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Original poster

The Sex Education Show (Ch 4)

84 replies

GreenMonkies · 23/09/2008 20:12

Is anyone watching it?

It's childbirth this week, and it's in the hospital I work/had DD1 in! How bizzarre!!!

So far the only shots of a woman in labour are of a woman lying on her back, how disappointing.....

OP posts:
RhinestoneCowgirl · 23/09/2008 21:09

The baby was lovely tho, and it had the largest woolly hat EVER!

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GreenMonkies · 23/09/2008 21:14

RT, did she? I didn't notice, and have changed channels now so can't rewind.

Rhinestone, they could have come and filmed my lovely quiet, calm, completely natural homebirth if they'd wanted, but nobody asked!

Oh well, another "women give birth on thier backs in screaming agony and needing medical intervention" program complete with formula ads in the commercial breaks (but no Govt bf ads at all ) to scare and brainwash us just a little bit more.

How disappointing. [harrumph]

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 23/09/2008 21:17

GM - I was so off my head when DS was born (and not on drugs) that I probably wouldn't have minded a film crew either I used DH's lap as an impromptu birthing stool.. would like to see that on national tv.

And the fecking laffing babies milk powder ad is a whole other thread I agree...

RTKangaMummy · 23/09/2008 21:17

you can watch it again on channel 13

Channel 4 + 1

I thought she was on a sort of half bed half chair thingy with her legs over the end with her feet flat on a sort of shelf thingy lower down

conkertree · 23/09/2008 21:18

this may be naive - but is there such a thing as a govt bf ad? i've never seen one but might have missed it?

VickyPea · 23/09/2008 21:19

GreenMonkies, If you have Sky you could always switch over to the baby channel and watch birthing in other positions.

I used to watch it when I was on my mat leave and cried every time (but maybe that was just the PND left over from DS1). Now we have got rid of Sky to save up for a holiday abroad but bought a new TV instead. That buy now, pay next year don't half come round quick !

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GreenMonkies · 23/09/2008 21:57

RT, she was on a maternity bed, the top sits up and the foot drops down so it turns into a chair type of thing, but she was reclining agianst the back and her weight was on her bottom/tailbone (I can't spell coccyx) so she would have been compressing her pelvis, not allowing it to open. These two pictures illustrate it well, as you can see, the lady in the program was effectively lying down but with her feet lowered on the step part of the bed.

VP, I don't want to watch other births, it makes me broody, and my birthing days are over.......

And they could've balanced out the laughing babies with something like this.

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TwoIfBySea · 24/09/2008 11:09

GreenMonkies, as you seem to be the person in the know, can I hijack this thread for a mo to ask - would those positions lower the chance of pooing yourself? I had an emergency c-section for my twins (nearly 7 years ago) and have been told as I also had an ectopic then any future babies would need to be born c-section, wouldn't those positions give a chance to have a natural birth?

Not that I am pregnant or anything, not even in a relationship now but these little nuggets of information would be stored for future use! Thanks in advance.

TeenyTinyTorya · 24/09/2008 14:19

Green Monkies, I watched the programme saying exactly the same things! I get so annoyed watching the baby programmes on Discovery, as mother after mother is given an epidural and laid meekly on her back until instructed to push. I had an induction and then loads of intervention, and all I wanted was to walk about and give birth with no-one interfering.

Blu · 24/09/2008 14:28

Why on earth did she go on and on about 'mediaeval torture chamber' and screaming and tearing and pooing, when the woman they were following did NOT scream...really bad research, and sensationalist TV. Grrrrr. All those close-ups of suture needles etc - not really the main point of educating people about childbirth. That prog will just have fuelled everyone's squeamish strereotypes.

They should have let that matter of fact mw present it - but shown her encouraging a better position, skin to skin etc.

Actually, the matter-of-fact mw was quite good. And the eventual calm birth - but would that register with impressionable teens amidst all that ooo-errring fom pathetic presenter?

