I need to stop watching programs about childbirth

[CryingGivesMeAHeadache]

watching programs about childbirth and babies such as the new bbc one show the midwives or OBEM.

They both terrify and fascinate me being a first time mum. I usually end up in floods of tears and worried about my own impending labour.

is it just me who does this to myself, or any of you lot like to torture yourself too?

I watch them and love them! I feel it's gearing me up for labour (never done it before so don't know what it's like), and the best part is when the parents get to see their new squishy baby and the total love on their faces. I just love it :)

I love them too but when they show things going wrong it really upsets me. It takes away a bit of the fear that I haven't a clue what labour will be like.

When things go wrong I find that I take comfort from knowing what could go wrong, if you see what I mean? Makes me feel like if I know what could go wrong, I have more control over it.

I have been watching them and I am getting very nervous, I just can't turn them off tho. They make me very emotional and I always end up crying!! Xx

I have watched a few now I'm near the end (38 weeks) but was to emotional / scared before. I agree with DaleyBump that it can be sort of reassuring even when things go wrong or look painful - they generally are shown looking happy with their new baby afterwards.

The room for families with babies that died on The Midwives was sad though - but I was still impressed that level of care was on offer.

My DH on the other hand find any birth show really scary and sits clutching his face. But I still think it is good he's knows what we're getting into.

It's good to remind yourself that the vast majority of the births on both of these programs are mainly high risk cases - they are far more exciting to watch than a normal boring birth.

Most births in the UK are not high risk and won't be as scary and traumatic as the ones on TV.

Educate yourself on what can go wrong, so you can keep calm if anything does, but also educate yourself on the statistical chances of these things going wrong. You'll find, as I have, that for most women birth is pretty straightforward and horror free.

I haven't seen the midwives yet (although I'm totally putting it on after typing this ). Unfortunately I have problems with anxiety already so I've always been pretty nervous about childbirth (first time for me too!) but I take comfort watching OBEM because I feel it prepares me to an extent. I too end up all emotional by the end, I love seeing them being passed their little babies, I just think if i can be that happy for strangers on TV I can't wait for it to be me holding my little boy in November!

oh goshchillis don't watch the midwives. I was proper ugly crying at it. that room where the dead babies go is lovely but my gosh it upset me thinking about people who have lost their babies.

I guess it's good to educate yourself on the worst possible scenarios so you feel a bit more in control if it does happen.

I love watching baby er. The problems on that give me the frightners but stillvwatch it its good to know what might happen and then know the baby stillvis heqlthy after it. X

I stopped watching OBEM after about 25 weeks - couldn't dwell on it too much!

Weirdly I'm glad I watched it though, because I'd unconsciously picked up that the women who do what the midwives say generally get through labour better than those who don't (eg when to push). In my foggy gas and air brain during labour I remembered that and, though my instinct was telling me otherwise, it encouraged me to just trust them.

The Midwives made me cry the other day though, all the memories of being in hospital came flooding back - the incredible pain and then the crazy happy high I was on when leaving hospital was a lot of emotions to go through in just a few days. Three months on I still haven't processed it all!

I watched the midwives program and won't be watching it again. I woke up so many times in the night having dreams about labour. I've decided what ever is going to happen in my labour is going to happen. There's not much I can do to alter it so no point in worrying myself about what 'might' happen. As much as it intrigues me I have to stop myself!

Before I was pregnaant I used to love watching OBEM and think I'd love to experience that, labour looks amazing. However now I am preg with first baby, I feel a bit nervous. I watched the new midwives programme and suddenly I'm terrified and I keep thinking 'god, how can I do this' . I'm not a fool, I know its going to be painful but I think because in january its gonna be a reality for me its suddenly quite daunting x

i love them all lol im nearly 30 weeks now with dc3 and actually really excited about the birth i liked the midwives program cant wait to see it again need more baby programs on tv like it

I have watched loads of these before I was pg, but watched the Midwives one yesterday for the first time since being pg, with little one wriggling around inside, and found myself on the sofa my mind all blown going "they were inside...and now they are outside...they were inside her body....and now they are outside in the real world forever' and sobbing gently...I just couldn't get my head round it at all.

I watch them and look at how people are acting and promise myself im not goiong to show myself up like some of them lol. Finers crossed i dont anyway as i would be horrifically embarrassed if i screamed and shouted and swor and got told off by the midwife like a lady las week. I have old my other half he is allowed to slap me if i missbehave lol. But i tend to shut up when i am hurt so im hoping that i will just get quiet and ignore people... Finges crossed anyway lol