New C4 prog: One Born Every Minute

[tabouleh]

Anyone planning to watch the new C4 programme "One Born Every Minute?".

It's a documentary set in the Princess Anne Maternity hospital in Southampton and it starts next Tuesday.

There's loads of video interviews etc on their website.

I agree with Fanjolinajolie, that THUMP ....THUMP.....THUMP heartbeat would have been enough for me to push an elephant out, the midwife needed to get through to Tracy what the situation was, dont forget she was in the fog of the effects of G&A, and the grip of childbirth!

Personally, I would welcome a slap on the face and bloody good rollicking if the circumstances needed it!

think about it from the MW's point of view though, she has to make sure the baby is in good health too, not just the mother. she is under a lot of pressure to make sure they are both well by the end of it.

I don't envy the responsibility they have. It must be v stressful and I can understand why they can speak to women in abrupt tones at times.

Exactly lovechoc the mother was in pain, but no danger herself. The baby was in distress and needed get out urgently.

Midwives do need to sometimes be direct/stern to get the mother to focus on pushing the baby out. But I honestly don't think that midwife was abrupt, just direct without scaring the mother.

I was in awe of the midwives on the program as well as the ones who I laboured with. They are fantastic!

"it was a potentially dangerous situation. If Tracey hadn't pushed thw baby out immediately she'd have ended up with worse episiotomy and forceps/ventouse"

Amazing how many women end up in this 'potentially dangerous situation' in hospital really. Very much wonder how much of it is avoidable.

I remember a friend telling me about her labour. She'd been labouring standing up. Midwife said she couldn't examine her unless she lay on her back, so on her back she got. Once there the midwife discouraged her from moving - easier for her to see what was going on. Midwife told her to do Valsalva pushing to hurry birth as 'baby might be getting tired' (valsalva pushing involves prolonged breath holding and is generally discouraged now, but lots of old-fashioned midwives still tell mums to do it) Heart rate started dipping, not unexpected giving that the mum was pushing the baby uphill and depriving it of oxygen at the same time (btw - some decelerations of heart rate are NORMAL in second stage). Midwife gave mum an episiotomy to speed things up, and baby was born.

Mum's episiotomy got infected and was very painful healing.

My friend told me all this in a 'wasn't the midwife brilliant - she saved my baby's life' way. I nearly bit my tongue off.

Mumabee, sometimes you need the midwife to tell you off to give you that extra push to get the baby out - and being spoken to "a bit funny" is a damned sight better than having forceps

If my DH hadn't been very forthright about me getting dressed and going to the hospital (I was, unbeknown to me, in such advanced labour I was in no mood to go anywhere) I would have had an unassisted birth on the bathroom floor - I needed someone to take control of me because at that point I couldn't.

Standanddeliver Never hear the term Valsalva - but that is exaclt what my MW made me do- take a deep breat, hold it and use the force of it to push against. I can't now imagine doing it differently - what else do you do. I can't visualise how breathing normally through pushing works....

Fanjolina (BTW your name has become legendary in our house...) The thump of that babies heartbeat was, as you say, terrifying. I was convinced I was hearing Mum's heartbeat... figured it couldn't possibly be babies.

and mumabee The majority of women are in a LOT of pain in labour, but it honestly isn't something you should be frightened of. It's a pain you can focus on and breathe through - esp with G&A.

IME the 2 people who've seen me give birth (one in the flesh and one on video - weird I know) saw me calm, serene and silent. In my head it hurt like NOTHING else on earth but because I focussed on the breathing (a bit like hypnobirthing) I internalised it and conserved my energy. Unfortunately said 2 women then went on to assume that it couldn't have hurt too badly and were totally terrified when their labours were very painful. They figured something must be wrong with the baby because it didn't feel how I looked. I feel v and v guilty with both of them that I'd given them the wrong impression and caused them to have unrealistic expectations. It will hurt. A lot. But it will be ok and there are drugs. And they are good.

I've given birth at Southampton twice on two different labour wards and they are both very different.

The programme last night was filmed on the labour ward which is where the birth tend to be quite medicalised. Normally you give birth there if you or the baby have health problems, if you want an epidural or if the baby needs to be monitored. So I think the midwives operate a bit differently to how they do in the birthing unit.