FruitynNutty · 24/09/2008 14:31

I don't know if anyones mentioned this as I haven't read all the posts,
I am really pissed off about those two naked ladies. Not because they are naked but because they are no where near a real interpretation of what "real" women look like. For one they have what seems like no pubic hair and for another they are far far to slim. Who ever looks like that when pregnant? I'm 14 weeks and have put more weight on than that woman. If any teenagers were watching they will think their bodies are completely abnormal.
The week before they harpered on about what "real" boobs look like then this week they show this emaciated woman with perfectly shaped boobs. NOT HEALTHY!
I just don't understand why they can't get "Real" women on. These girls didn't have one blemish on them and their skin seemed beautifully tanned.
I might even write to Points of View (is that still on?)

Rant over! Thank you

maidamess · 24/09/2008 14:42

I agree Fruity. They were both blonde, pretty and tanned.

expatinscotland · 24/09/2008 14:47

and why did they need to be completely nude?

this last night's episode really put me off.

Snaf · 24/09/2008 14:59

God, that programme was shit. I was yelling at the tv the whole way through. It made 'Dawn Gets a Baby' look like radical, cutting-edge stuff.

Agree completely about the dozy female fronting it - 'ooooh, it's a medieval torture chamber, ooooh, listen to all the screaming, oooooh yukky placentas, oooooh, pooing yourself' FGS.

Don't know what was going on with the woman giving birth - 3rd baby and lying there on her back, CTG-ed up and not even in labour?! Can only assume she was induced (definitely had cannula in by the end) - because god forbid we should show a woman having a spontaneous, mobile, upright normal birth, huh?

Gaaaah. How to stereotype and acaremonger in 5 easy steps...

expatinscotland · 24/09/2008 15:01

they also didn't mention she'd been induced, which she almost certainly had, misleading people into thinking it never gets better, every single time is a 24 hour+ labour on your back in utter agony.

what a message to send!

Snaf · 24/09/2008 15:01

Oh yes, and how about going on and on about massive tears (but nothing about how to prevent them) and lots of close ups of episiotomy scissors and suturing needles etc etc?

Marvellous stuff. Well done, Channel 4, for such a balanced and enlightening programme. Arses.

Blu · 24/09/2008 15:02

Perhaps MNHQ should pitch for The Mumsnet Good Birth Show!

JodieG1 · 24/09/2008 15:02

I was on my back with all 3. It was the only position I was comfortable in though and I tried lots. They were all very fast and intense labours though with my 3rd being about an hour and 10 mins, back to back labour as well. All 3 were natural and I didn't make any noise either. Everyone's different. Never tore or had stitches.

MaryAnnSingleton · 24/09/2008 15:03

that Anna woman is very sub- Dawn Porter -Dawn is truly fab and has done having a baby already

Snaf · 24/09/2008 15:04

God, I know, expat - stupid woman twittering in her pyjamas about 'oh, she hasn't had the baby yet and it's been DAYS, and look how much PAIN there is, and she'll TEAR and POO and ohmygod I'm stuck in this torture chamber with all these screaming, mooing women aaaaaargh!'

Full makeup the whole way through, I noted...

expatinscotland · 24/09/2008 15:06

the presenter was acting like a teenager about it, too, just as she was last week when going for the STI testing - making all these daft faces at the camera.

FruitynNutty · 24/09/2008 17:54

I think it was aimed at putting teenagers off giving birth so young which is why she kept going on about tears and needles etc but hey, we don't wanna put them off forever do we!
Those two naked ladies certainly wouldn't put a teenager off being pregnant, I'd be constantly pregnant if it meant I'd look like that

HRHMamazon · 24/09/2008 17:57

i onbly saw a brief moment of the show.
I imagne they are trying to show the more grim aspects of sex and indeed pregnancy in an effort to make it seem less appealing to young teenagers.
sadly to many sex doesn't always equal a baby in their minds.

if a 38 year old woman acting like a child and squealing is what it takes then fair enough.

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GreenMonkies · 24/09/2008 21:45

TwoIfBySea

I can confirm, quite categorically, that birthing in upright active positions does not stop you from pooping whilst in labour, I almost soiled my livingroom carpet whilst in labour (on my knees) with DD2, but thankfully made it to the loo on time!!

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TwoIfBySea · 24/09/2008 22:23

Damn it, oh well it was worth asking! My friend was humiliated when she pooed and the midwife caught it in her hand. Her dh nearly fainted at that.

Thanks GreenMonkies!