But I cant see how anyone could want to watch this stuff. :(

Sorry I meant Rachels baby in Emmerdale!

Who's Rachel in EE?

I stop watching them when they have storylines like that.

Just don't watch them. They are all utter utter rubbish.

Are you just assuming Rachel's baby dies? You may want to ask MN to put a spoiler warning in your thread title either way tbh.

The storyline that's really got to me lately is Lola and Lexi in EE.

I agree, it's horrible, but the shock factor is how they get people to watch.

Yeah Im assuming sorry.

Even the premature birth is unnecessary really.

I have stopped watching EE because of that storyline TidyDancer.

I havent watched Home and Away for weeks because I knew it was coming.

Now Emmerdale might be doing the same thing.

Donations to SIDS charities went up by loads when that storyline was aired.

It gives people a better understanding of some of the issues surrounding death in childhood.

It helps people talk about it so bereaved mothers don't feel like freaks because no-one ever tackles the issues that we face.

Lola and Lexi storyline is horrible. Plays on my insecurities about the SS, really uncomfortable to watch.

I don't rate Rachel's acting skills tonight!

I understand it needs to be talked about and if it raises awareness and donations thats really great.

But surely its also triggering for some people.

I think the flippant title of your post is pretty awful. Have a little sensitivity for those of us whose babies have died in real life. As you say, it does happen. I haven't thought about all the politics of how soaps use these storylines, and I have never watched them, but there are better ways of putting the question.

As chrismissy says, many bereaved mothers feel like freaks because our society has its head firmly stuck in the sand on death in childhood. 17 babies a day in the UK are stillborn or die in the neonatal period (first month), and obviously more do at a later a point though I don't have the stats on hand.

There's certainly a debate to be had on the ethics of how you show it and what role soaps should play in shaping public awareness of difficult issues. But why aren't you asking why anyone would 'want to watch this stuff' about most of the content of soaps -- domestic violence, fights, deaths of adults in accidents and so on. Why does this feel different to you, which it obviously does? I don't have the answers but it's not a joke topic.

They have plenty of warning beforehand in the press. Some of the babyloss sites put warnings on of impending storylines. Its a choice to watch it people will know what triggers them and can avoid it.

I'm finding it very difficult to continue watching EE at the moment. Lola's torment is heartbreaking. I really hope there is some kind of happy ending there. I know it's only a soap, but they should and do have a social responsibility. Scaring people about SS (etc) is not particularly kind.

I always wince a bit whenever there are bad storylines involving babies or children, it's upsetting.

Anyone know how many weeks early he is?

Quite, chrismissy. There's a whole catalogue of potentially triggering material in every soap. Those of us who are vulnerable have to do our best to avoid upsetting things, or just cope with it if we can't anticipate it. Like in the rest of life.

At what point did I make a joke?

If anything, my title is so blunt because thats how I feel the soaps are dealing with it. Bluntly. And actually quite badly IMO.

I havent lost a baby myself, but a very close friend has, and she said to me around the time of the EE storyline that she felt it was handled terribly.

As for Rocco in H+A, DP and I caught a bit of that and neither of us could sleep the few nights after because we kept checking on DD2.

Maybe I am overly sensitive due to her age.

And I guess IABU too.

I made the mistake of not switching Emmerdale over fast enough. I was in exactly the same position as Rachel eighteen years ago. My Jack was born at 26 weeks and survived for two hours.
Do we know that Rachels baby dies???

Sorry to hear that Lottie. :(

I dont know either way but I have a horrible feeling thats the way its going.

WTF are you expecting sympathy because a programme you chose to watch upset you and you lost a couple of nights sleep?

I haven't had more than a couple of hours sleep at a time for 11 years because my son died as I slept. I haven't been able to enjoy my youngest 2 properly because they could develop the genetic illness that my daughter died from.

You can switch off the TV I can't switch off my life. Neither can many of the other parents who have lost children. You are being remarkably insensitive.

It would probably be insensitive for me to say what I would like to say in response to that chrissy.

So I wont say anything.

And please tell me where it was that I asked for sympathy?

My god the baby isn't even dead, how insensitive are you! I lost a baby last year, he was too premature to survive. It raises awareness, people donate money and maybe one day those of us who have lost children won't have to feel like freaks who people avoid because they don't know how to deal with it.

As for Rocco in H+A, DP and I caught a bit of that and neither of us could sleep the few nights after because we kept checking on DD2.

Wasn't that supposed to trigger a sympathetic response no?

And as for your argument that your title was so blunt because thats how the soaps handle things, why would you be upset about the way such a sensitive issue is handled on a programme and then come online and do the same thing?