NOW CLOSED Add your views on last night's episode of "One Born Every Minute" (17 Jan, Ch 4, 9pm) and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher

[AnnMumsnet]

Channel 4 have asked Mumsnet to find out what you think about their new series of One Born Every Minute. The second episode is tonight - Channel 4 at 9pm - it is a 12 part series.

We've recruited a special panel of volunteer viewers to add their comments to this thread. Channel 4 don't have specific questions for you - they are interested in your general comments and thoughts about all aspects of the programme and the debate this generates. The panel are a mix of Mumsnetters, all of whom are parents, some pregnant, some not, some have seen the programme before, others haven't.

They would also love any other Mumsnetters - ie folks NOT in the panel - to add their comments here. Anyone who contributes to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner, drawn at random, will win a £50 Amazon voucher.

So, please post your thoughts and comments on the programme below. We'd welcome 'live' feedback during the broadcast as well as a comment at the end. If you can't post during the broadcast please add your thoughts by the end of Tues Jan 18th.

Additionally - if you haven't already - do have a look at the extra info about the series on the One Born Every Minute website - and let us know on this thread what you think about it.

If you are a panel member please identify yourself as one when you first post.

Many thanks and enjoy!
MNHQ

God, I cry every time I see a birth whether it's a real one or not.

I'm enjoying this week more. Really interested in the water birth as the hospital I was at didn't offer water births at the time.
I wouldn't have had anna in the room tho. I would find her too distracting.
It's making me consider my options as I'm now TTC again.
Good to see the MW interacting well with Nick. My MW would barely acknowledge my ExP.
Wish Maxwell would do something to help rather than sat there reporting on the monitor. My ExP got one warning and then he got a slap round the head for doing it. Finally he does something to help her.
Total contrast to last week with the noise levels.
Nice to see MW offering to take photo as well.
Really looking forward to next week.

I was rather [green] at the bikini mum! All bump and no pg fat anywhere else!

I enjoyed this week far more than last week, at 36 weeks pregnant I really needed to see the positive outcomes tonight - last week was just too much. Water birth was amazing, as was the welsh lady. Both were so calm and together considering they were about 5cms when we first met them? Really good midwife portrayal tonight also, last weeks were poor IMO

Another great programme, loved knowing the back story of Lydia and how they chose to be parents even though it wasn't planned. Tendayi and her husband were hilarious at interacting. Sweet also to know how the husband of the welsh lady had decided he wanted to be a daddy and told her wedding day. I think it's a really good mix of stuff and you have to presume we saw the most interesting bits.

Another "feel good" episode.

Midwives came across as professional and organised.

All the ladies were fab. Fell in love with Tendayi and Max, they were so sweet and funny. Lydia put me to shame, my birth was very similar but much noisier. Welsh lady (can't remember her name) was beautiful at the end, her face when Jake arrived, amazing stuff.

Well done Ch 4.

i love this show although i agree that a few details about the babys name and weight would be nice.

the midwives were excellent as usual.

looking forward to next week

This weeks much better than last weeks, loved the midwifes comment - did anyone check it was a boy!

Love this programe, enjoyed last nights episode much more calmer than last week.

Just wish they'ed give a bit more info after the birth and show what happens after because I was so scared after I had ds knowing dh would have to leave soon and I had no idea where I was going to would be nice to show abit of this to see how there getting on :)

Much preferred this week's too - maybe because we saw more births - and less screaming and shouting.

As soon as I saw Lydia clinging on to the door frame and swaying I thought that she must have been reading up on Active Birth. So encouraging to see a woman that doesn't labour on her back. She looked really calm and in control (unlike her sister in the corner).

There did seem to be a lot of people around at all the births- surely they can't need this many. One thing I did notice is that despite the big sign on the room doors saying 'remember- skin to skin contact after birth', none of them got it immediately. OK, they were handed their babies directly, but no skin to skin. (maybe they didn't fancy taking their tops off on camera).

OBEM is the one show that I bookmark to watch every week - it's fascinating.

Hello, I'm a panel member.

Just watched this on 4od (couldn't watch last night as was sitting with 2 fluey dc).

I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, as last weeks episode made me feel angry and miserable.

The women last night seemed to receive much better treatment- higher staffing ratios, more helpful advice, ways of dealing with pain, and explanations of what their bodies were doing.

I found it interesting that the programme didn't include the two senior midwives doing their talking heads bit from last week. Was that a one off?

I agree it would be nice to see a homebirth.

I wouldn't watch the programme every week, but I would watch it from time to time.

I agree with what Sophable said last week- the programme makers have winning formula on their hands (it's the miracle of birth, fgs!)and it is occasionally enjoyable and moving, but there is enough wrong with the care of women shown on camera to make me wonder what happens when the cameras stop rolling.

lydia having her water birth was just amazing it was a priviledge to see that :-)

I would like to see more homebirths. But then who would want a camera crew at their lovely calm home birth? Nice to see a more active birth. Why do they all lie on their backs? Don't they realise that makes it hurt?

I really don't know how they get people to agree to the filming. Does it pay really well?

I think what people need to remember is this is an ENTERTAINMENT preogramme, its not a documentry on the medical side of birth, its supposed to just be easy watching entertainment and i think it does that brilliantly.

Agree with many of the other posters that this weeks was far more positive.
Loved the water birth- it had me in tears. Wanted to tell off the boyfriend for spending half the labour texting though!

Really enjoyed last night's episode! I thought it was more representative of labours that go well and this is what expecting mums need to see . I don't think every episode should be like this, but last night's made a lovely change.

I think I would have agreed to have my homebirths filmed (as long as it was hidden cameras and not a whole film crew in my lounge). I think it would be an amazing thing to look back on.

I watched it on +1 last night and really enjoyed it. Lydia's waterbirth was the highlight for me, I had a waterbrith with dd2 and it reminded me of how serene it all was. Her sister was fairly useless though!

There seemed to be more active positioning during the labours in this episode which was much more positive.

In all I really love this programme, it's really not helping my broodiness and failure to conceive at all!

I made/ encouraged DH to sit through last nights. I've been booked in for a c-section on Thursday (20th) and he's very squeamish so will be more comfortable waiting in the wings. I will be more comfortable too because then I don't have to worry about him passing out.

I was really glad that this episode was shown with Lydia's sister finding it a bit uncomfortable, and reacting physically. There is so much prodding, probing, equipment, worrying/ waiting around time and mess involved in the whole in hospital birth experience. They don't come out clean with no blood/ vernix and a healed belly button. I think this can be a big shock to many first time mums (and dads).

It was so good for her discomfort to be handled so sensitively with minimal fuss but mainly because it shows others who are anxious about medical stuff they are not alone. My husband is not a wimp, he's great with my two boys from my first marriage the elder is ASD so quite a handful at times and it makes him no less of a man to want to be hands on after the birth and leave the actual birth to the professionals. I'm very grateful that it was shown that he is not alone in finding it difficult. I'm guessing that most men who are anxious are not the first to be volunteering to be filmed through the process.

Regarding other feedback, as others have mentioned, I'd really like some sort of quick summary at the end of each birth i.e. length of labour, birth weight, sex, if its not too intrusive to the parents babies name.

Enjoyed this episode. I would like however to get a better sense of time scales, as the editing process makes it hard to see how long each labour lasts. Knowing how long things have been going helps in understanding why things are done - for example breaking Lydia's waters. I think it would be really inappropriate to give the name out on tv, makes them too identifiable, but weight would be great - again puts things into context. For example, if we knew that a labour had being going for 15 hours and produced a 10lb baby, it would make more sense of how well the women had coped.

Also, I understand from a dramatic point of view that the actual moment of birth is the climax, but it would be nice to get more of the third stage on screen.

Agree with whoever said that skin to skin contact is not very obvious.

I've just watched last night's episode and loved it. It reminds me why I want to be a midwife. What a privilege it was to share in all three births. It was great to even see the emotion on the midwive's faces and be able to see how much they loved being at the births. I felt that we really went on a journey with Lydia and Tendayi. The little clips of things like photos being taken and the balloon reminded me of special little moments from the births of our 3 DC.

I agree that it would be lovely to see some birth stats, baby's first feed and a short postnatal catch up.

I'll be back later to feedback on the website because DH has just put his foot through our dining room ceiling I'm sure that wasn't part of the plan for today

I watched the last series of this and loved it (as did DP not that he will admit it :o), did'nt get a chance to see last weeks but watched last night.

I really like the fact that this time round it is less midwife based as last year it was more about the ward than the couples having children. I do think they should show some stuff with regards to how the ward is run, as they did last night, but not too much.

When I had my son I really wanted a water birth but had never seen one and was very unsure how it all went, ended up with an Em.c-section, but if I had another it would again be considered and it was really good to see some of what happened during one. Although I have to say that girl was far braver than I ever was :o

Also really liked Maxwell and his wife (can't remember her name) as they came across all calm and prepared during the pre-birth interviews but when it came down to it they were just like the rest of us... bloody clueless :o They really did put some humour into the show!

The Welsh lady was also incredibly brave and I had a gigggle about her apologising to her husband for shouting :o Not very often you see that!!!

Was lovely - DW amazed that you can give birth with perfect make up on. Each time we talk about our births (4) and a bit there will be no more for us.

Found the website a bit duff. Hardly any text and lots of videos. I don't feel inspired to view the videos without more than the brief accompanying headline. I can read words of more than one syllable.

Just about done watching last night's episode, now.

had a little confusion at the start, wondering what a tend day conception could possibly be, before i realised it was someone's name.

Lydia's family were lovely. I felt sorry for her poor sister turning so green at one point. Lydia's beautiful and her birth was as perfect as it comes. I echo the

The other birts were lovely and calm, too. Such a contrast to last week's drama, giving the series so far a bit more balance.

Love the quote "I've just had a baby!"