BBC3 - "Dawn gets a baby"

[lihaze]

Anyone watching this at the moment?
What an annoying woman presenting.

dh said that he knew it must really hurt because i wasn't swearing...

There was a mirror at the end of the bed when I had DD1, covered by a curtain. When the head appeared, the midwife drew back the curtain so I could see the head. Bleurgh! No thanks! (Don't think I could see past my stomach at this point anyway!)

Awwww, that Dawn Porter thing brought it all back. But the screeching did put me offf a bit - I'm obviously a bit repressed!

I was exactly the same Aitch. I was scared I was going to F and blind but I just managed loud and low guttural groans!
I thought the programme was quite funny and reminded me how I felt going through it all first time - she needed a bloody good hairbrush though. Who is she anyway?

It did really annoy me at first how naive the presenter was - but then I suppose if you've never been pregnant you are clueless. She got there in the end and I enjoyed the programme.

I was glad the second woman was shown giving birth because the first woman scared the sh*t out of me! She just seemed to be in so much pain, but the second woman was managing it so much better. It's a shame they didn't tell us more about how the two women had prepared for the birth eg books they read, classes they went to. It seems the second woman maybe coped better cos she had prepared better (she seemed a bit earth mother-y to me!) but it wasn't clear.

My best mate is naive with a lot of things, probably just as naive as Dawn when it comes to babies and childbirth etc, but there's naive and just downright dumb tbh.

I haven't seen any of ehr other shows so did wonder if the giggly nature of it was just nerves and embarrassment?

Neenz - it might well have been luck. It does help to not panic and to remember to breathe etc., but most of the pain in birth is due to personal thresholds and the position of the baby. Sorry, but it's a bit of a bug-bear of mine that people associate difficult labour with a badly-prepared mother as though it's a concrete corrolation.

I don't think there is anything wrong with screaming and shouting in labour though, if that's what gets you through. I "managed" really well with my second two births at home with no pain relief. I felt in control etc but just screamed and moaned a lot, because that's what got me through. It probably looked and sounded a lot worse to other people than it felt to me.

naive and dumb is dawn's schtick. we can but hope that it will force her to retire early from our screens as the thought of seeing her pull that 'i'm just concerned about my fanny hole' act until she's in her forties is disturbing.

I know I'm in the minority but I really like Dawn and really enjoy her programmes. She is always really honest. I didn't know anything about childbirth before I got pregnant. I was just as naive as her.

I liked the programme and I think that both of the women they showed were very lucky to have had such easy and wonderful births. All of my friends have ended up with all sorts of interventions.

I absolutely loved it when the second woman shouted 'It's a baby ! Look what we made !'. Totally brilliant and genuine too.

No worries MrsTittle! That is why it would have been good to see both their preparations - to see if that was what made the difference. I have yet to give birth so I wouldn't know. The first woman looked like she was in the sort of pain I wouldn't have been able to deal with - I am hoping my preparations mean I won't suffer like her.

Neenzandhertwinbeans, I'm afraid that childbirth is mostly down to luck. THere is not much you can do to prepare that will guarantee an easy delivery.

I second that Rochwen! Gosh wouldn't it be great if you could guarantee a perfect birth with a bit of breathing, yoga and some "how to ..." books... bliss. I was in absolute writhing agony but am quite proud of myself for coping. You forget!

Is this the same one that was on the other night - Dawn Porter 'The Truth about Childbirth'?

If so - I was shouting at the TV by the end, when she was sat in with that mum having a waterbirth.

It was the expression of fear and disgust on Dawn Porter's face. I was shouting - 'take your adrenaline out of that woman's birthing room you silly, prissy moo'!

But she probably would have had trouble walking because her buttocks were clenched so tightly.......

Neenz - I think you'll probably be surprised at what you can cope with. I am no fan of pain, but I managed without pain relief for a very long time. In fact, that was what the problem was with my delivery - I was very unlucky and my DD was OP and didn't turn, despite a great MW and an active labour. It ended up going on for much longer than is normal and I was exhausted. Funnily enough, DH suggested pethidine and it was just what I needed, I was knocked out for 40 minutes and when I came to I was rested enough to deal with transition and 2 hours of pushing.

Don't worry Rochwen, I like Dawn as well, and I can't stand most presenters. I wouldn't have known any of it either this time last year.

I didn't think there was anything much wrong with the first woman's birth, TBH -- she was just a moaner/screamer. She seemed to be coping pretty well.