To not want the BBC to film women giving birth?

[SwedishHouseMat]

I don't see why the BBC should waste my TV license on filming women in childbirth for the next series of " The Midwives".

Childbirth is not new or groundbreaking. We will not be educated. We won't see anything we haven't seen before on countless other "fly on the wall" documentaries.

I don't understand why anyone would think watching a women give birth is entertainment.

I love a good birth tbh.

I'm torn on this.

Birth is not and shouldn't be a spectator sport. It is an intensely private time when a woman should be with people she trusts and loves and not worrying about cameras and strangers and judgements.

On the other hand, women arie so isolated now, living apart from mothers, sisters and aunts gibvping birth and breastfeeding, so they are missing a huge educational, role-model thing. So TV births, if tactful and sensitive and realistic can fill that gap a bit.

But only if it is real. Not all desperate, emergency, screaming, partners acting like arses, stoereotypes and medical births with holding breath and chin on chest and lying on beds.

Learning more about childbirth before I did it myself was probably the most important education I've ever had - though in my case was from ante-natal classes and books because I'm an old gimmer and it was pre OBEM days and the like. So, YABU.

Football though, and most sport - definitely too much of that !

I don't like watching people giving birth in reality TV programmes. But a lot of people do and others want to be filmed giving birth. Fair enough if that's what they want. There's plenty of other options to entertain you.

I think they should just scrap it all and have 24hour Luther, but that's probably why I'm not in charge at the BBC that would however (in my opinion) make the license fee worth paying

They wanted to film my best friend for the previous series of the midwife.
All her family were trying to talk her into it she was having non of it lol. She would have been mortified, especially as she turned into a looney tune on the morphine!

Birth programmes are important to counteract the normal way they are portrayed in the media. I thought for years that birth was always heralded by an explosive breaking of waters followed by a mad dash to a hospital.

I didn't realise that waters may not actually break until the baby was born (in my case with DS). It also was useful to see what may go wrong and the interventions available.

I also love the moment the parents see their newborn for the first time. Makes me cry and while pregnant gave me hope that I could get through it and it would be worth it.

Gosh, people are being very rude to OP. Watching a woman giving birth is not the same as Eastenders or cricket.

I agree with her. But I just think its a gross intrusion. There seem to be no boundaries in public life any more. It is a deeply private occasion in my view. Unless you have some medical interest, pointless and voyeuristic to watch.

I'm not sure graphic childbirth is appropriate for family hours television. However, I saw a Lamaze film about birth at fourteen. Every thirteen year old should see that film at school, as it clearly shows the consequences of sex. It made me and my peers at a private girls' school wait much longer than we might have otherwise.

To be fair, I genuinely don't get why OBEM and the other birth programmes are so, so popular. I watched a couple of OBEM episodes when pregnant, and all I could think was 'I am watching an actual person in pain'. Also 'Why on earth would you want to be filmed while in pain?'

Clearly a lot of people do find it entertaining, and enough people want to be filmed giving birth, but I am a reasonably imaginative person and I still cannot fathom either position. Mind you, I cannot fathom cricket or Top Gear either. My perfect BBC would consist of baroque music concerts and reruns of Falcon Crest.

The women who are record will all be aware of what they are agreeing to and have given consent so from that point of view I can't see how people can have a problem. I would also assume they have the right to withdraw during or after filming if things don't go quite to plan. Watching about childbirth and some of the more behind the scenes aspects of midwifery can certainly be educational though!

I would know what the OP believes should be allowed on the BBC though?

Looks like a white wash OP...

YABU. I'm pregnant and currently obsessed with anything involving pregnancy and birth because I've not done it before. Yes the BBC broadcasts shows I don't like too, but chances are they cater for someone.

I was educated while watching OBEM. Being as I was pregnant with my first, had not been through labour or any of the procedures before and I'd never seen anyone give birth before.

It honestly helped me out massively knowing generally what to expect.

YABU.

Oh well, it's just me and a couple of Mnetters who agree. Looks like IBU

you can switch off.

childbirth needs to be shown, discussed and main stream to educate and improve services to women.

cervix, in the context, reading your post of 19.18 makes me wince. Seriously.

Like OBEM. Mostly the births on thst are crap. Women sbsnfoned and scared on their own until someone hits an emergency bell. Loads of bad practices.

It's not like that in real life mostly. Honest.

But watching someone labouring along gor hours would make boring TV. So they show the dramatic bits.

And thats why do many women are surprised to find out that normal labour does go on for hours and hours.

Ah LRD. Torn. Whoops

It's fine. I'm just going to sit here tensing up. I'm sure it's very good for my pelvic floor.

I do think OBEM was better earlier because it showed more bits of people hanging around. Plus there's the MN discussion.

I want the BBC to stop spending MY licence fee on shitty unfunny sitcoms.

I'm not that arsed really. I think OBEM already has this subject covered, but I guess the BBC wants a slice of that whole painful screaming cake. Meh.

I want to watch it - purely because it was being filmed when I was giving birth and all the women I know from baby classes had horrific births there. (I wasn't filmed).

I'd love to know how it all comes across on tv with the clever editing, and if they have any straightforward births in that hospital AND I'm hoping I get to find out the name of the one midwife (out of six) that actually put me at ease, for future reference ;)

call the bleeding midwife bores the pants off me too op as does most of bbc ones sunday offerings. bbcfour sometimes makes up for it but lately that's been dull too.

i like shows about childbirth as i am interested in all of that,would like to be a midwife one day and have done it a few times myself!

Not mad on obem but i liked the one about home births last year (or was it this year?)and i like the midwives.