Eastenders Baby Death Storyline

[deemented]

Once again, no one can live happily ever after

Ronnie's baby James, dies and she puts his body in Kat and Alfies son's crib, and steals their baby boy, Tommy.

Why oh why oh why do scriptwriters insist on portraying bereaved parents - mothers especially - as mad and deranged??? Maybe it's because they can't begin to imagine how awful the death of a child is, but really, whilst we are mad with grief, it is our own child that we want back, not someone else's stolen child. When are scriptwriters ever going to understand that?

Still, it'll be a riveting watch, no doubt.

I suppose that people are trying to gain some understanding of how you feel, and so they grasp the most upsetting thing that has ever happened to them.

The storyline is crass and cheap, and I will be avoiding EE for the forseeable.

If the storyline was being handled sesitively then perhaps it would be just about palatable - EEs has been capable of doing these things well in the past, e.g. I thought Peggy's breast cancer was a brilliant storyline - but this is just complete drivel.

There were so many things about the births of the two babies that riled me, plus the way that the families were shown to be failing to look after the newborns was just so unrealistic.

Besides the sensationialisation of SIDs and the portrayal of a grieving mother as being insane, I was almost equally angered by the fact that Ronnie bought James home in a taxi without a car seat, legal maybe but so irresponsible.

Sorry, I've gone OT but it's just another e.g. of the low production values of EE's producers.

Her doing dainty little breathing exercises on the tube pissed me off no end.

It is simply ridiculous. When ds was a day old in scbu I recognised him straight off. I was still out of it & in a lot of pain. I hadn't even had chance for a proper hug.

The only soaps I watch are ones my mother insists on watching when I'm at hers, but if I were watching EE I would be boycotting. As soon as I read this upcoming story I just felt dread; I knew it would be too upsetting to fathom so I knew I would have to avoid it.

I haven't anything really to add to this thread, besides my upmost admiration for all of those who've posted about their own bereavements Every word is a testamont to the extreme bravery of all of you.

Too bad that EE writers don't seem to think portraying that bravery is entertaining enough

at sungirltan, I somehow don't think this was an appropriate thread for that snippet?

I know a few people who have now stopped watching EE thanks to this story line. The script writers have stooped to the lowest of the low.

I am glad to see that FSID are not endorsing the plot, previously I had thought they were.

sungirltan - perhaps the BBC should have followed their usual "If you have been affected by this storyline please call..." at the end of the programme with "unless you formula feed your baby, in which case what do you expect"???

Morons - you for posting such rubbish and your friend for spouting it in the first place.

just wanted to send some love to the bereaved mothers on this thread. I think I've come accross several of you before on other threads - your stories stick in the mind, of course.

Has anyone suggested in a complaint that the BBC dispatch a researcher to look at all the Mumsnet threads on this? If not, I think I will.

Sungirltan - there are many complex issues in play in SIDS, and altough there are several risk factors, most of it, like so many things, is not understood and just down to poor misfortune. I googled it at great length when DS was tiny because I was very paranoid!

I haven't watched Eastenders in a while as it is a pile of shite and badly written, however this storyline is the most awful and offensive yet. As the other bereaved mothers on here have said when your child dies you don't want any other child you want yours.

I didn't read IPOB's comment as it already been deleted but I got the general idea, how insensitive can one person be? Hopefully they're just really stupid as opposed to malicious. Idiot.

Eastenders is mind numbing crap in the first place, turn it off and forget about it.

The storyline is sensationalist drama and out of touch with reality. The programme makers are in the business of making high viewer counts rather than an actual good or decent show based on sense or reason.

My sister has lost several babies before and after birth, she has never gone off and stolen anyone elses baby, my friends mother lost a child and helped herself to one in a pram outside a shop, she was put in to a mental home for doing so.

It does happen, we all know it does, soaps love to make sensational crap out of real life tragedy.

So how do we all complain?

tholeon, I think some sort of note wouldn't go amiss - obviously the FSID's website have got the gist of people's feelings.

FWIW my DD1 didn't die from SIDS, but I can only imagine having her circumstances played out and belittled on national television, very insensitively.

I don't watch EE, but when I did I remember that they used to handle sad subjects very well. As Runaway says, it's all sensational crap now.

I think it was good of Eastenders to do the SIDS story line, yes maybe the whole baby swapping was a bit too much.

I watched it and really felt for the characters and I can't imagine the pain when it happens in real life. However people need to stop complaining as like any other sensitive storylines, everyone in the show works closely with the appropriate associations. Its not just something that gets drawn out of a hat.

Eastenders always do grim storylines around Christmas and New Year that is what makes the show so popular.

Lots of things happen. Lots of things are a one in a million occurance. Would we accept regular depictions of death in childbirth? I mean if we see it in a one off drama we would think ok. But if it were portrayed as 'normal' wouldnt most of the people on MN be up in arms?

Because bereaved parents are regularly and consistantly portrayed as lunatics. Unhinged and dangerous. But we should accept it because once every 20 years a bereaved mother walks away wit a baby in a pram? I am assuming that happened at least 20 years ago if not more because it has not been common practice to leave your pram outside a shop for decades.

It is a cliche and an offensive one at that. There have been a few cases of babies snatched from hospitals etc but I dont remember any of them being done by women who have lost children. They seem to be mainly woman desperate to hang on to some bloke.

I obviously spend far to much time watching daytime and early evening tv. I have yet to see a decent (out of many) storyline involving this issue.

The last time a child died in EE his mother was shagging his best mate a few days later.

Ok....

Can't believe the Beeb is so damned insensitive in running this story line particularly at Xmas. Could MN get some Beeb executive into MNTowers for an online discussion / flaming to explain their decision.

Sorry that was at NannyG, not you MrsDeVere.

NannyG why the fuck should I stop complaining? Why? You said yourself you cant imagine the pain so how are you qualified to advise those who DO know the pain what they should do?

I am glad you enjoyed the show, excuse me if I think its bollocks and exploitative and there for the titillation of people who dont have a clue.

I found it shocking the partying in the pub and no one checking the baby
it wasn't in a safe place either, any loon in the pub can wander up the stairs
Charlie should blame himself and why did Alfie take so long checking on the baby

I agree that the baby swapping story is crass, insensitive and exploitative. However, I think the most unbelievable bit in tonights episode was that a New Born baby who's just been brought home spent more than 5 mins on their own - when we brought home both our daughters I couldn't leave them for a minute. And do babies in Eastenders never need fed???

I have complained to the BBC, as well as Ofcom here

Doubt much will change though.

NannyG I am on various forums and there are so many people upset by this, I've never seen a reaction like it in 25 years of watching EE. Are they all wrong? Are they all just kicking up a fuss for the hell of it? Or maybe this once EE have got it wrong and they've gone too far. Telling people it's just drama doesn't wash and says more about your willingness to accept any old shite than it does about the people who object to it.