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Telly addicts

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Original poster

Everytime I Watch OBEM I Shout, 'GET UP'!

49 replies

Treadmillmom · 01/03/2012 13:30

Oh, it so winds me up, slow labours, forceps, episiotomy...why the hell do I never hear a single MW say;
change position
get on all fours
stand up
go for a walk
Grr. I watched it last night and that 25 year old with the dyed red hair who ended up with an episiotomy and threatened forceps I just didn't understand why no one suggested she shift!

OP posts:

gregssausageroll · 01/03/2012 17:52

because she'd had an epidural.

Flisspaps · 01/03/2012 18:06

gregssausageroll but the women were on the bed before their epidurals were sited. Olga's mum even suggested that she get up and walk about.

Being active can help you manage the pain, therefore reducing the chance of an epidural being needed.

OrkaLiely · 01/03/2012 18:42

Maybe it was edited out. Maybe the woman couldn't move or didn't want to.

JackiePaper · 01/03/2012 18:48

editing.
and epidurals.
fed up with the programme tbh.

Northernlurker · 01/03/2012 18:48

I think a lot is edited out and it's certainly true that some women really do not want to move. Personally being upright worked for me but everybody's different. I think an upright and active mum in labour is a desirable thing to move things along and an epidural is more likely to set things back BUT that's just me. You get to choose for you when you're the one pushing the 8lb baby out of a very small hole and whilst we all have views n these things we can never be 'right' for somebody else iyswim.
Doesn't stop me lecturing my daughters on 'how to give birth' though. Poor lambs had to watch Father of the Bride II with a running commentary on 'now in America birth is very medicalised and her position on the bed won't be helping.......'

Original poster

Treadmillmom · 01/03/2012 20:15

Yeah but it wasn't just yesterdays episode, its EVERY episode of EVERY series. You rarely see the women up, walking, rocking or bouncing, the majority are on their backs, the ENTIRE tme.

OP posts:

JackiePaper · 01/03/2012 20:19

but you don't see the entire time on the tv do you. They could be in labour for 12 hours but only 20 mins make it into the show.
A lot of them have epidurals too.
I think the editors are doing the midwives and women a disservice by only showing women lay flat on their backs. Id be mighty peed off if i worked at that hospital.

FrillyMilly · 01/03/2012 20:23

Probably because those that are upright and don't have an epidural have a quicker labour with less intervention which therefore makes boring tv. I was upright until I had an epidural even though i was attached to monitor. I couldn't sit or lie down as it was too painful. Epidural failed and I begged them to let me get up as it was unbearable but they wouldn't let me.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 01/03/2012 20:29

Two labours and I couldn't bring myself to get up off the bed for either one. I just didn't want to move, at all. Not everyone wants to run around and lie on gym balls.

dontaskwhereIlive · 01/03/2012 20:40

It's the fixed cameras surely? I mean - they are little cameras stuck to the wall so really, the best telly will be mums in beds - as they are actually in shot.

And mums in bed have epidurals as people without them move all the time I guess?

I'd say it's fairly obvious limitation of the programme? as opposed to an issue with how the labours are going.

JasperJohns · 01/03/2012 20:46

I do this too!

I give a running commentary saying 'no! don't have an epidural' and 'walk around ffs'

There seems to be such a high proportion of medicalised births.

Mumsyblouse · 01/03/2012 21:41

I agree, I think this every time, but then my labours have always left plenty of time for both walking around, bouncing, leaning on bed, being on all fours, and then usually lying down for the final push as I am so bloody knackered.

But, yes, some of the births shown seem very sterotypical, almost made to show the 'cascade of intervention' from speeding up labour using a drip onward.

Salamanger · 01/03/2012 21:56

If you are able to be upright and moving around, I think you are very lucky.

Towards the end of my labour, I was barely able to roll onto my side when asked and wouldn't have had a hope of getting upright.

BroomForMyChin · 01/03/2012 22:28

Every time someone says why are they on the bed, I want to shout not everyone has the option! As soon as I got to hospital I was on the bed, strapped to a monitor and told I wasn't allowed to move.

Jewson · 02/03/2012 10:11

Broomformychin I agree totally that's wt happened to me strapped constantly with monitor unable to move. With my first pregnancy I suffered heavy bleeding at 27 wks and was put on a monitor for a constant 12 hours unable to move was the worst night ever

TheOldestCat · 02/03/2012 10:17

I was desperate to lie down during my last labour - I was exhausted. But the midwives and DH encouraged me to stand. This did not please me.

DS was born without assistance (homebirth) but I sustained pretty awful injuries (rectal prolapse etc). I do wonder if I should have followed my instincts.

TheSurgeonsMate · 02/03/2012 10:25

My MW was very keen on me labouring on the toilet, so much so that I wonder why they don't have stools with holes in the seat that could be used rather than spending all that time in the bathroom?

Flisspaps · 02/03/2012 10:30

BroomForMyChin If it was the occasional woman on the bed then fair enough, sometimes that's what is best.

But it seems to be almost EVERY woman on OBEM.

Out of interest, was there a medical reason for you to be on the bed, on the monitor and unable to move, or was that just your hospital's policy?

BJR · 02/03/2012 10:38

There was about 3 seconds shown in this weeks episode of someone on a birthing ball, it was the lady who made her husband wait outside.

tardisjumper · 02/03/2012 10:44

@TheSurgeonsMate i saw a medival birthing stool likt that once. it was presented as a sort of 'look how awful childbirth used to be' thing, but i thought it looked pretty useful.

It had a rope up the middle so the woman could hold herself up.

Do you think there is a market?

BumbleBee2011 · 02/03/2012 10:52

They have a birthing stool at the birth centre where I had DD (apparently purple and sparkly!), also have ropes dangling from the ceiling, it looks like a school gym in there....I didn't get to use any of them as DD popped out soon after we arrived!

I shout at the telly too when watching OBEM, it makes me so sad/angry that none of the ladies seem to know they don't just have to sit there and let it all happen to them.

It's the reason I would stay the hell away from hospitals and doctors given the choice, and let midwives do their job in supporting you in an active labour.

Quodlibet · 02/03/2012 10:56

I thought it was funny how poor Viktor spent hours loitering in front of a display board showing ACTIVE BIRTH and lots of pics of people on gym balls etc, whilst the women were as per usual on their backs in bed.

TheSurgeonsMate · 02/03/2012 10:59

tardis I do prefer bumble's purple sparkly idea to the medival style you propose, but either must be better than hiding out in the loo!

BumbleBee2011 · 02/03/2012 11:07

I did use the loo at home, had a sink one one side and a towel rail on the other so very handy! Both were still attached to the wall afterwards which was impressive.

GoldenGreen · 02/03/2012 11:11

A friend who knows some of the midwives at the LGI told me that they are apparently very happy with the programme and they've had control over the editing etc - I was . Some of this stuff just doesn't look like good practice to me

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