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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Does anyone else get pissed off by the way in which childbirth is portrayed on the TV?

60 replies

MissJoanHunterDunn · 21/06/2007 20:12

Or can anyone vouch for having had a birth just like Dawn's on Eastenders - i.e. on your back with legs akimbo?

I mean, fair enough if you have had an epidural or a medical ailment (like SPD) but does anyone else think that the portrayal of childbirth on the TV has become grossly antiquated and TV producers need to become a little more up to date?

OP posts:

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bookwormmum · 21/06/2007 21:25

I didn't see it but much to my dismay, I wasn't allowed to crouch so it was legs akimbo for me too. My birth partner (my mum) didn't have to wear a mask though and certainly didn't look up my nethers!

bookwormmum · 21/06/2007 21:29

Btw I didn't like pushing as it hurt like f*ck and as a result of my basically opting out of the whole procedure my dd did go into temporary distress until I got a grip on myself (as well as the ones all over me by the birthing team . I likened it (and still do) as pushing being asked to bite down on an abcessed tooth). I thought I was going to split open.

mummypigoink · 21/06/2007 21:34

i liked the 'coupling' birth. as unrealistic as the rest of them, but god was it funny!

and eastenders have been getting loads of complaints about content recently ~ i don't think splicing desperate midwives into it would help on that front

themildmanneredjanitor · 21/06/2007 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

divastrop · 21/06/2007 22:23

when,erm,whatever her name was(married to ian beale,got preg after he had the snip),was pergnant with Bobby,they did that in real time,as i was expecting my ds2 at the same time.she even had her 20 week scan about 2 days after me,and she gave birth the night after i had ds2.and i called ds2 'robbie'
my ds2,however,isnt in 24 hour childcare

maybe the pushing thing is different with the drip then?

Eddas · 21/06/2007 22:37

Mine were laying down dd because of epi but ds because i thought i had too because machine was monitoring us. Found out at the end i could have moved anywho, i actually thought dawns on ee was more realistic than most. PMSL when baby was handed too her so quickly all clean and wrapped up though

And she called her bits a twinkle so much better than watching any american tv births, soooooooo unrealistic. 'my waters have broken' , 'right off to hopsital'

tutu100 · 21/06/2007 22:49

Jackie Corkhill gave birth on all 4's in Brookside. I remember being very shocked by that (think I was only about 15 at the time). Also she looked very sweaty and hot and was shouting alot. Guess that was a bit more realistic.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 21/06/2007 22:54

There have been a lot worse portrayals than Dawn's I think. Hers was quite similar to my ds2 even down to the singing! My Gp was quite sane too.

They never show the poo moments though do they?

RGPargy · 22/06/2007 11:03

I was flat on my back with my DS1 too.

Klaw · 22/06/2007 12:34

Don't get me started!!!!!

Seriously though, I thought it was fairly good in that Dawn did labour in various positions and was scared, talking tosh etc. Carly would have been sent packing at the first time she opened her mouth! I did like the sideways look the mw shot at her when she started singing again.

It's been one of the better birth portrayals in recent times, and given that Dawn said she'd not been to ante-natal classes I would not expect her to be strongly opinionated about a natural birth, with positioning etc.

What we need to see is a few more characters who research and plan a normal natural home water birth so we can dispel the myth that all births are traumatic and give women the confidence that birth is not an illness!!

BabyMadandBIGbump · 22/06/2007 14:48

Why did they go to the trouble of showing us a so called "cord" but when they check the bump for a HB they did it under the covers?

lissie · 22/06/2007 14:53

laughed at her throwing up and pooing/farting tho, at least that was realistic!

MarsLady · 22/06/2007 14:54

I spend a lot of time telling people to ignore media images of birth and the picture perfect afterwards.

dinosaur · 22/06/2007 15:05

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

lissie · 22/06/2007 15:09

anyone else think that rachel in friends would have had an emergency section after being in full labour 72hrs?

flightattendant · 22/06/2007 16:18

The pushing thing was a bit odd, I think the second stage was really keyed down...wouldn't have made good family viewing if it had been like mine! but the rest was pretty good, took me back 9 days to DS2's birth...I liked the way her and the midwives interacted. She did the pain very well.
The bit where she said, 'oh no...oh nooooooo!!!!!' was identical to me, I kept saying that, 'not another one, I can't do this' etc. Actually there was a lot very similar to my labour.

Wasn't on a bed though, I think it would have been harder, I was kneeling on my heels next to the bed and they kept trying to get me to straighten my legs so they could see anything which was nearly impossible.

I thought it was good for a soap.

Noodlekitty · 23/06/2007 23:19

Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly hadquite a good birth, for all it was one of the funniest programmes I have ever seen. Homebirth on all fours. Gary yelling in the background, completely pissed. Perhaps not the best example for expectant fathers...lol.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 23/06/2007 23:21

I like it when they hand the new mother a baby that is obviously a few months old.

expatinscotland · 23/06/2007 23:24

I thought the EE was more realistic than most births you see on TV. She boaked in her bag and apparently let one rip in the tube.

I was the same when I was sucking on the G&A w/DD1.

Also did NOT want to push anymore w/DD2.

Dawn's character is about 20 years old.

I was NO spring chicken when I had mine, and tbh, I think that might have made a serious difference.

Twinklemegan · 23/06/2007 23:56

"And she called her bits a twinkle"

suzi2 · 24/06/2007 15:25

was on my back with DS as they were monitoring him. With DD I started on my back after the mw broke my waters in that position but quickly realised it was rubbish and I didn't have to do it that way.

Diva, I didn't have the urge to push with either of mine. I just pushed as I was told I was ready to go. With DS it took 2 hours (probably due to being on back the whole time) but with DD it was 6 mins.

I thought EE was humourous at least. Nice that it wasn't glammed up. Although I think it maybe went a bit far the other way.

VERY impressed that she mentioned baby latching on well for a feed afterwards. I wonder if we'll see an EE baby being successfully breastfed?

Loopymumsy · 24/06/2007 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

gybegirl · 24/06/2007 22:19

After 30 hours of contractions (that'd take up a fair few episodes of Enders) I was finally pushing out DD on gas and air and I did the whole grunting thing - well I'd seen it just like that on TV hadn't I? Anyhow my midwife the piped up with "what are you making that noise for - it's really annoying me and won't help you" One (fairly quiet - bar the occasional swearing) hour later arrived my gorgeous baby. Midwife got a bottle of champagne - she was brilliant.

ratfly · 24/06/2007 22:42

sky in neighbours got pregnant when I was 4 months gone.
her kid was born at the same time as mine (cos I missed it cos I was in hospital - how sad am i?). So, she is 4 months premature.
I will be watching her development closely, since she is the same as as ds...

expatinscotland · 24/06/2007 22:43

I've been referring to my lulu as a 'twinkle', these days .

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