Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Has anyone had their birth filmed?

14 replies

DitaVonCheese · 26/05/2011 23:42

We are having a doula for the birth of DC2 and one of the things she does is takes lots of photos, which I'm quite pleased about as the only photos we have of DD immediately post-labour are very blurry close-ups due to DH being a bit overwhelmed at the time. My camera also has a video function so I was wondering about asking her to take a few short clips on that as well (nothing too graphic!). I've just read Birthing From Within though and she suggests waiting at least a year before watching any film footage of your labour and possibly never watching it. I know that I won't have the patience to abide by either of those suggestions! Has anyone had any film taken and did you watch it, and if so, do you regret or recommend it?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Arcadie · 27/05/2011 21:14

Unbeknownst to me my friend was videoing DS1 (1st birth) as he came out. I watched it the next day. I LOVED watching it, it really helped me to make sense of what was going on "down there". I'd watch it every day as I was so damn proud of what my body managed to do. (Disclaimer - I'm clearly a bit of an earth mother!)

unfitmother · 27/05/2011 21:19

That would have been nice as I had a GA and EMCS for two of them!

ajandjjmum · 27/05/2011 21:21

Flippin' heck Arcadie - I'm glad I don't have friends like that! Grin

Glad you are happy with it though.

YouCantTeuchThis · 27/05/2011 21:24

I would pay one million dollahs to watch my births now...

I would pay two million dollahs to not let anyone else see that footage! Grin

I don't have any footage, but I would love to have the option.

fannybaws · 27/05/2011 21:30

Yes we videod Ds4 being born in birthing pool, it was a fixed camera and you cant see anything below the water. I love it, it was a really rapid birth that the midwife almost missed and the video really captures the excitement of it all.
Ds1 must have been just outside the door listening as he is in the room about 5 seconds after the birth Smile

Arcadie · 27/05/2011 21:38

DH had cleared it with her.... I'm REALLY glad he did. Although I'm equally glad I didn't know at the time!

Imnotaslimjim · 27/05/2011 21:46

My friend had hers filmed by her husband, in the hospital! He was filming the business end and the MW kept chasing him away. My poor friend had to tell the MW, between pushes, that he had permission to do it!

She let me watch it the other day (I'm fascinated with births) and it was incredible!

Original poster
DitaVonCheese · 27/05/2011 21:47

Thanks for the replies - surprisingly positive, thought I'd be flamed as a lunatic!

OP posts:
Sparklies · 27/05/2011 23:05

I wanted our ELCS filmed, but they (it was the decision of the individual consultant, the hospital had no policy) said we could only film once the baby was out. But they let DH take plenty of photos, including of DS emerging. It's surprisingly ungory because my bump was in the way so you see no internals. And we have wonderful photos of him being pulled out and seconds old as a result, and video from that moment on. Something we'll always treasure even if DS is not impressed when he's older!

1944girl · 27/05/2011 23:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sausagerolemodel · 28/05/2011 00:05

Do you think anyone would pay to have their birth filmed and made into a nice memento (like a wedding video - can you imagine?!) #justaskin' Grin

Charleymouse · 28/05/2011 00:16

After DD1 I wished I had as the memory fades so fast.
After DT1 and DT2 (emergency section) I wished I had as DT2 was pulled out in his bag of waters. I would have loved to have seen that and I would have had no screen up if DH had not been with me. (I wanted to see he didn't).

So for DD2 DH put the video camera the other side of the room to me, (no close ups). I watched it the day after to see what it was like and cried cos I am a soppy git and have since watched it with DD1 who was interested and wanted to be there if she could.

The birth was a homebirth and you can see me getting on with things and DH pacing behind the sofa, tis quite amusing.

Go for it, I recommend it, it is a wonderful thing to look at.

Original poster
DitaVonCheese · 28/05/2011 18:50

Thanks again for the positive replies (and apologies if this has stirred up any bad memories for anyone).

sausagerolemodel I actually work for a wedding video company and am sooo tempted to get them involved, I think they'd love it. It's my brother's company (and all the cameramen are blokes) though so might be a bit weird! I think they'd do something fab with the footage though - this is a short film they made recently while on R&R between weddings in Italy, hopefully won't fall foul of MN's advertising policy.

Also quite love wedding style birth photography Blush - this kind of thing. My cousin is fairly handy with a camera and would love to witness a birth so perhaps I should see if she's around ... Going to end up with a media circus at this rate Wink

OP posts:
sausagerolemodel · 30/05/2011 23:03

I really like the reportage style pictures too. (nice short film btw)

I'm also a film-maker currently "in residence" at a teaching hospital/medical school in London. Had also been toying with this idea for a while Grin. BUT lots of potential pitfalls (i.e. if it all goes horribly wrong or if the labour ended up going on for 3 days it wld cost a fortune in manpower/equipment)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread