Watching childbirth t.v. programmes while pregnant - is this helpful or not helpful?

[morningpaper]

What do you think? Lots of pregnant women like me seem to become embrassingly drawn to Discovery Health and Leisure...

Do I NEED to see lots of women begging their husbands to kill them? Is this helping me or is this driving my childbirth paranoia?!

I watched loads of them - I think they're good for showing how different every labour is, but I was amazed at how many of them showed women giving birth lying on their backs or sitting on their bums - about the most awkward and painfiul positions there are

I watched them all the time when I was pg with DS1 - I cried every time a baby was born. It was Christmas time as well so there were all those charity adverts that they have on as well - Cancer resarch and evrything so I used to cry at them too. DH would often come home from work to find me sobbing
I hated them as soon as I had DS1 though (too many reminders of how awful his birth was!
Like them again now I'm TTC number 3!

I think it was watching those programmes that got me pregnant!

I watched throughout my pregnancy too but for some reason when things got a bit gory for me like watching epidurals or seeing blood then I turned it off.
I am a big wimp though!

I wouldn't watch any of the American ones unless giving birth in the US.

I can't watch them....they seem so much more gory and unpleasant than I remember the RL experience...

I watched them all first time around but to be honest you could watch them all but until it's you you cannot truly experience it, if that makes any sense at all.

Now when I watch them I'm always crying at the end cos I know what it feels like, OK it hurts like hell, you think you are dying there's no denying it but as everyone says it is so so worth it, it will be the best day of your life.

I think they help you keep an open mind about labour, and realise that things dont always go according to your birth plan.

Thats if i can ever turn the channel over, seems to be stuck on cbeebies at the moment!!!

my ten year old sister has been watching deperate midwives with my mum..she's really intrigued about my pregnancy and loves the show
she has told me that water birth will be much better as it's relaxing, but be careful not to let the baby drown when it comes out..he he..
also the first show she said 'why are they screaming' , my mum said 'because it hurts when you are in labour' to which she said 'oh no..don't tell my sister'...he he
she said the same thing when she asked why their bellies were so huge 'oh no don't tell my sister her clothes won't fit her anymore'..so sweet

whenever I saw them my first thought was , 'thank God I'm having a CS'. After having a CS, I feel exactly the same!

Funny how they never show you births where the undercarriage is mauled...........

YES!! Watch all the really terrible ones, because then you've seen the worst and you know yours will be better. Worked for me!
The onlt down side is watching the American ones, where they have clean hospitals , comfy family rooms and delivery suites, ice machines, and all sorts of good stuff. What a shock to the system to see tha state of security and cleanliness when I had ds!

Should say though, that the doctor nearly pi**sed himself laughing at me when he told me I neeeded an emergency c section and asked what my concerns were, and I told him about the episode where the trainee doctors hands were too big to get the baby out and they had to get someone else to do it half way through! He assured me that was rubbish, but I had a look at his hands anyway!

I watched one and one of my high school mates was on it - she became an OB! Whoa. That was far out! It was like, 'Hey, that's Orly Steinberg. Her hair looks fabulous.'