Why did I watch One Born Every Minute?

[ILikeSalmon]

2 weeks to go.
Bored.
I know I'll watch an episode of One Born Every Minute.
OMG WHY did I do that???

Now I'm shitting myself about the birth. The two women featured were screaming in pain and having a tough time.

I've already had two kids and I remember the excruciating pain.
I've got to do this again very soon.

Eeeeekkkkk!!!!!

Tip: if you're close to the end don't watch it.

I love that but am definitely avoiding it.

Recording call the midwife too. I have been so tempted to watch it as I love it but will take your advice and stay clear!

I think they probably air the more "interesting" births as those are the ones that attract viewers. Bit of a shame really because it could be a really nice way of decreasing women's fear around childbirth! Oh well, viewing figures win out over sanity of pregnant women again!
Go on YouTube and search for some
Hypnobirthing births or water births. It helped me a lot. X

I watched OBEM in my 3rd pregnancy every week, until one week when realisation set in & i just suddenly thought OMG, I can't do that, it hurts like hell! & practically gave myself a panic attack. Never watched it since.

Oh I remember watching it when I'd had dd a few months earlier. I was still hiding the tummy, struggling with bf and looking after toddler at the same time. and it was the episode where the beautiful girl dressed in her bikini breathed the baby out in a water pool making tiny little ohh ahh noises more similar to DTD than giving birth.

I was fairly and probably scoffed some chocolate in response!

Haha I love OBEM but can see it might be a bit frightening as you're getting close! For what's it's worth I recently went for a tour of the maternity services where I'm giving birth, the tour took 30 mins in total and I did not hear 1 scream or cry or anything the whole time, it was so calm and quiet! I was really suprised as I fully expected to hear lots of shouting and see women puffing around in the corridors like on the show haha. It was all very uneventful lol and I felt much better after!

Oh my, I won't even watch that when I'm not pregnant!

I watch it, wince at remembered pain and almost always get a bit tearful when the baby is born and I remember that magical first sight of each of my dc's faces.

@MoonlightMojitos that's good to hear! Got mine soon so I hope it's nice and quiet too

Me and my partner have actually really found it to help me! No clue what giving birth would be like until we watched an episode. Now I can see how different it is for each woman and what I can expect.

Good luck with everything OP x

I made DH watch it when I was pregnant with dc1 just to prepare him. During my labour he sat bored out his head as my labour was so easy and I was still talking away at 9cm!
I love the programme but it's definitely the more interesting/screaming women that they show. DH now says obem is a load of crap and it just puts the frighteners on expectant parents.
Dc2 was a quick and easy labour on my own (dh didn't make it in time) so here's hoping dc3 is the same!

I have only ever seen one episode. The night before I went into labour with my first child. That was pretty scary for me but then turns out my body adores me - I don't feel contractions!!

I've had 3 midwives say how fake OBEM is. They only use the most dramatic storylines. Apparently Call The Midwife is more realistic (while obviously being out of date).

I think maybe I've watched a different series of OBEM then because I've found the 3 episodes I've watched really calming and informative to watch so far, haven't seen any drama or women in crazy pain or anything? All are massive tear jerkers but I guess child birth must always be that emotional because new life is coming into the world?

I love this show! I've watched almost all the episodes while pregnant and enjoy seeing the emotions when each baby is born - makes me tear up a bit.

I'm sure it's entirely coincidental that I've chosen to have an elective caesarean