How many pregnant with their first are watching One Born

[Emma198]

I am. I'm not sure it's a good idea. 🙈🙈

Nope, I'm avoiding it like the plague!

I’ve so far avoided it but my mum has suggested it’d be a good idea. I’m petrified. I’ve heard horror stories of that show!

I was. I had my 20 week scan today and found out I'm having a little girl and now it seems so real that I'm starting to get a bit frightened about labour so not watching it anymore lol.

Oh god don't watch! Birth doesn't have to be screaming and hideous. Look into Hypnobirthing and read positive birth stories and you should feel much better

My husband is convinced they put it on for the camera. I think they have more important things to think about haha! X

I am! My husband can't bare to though lol x

I watched the first ever series when I was pregnant for the first time and it really didn’t bother me. My DGM and DM reassured me a lot of the women were OTT on it so I believed that to an extent. My first birth was fucking horrible though, much worse than anything I’d seen on that programme .

I do and loved it, my husband always left the room when it was on and couldn't understand why I would watch it. For me, yes it showed the pain and difficulties but also that they all got through it, that every labour was different, to not be too fixated on a birth plan just a birth and most importantly how quickly they all just stopped being women in pain and became women awed by their new little human.

I have watched every single episode in preparation for my labour

I watched it, everyone’s birth is different. Some have horrible experiences, some have lovely experiences. Their experiences have no influence on your birth at all and may actually prepare you. Maybe you’ll be going through something and you’re wondering if its normal and you’ve seen on OBEM that it isn’t/is. I found it really helpful.

I did with my first in 2014 and I laughed so much at it - reminded me of that crap Geordi Shore or Towie show but in a labour ward.

Imho I know it's real births etc but they defo ramp the drama up for ratings etc.

I am! Totally fine -much better than a lot of the birth stories on here

I’ve been watching it! Have been viewing it as educational. DH on the other hand is always ‘tired’ and wonders off to bed 😂

Mine is emptying the dishwasher before bed got no interest in watching! @TTCI congratulations! A beautiful baby girl xx

Oh no! Don't know if I want to carry on watching this one! 😔

Im watching it. Hope he's ok :(

As if they put on an ad break now!!

I am! I hope this baby is okay. The birth seemed so smooth, I wish we got to see more in-depth detail - it was over so quickly. Mind you I know it's entertainment tv so I shouldnt expect anything realistic.

Oh thank god!

Oh this poor woman!

I've been told by my sister in law that her midwives told her they definitely only choose the most dramatic (good or bad) labours and obviously the screaming etc is more entertaining. I am looking to listen to a hypnobirthing playlist and going to just go with the flow and it will all pan out how it wants to, can't control that but can try and let my body do what it is built to do and be as calm as I can.

Ex H and I watched every episode during my pregnancy. It was my second, his first. For me, it is very real. The truth is, if you're pregnant with your first you simply have no idea how childbirth feels, I think this programme gives you a good idea (and is realistic!). For me it was a positive thing having had an horrific birth 13 years previously. FWIW, I screamed my head off the second time round, no drugs or intervention, screaming helped a lot although I wasn't aware I was doing it at the time. You can't judge anything from watching others give birth. It hurts, a lot, I think that's clear. That doesn't mean a horror story, it's just real!

As a midwife can I just advise that it's a show designed for entertainment and not for education.

So many first time mothers I've looked after have been horrified to find out that a 14 hour labour is normal as on one born it's over quickly but they skip most of it out. I've even had a woman who had no idea she needed to deliver the placenta afterwards as that's not shown on one born either!

Watch it as entertainment by all means, don't think it will be a true representation of labour at all. Good luck to you all also!

Oh and I'm also well aware that when they were at Liverpool they filmed a lovely relaxing home birth that was complication free and yet they never aired it as it wasn't considered interesting enough without a blue light transfer to hospital etc. It's HEAVILLY edited, the midwives are scripted and it's select material to make it "interesting".

My midwife told me to avoid it like the plague! She said that they don't show all the normal, non-eventful births as it doesn't make good tv so people will assume that it's always scary and dramatic.
My birth was normal and non-eventful :)