My friend said something really stupid and I didn't challenger her

[cyrilavery]

She is a bit of a natural birth evangelist because she had a quick easy Labour with her first baby.

She said she'd read that there has been a dramatic decrease in premature babies during covid, and this was because women know there is danger in the outside
World so they are holding onto their babies for as long as possible

I hadn't actually read that stat so I looked it up later and it's true but the possible explanations seem to be to do with women getting more rest and/or fewer infections during lockdowns.

I feel like an idiot that I didn't challenge her at the time. I just hope she doesn't repeat it to women who have had Prem babies.

I'm sure they'd set her right if she did.

There’s been an increase in stillbirths, too. Some of those babies should have been preterm.

I don't think it would worry them. Two of my children have SN and on occasion I've just lol'd at the theory put forward. It just shows how stupid people are.

If you've had a prem baby you would be extra interested in this and be reading the research.

I was interested in this, having had a very Prem baby. My suspicion is that fewer antenatal checkups etc mean that babies hospitals would normally deliver early due to complications are getting missed. Obviously sometimes this works out ok and baby is ok left in there, but the corresponding increase in stillbirths suggests that some should have been delivered early.

People are such idiots. A friend who had been trying for a baby and going through infertility treatment, albeit secretly, was devastated when at a dinner party with other friends and the man said, "I feel sorry for people who can't have children, but really, I think it's nature's way of just keeping the population down."

A man I worked with commented once that even though he was a 6ft tall white man and his wife was a tiny Asian woman, he was sure birth would be fine because, " women have been giving birth successfully for 1000s of years." I was completely gobsmacked. Particularly considering this came up in the context of him telling me she was at a special appointment that day as the baby was measuring quite large and the doctors were concerned!?

People are dicks. And they think their own experiences are the same for everyone. Overall, I'm not the type who thinks people need to completely censure everything they say in case it triggers someone, but I have zero time for people who are so completely in their bubble that they have no idea how things are for others.

Obviously sometimes this works out ok and baby is ok left in there, but the corresponding increase in stillbirths suggests that some should have been delivered early.

I didn't know about this re the stillbirths? That is awful to hear. How devastating.

I think this was actually true of WW2, the gestation period of women went up by a week or so. The thought was that their bodies weren’t “ready” to labour knowing that the world wasn’t completely safe

Siobhan Miller talks about it in the positive birth company hypnobirthing thing

Maybe your friend has watched that and then got her wires crossed a bit?

Starting point ?

www.independent.co.uk/health_and_wellbeing/premature-births-coronavirus-lockdown-hospitals-pregnancy-a9634556.html

You can’t dent that kind of stupid. Nothing you say will have an effect. She’ll probably be an anti-vaxxer soon, if she isn’t already.

People will say the daftest things about pregnancy/childbirth...
Good for you to care, but you can't correct them all.

IMO, the overall "natural birth evangelist" thing (and the black and white beliefs it entails: Nature = Good, Medicine = Bad) is more problematic than this one-off comment about preterm babies. Am sure sooner or later, you'll get a chance to correct her about something else

IMO, the overall "natural birth evangelist" thing (and the black and white beliefs it entails: Nature = Good, Medicine = Bad) is more problematic than this one-off comment about preterm babies. Am sure sooner or later, you'll get a chance to correct her about something else

this is definitely true. People like that will soon be spouting off about how interventions are never necessary, women don't need pre-natal care because their bodies know what to do, solo birthing etc.... YOu'll have plenty of opportunity. Just arm yourself with a few statistics and wait.

It’s an interesting theory... I remember reading some report on women giving birth in dangerous circumstances (ie during a wartime attack) and birth would really slow down - it’s also not common for women to be admitted to hospital in full flow, the have birth slow right down as soon as they reach the hospital (white coat let syndrome). This happens in horses too. It’s a fear mechanism kicking in - get to safety and all that. Not heard of if with regards to something like a pandemic. Otherwise all the babies born in bomb target cities in the U.K. during WW2 would have been overdue surely?

Had I heard that shit I'd have ripped her a new one-I had my son ten weeks early due to circumstances beyond my control. I hate how some women become such smug bitches when they become new mothers absolutely insufferable

(Not that horses get admitted to hospitals to have their foals...)

I had a premature baby followed by an elective c section and to be honest the fact that she’s evangelical about a natural birth would make realise she’s got problematic views anyway.
However for a lot of women who have their babies early they struggle with guilt despite having no responsibility for it so I do hope she doesn’t say that around a mum who is struggling

Mums do what’s best for them and their babies. Having a ‘natural birth’ isn’t a straightforward choice in most cases.

@SerenityNowwwww

(Not that horses get admitted to hospitals to have their foals...)

They're gonna need bigger beds.

And bigger nappies...

I'm not sure I understand. Has there been proof that there aren't so many premature births due to COVID, or not?

One hospital reported a 75% reduction in premature births. it has been suggested that maternity leave should start earlier.

How did they calculate that I wonder and if it was compared against same time period last year? How do they define ‘premature’ as very few babies make an appearance on the ‘due date’ (4%?) so technically most babies are premature or overdue.

@SerenityNowwwww Premature babies are born before 37 weeks gestation

@cyrilavery

She is a bit of a natural birth evangelist because she had a quick easy Labour with her first baby.

She said she'd read that there has been a dramatic decrease in premature babies during covid, and this was because women know there is danger in the outside
World so they are holding onto their babies for as long as possible

I hadn't actually read that stat so I looked it up later and it's true but the possible explanations seem to be to do with women getting more rest and/or fewer infections during lockdowns.

I feel like an idiot that I didn't challenge her at the time. I just hope she doesn't repeat it to women who have had Prem babies.

There has been an increase in stillbirths.

What the actual fuck! She is a dick and she wouldn't be my friend anymore if she'd said it to me. I've had 2 premature babies that I definitely wanted to keep in for as long as possible! I can't believe someone could be so so stupid.
Does she honestly think I wanted to wait hours to even see my baby after birth let alone hold him? I waited two days to hold my first and five days to hold my second. To be told that your tiny baby isn't breathing so they're sticking a big tube down his throat? To have to leave them in hospital for weeks every night?
Show her this and then see what she says!!

@ArriettyJones and @Kaiserin exactly my thoughts. She’ll likely be spouting anti-vax bullshit to you soon @cyrilavery. Avoid as much as possible.