Upstairs they have a birthing unit which is more relaxed. You are encouraged to move around, they have two birthing pools and pain relief tends to be just gas and air or pethedine.

I have had two very different births on both wards. But all the midwives were very supportive. The hospital is quite run down in places, but if you have to go into special care you find that money is well spent in areas where it is really needed, so the rooms maybe a bit depressing but if your baby needs specialised care they have the equipment.

arcadie the only good drug goes into your back

i have been told that i need to have my mouth shut to push (not in a rude way) wonder if that is valsalva

i thought the midwife rubbish but (not wanting to sound critical) but I do as i am told during labour - Tracy didn't....

i have given birth a few times but a midwife will have seen hundreds or thousands - if she says sit up -I'd sit up

POint taken notanotter I found G&A worked well enough but I had shortish labours. It's very possible that were I still in that much pain 10 or 11 or 25 hours later I'd have a very different opinion.

"I can't now imagine doing it differently - what else do you do. I can't visualise how breathing normally through pushing works...."

Most mums will hold their breath and push. The thing is that if a mum does it spontaneously her second stage is likely to be shorter and her baby is more likely to be born in good condition than if the midwife directs her to hold her breath and tells her how and when to push.....

(I appreciate occasionally directed pushing is exactly what's needed but usually it's not!)

"i have given birth a few times but a midwife will have seen hundreds or thousands - if she says sit up -I'd sit up"

I've learned from long experience that sometimes - often - the midwife knows less about what you need to do to get your baby out than you do. The Royal College of Midwives have been running a 'normal birth' campaign to promote practices among midwives that are more likely to result in a normal birth. Two of the 10 'top tips' are 'get her off the bed' and 'listen to her'. I really wish they would drum these things into the midwives at our local CLU - many of who seem want nothing more than to get you to shut up and lay quietly on the bed, so they can get on with writing up their notes.

OK - thanks S&D I needed telling what to do first time round but with 2nd labour pushing just happened better if I pushed against the lungful of air.

I watched this programme with interest and will be watching the rest of the series.

I am 18 weeks pregnant with my 3rd and I had conveniently forgotten that I have to give birth at the end of all this pregnancy lark. Until I watched this damn programme.

Both my labours have been straightforward and quick - both under 2 hours, both pushing stage for less than 20 minutes (1 induced, 1 spontaneous) however watching this has made me panic somewhat about coping when the time comes - especially if this labour turns out to be a long, arduous affair.

Of the programme, I would have liked to have known more about the babies born - weight etc...and about how Tracy and Lisa were after the births - perhaps when going home. It would have made for a more complete programme and more real.

Pruneplus 2 - I got the impression that we will find out more in the next program - also have a look on the website it is very good and gives some extra bits on the families.

standanddeliver so essentially the midwife DID know best as she tried to get tracy to sit on all fours...

"as she tried to get tracy to sit on all fours... "

when she said 'sit on all fours now' and tracy said 'i can't'

She didn't try very hard to persuade her though did she? Or try to rope the husband in to help?

Easier to reach for the scissors I suppose.

yes i was shocked at that!

Better than forceps or ventouse, though seeing as though it had come to that. The baby was in distress at that moment.

My best labour position for DD2 was lying down on my side with the upside leg up in the air supported by this big swag of material suspended from the ceiling (this was in Germany). I was fully dilated but didn't really have an urge to push, have to idea why. MW said if you don't feel the urge, don't push. So DD2 kind-of got herself born on contractions alone with no real pushes. Was quite odd. And I had no pain relief, no G£A, nothing so I was 100% 'there' mentally and not zoned out at all. I do remember asking MW to come down to my face and I said to her 'I promise to do everything you say please do not let me tear' in a deadly serious wild-eyed crazed manner.

Interesting story Fanjolina (love your user name btw!)

There's an article somewhere called 'Birth Without Active Pushing' by Jean Sutton. Can't locate the full text version of it. Good article.

The version of hypno that I used in Oz talked about not actively pushing. However, when the time came my body told me to do it, it wasn't something that I could have resisted if I tried and since it had done such a good job so far, I didn't try.

I actually was sitting up when I gave birth but was free to find whatever worked for me, the full lying down way doesn't look great because that would mean you also have to push "up" wouldn't it?