desperate midwives, bbc3, anyone watch it?

[clary]

Did anyone see Desperate Midwives last night? How did you think it made them look?
I ask because I was watching it thinking, yes, that?s how it is (ie how midwives are and how it is to give birth) cried when the babies were born of course.
Anyway, at work today, several pg women (but including some 2nd-timers) have expressed horror and concern about it, mdiwives looked hopeless, not enough of them, baby nearly died (?not really, surely), how horrid it was to give birth/have epidural....
Am I just blase because I?ve had 3 babies?
what did anyone else think?
(It was filmed where all my 3 were born btw...)

I watched it. Thought it was dreadful that ambulance wasn't getting there and hated seeing tooty baby not breathing. Very relieved at that happy ending. Young girl getting c/s because she was impatient annoyed me. Thought it portrayed homebirths well (until babe looked like it wasn't going to make it). Didn't think the midwifes looked hopeless at all, though obviously there weren't enough of them. Liked the fact that they still felt the births were amazing after seeing so many.
And I cried too...

Tears here too! The home brth especially got to me as it had many similarities to the birth of my ds1.

I thought it was very much realistically portrayed & am not sure what your colleagues were so horrified at! The screaming 18 year old made me cringe a bit though!!

Personally, I think it's up to the individual on how they have their baby. People choose natural, so they can choose c/s too. Thats just my opinion anyway.

I watched this in disbelief. The birth of my second child was very similar to the home birth on this programme except I was in a hospital. I am surprised some of the scenes were shown. When the baby was being rubbed and there seemed to be no response I was very choked up. Made me realise that this had happened with my baby but I couldn't see it going on. Those few minutes where you are waiting to hear the baby cry seem to last a lifetime. Was shocked that the baby didn't have to go to hospital overnight. It had had irregular breathing throughout the labour and wasn't breathing when it came out. My ds spent the day on a SCBU when it happened to us.

i don't think the girl who requested a c/s had a clue about what it meant for her/her child. and the homebirth was v gripping to watch, it was obvious the baby was going to survive (otherwise they wouldn't have shown it) but i held my breath nevertheless.

I had forgotten how babies can go 'POP' and the waters spraying all over the midwife at the home-birth - decent!! Lol!

It's always sad to see how dangerously understaffed the NHS is and how they do tend to be epidural happy..

I also was boredly watching City Hospital this morning and got to (sort of) watch a baby being born be section live! Aww! went all teary

Do you really think that C-section girl could have managed an actual birth - I mean the fuss she made over the epidural!! She was on gas and air for an internal as well if I remember rightly!!

fastasleep, i think the midwives/mother could have encouraged her to move around she was lying on her back the whole time and that can't have helped. i think the consultant should have put a limit on how long she could go before they'd give her a c/s, it has massive implications with everything from mrsa to blood clots. i've had 2 and would never have chosen them other than for medical reasons because of the risks involved.

I was cringing about the section too, I know how nasty they are (not first hand thank god!)... unfortunately all the midwifes I've come across are very quick to strap you to a monitor so that they know where you are - lying on your back unable to move. The time limit would probably have been a great idea....but the probability of her sticking through what could have been a very long labour seemed slim to me, she seemed so immature and blase about it all which is so sad because I know that teen mums can be great!

i know. i got the distinct impression that those tears when she went into theatre were the sudden realisation that a c/s isn't all posh 'n' becks stuff...it's bloomin surgery

I think at the homebirth the midwives should have known to change the position of the woman and shouldnt have needed to be told on the phone by another mw at the hospital, that baby was starved of oxygen for 4 mins because they didnt think of moving the mum anything could have happened. I dont think this is to do with understaffing but to do with lack of knowledge surely knowing that moving the mother in case the baby was squashing its own cord should be basic mw knowledge god even i'd heard of it before.

you're right edodgy, i thought only the most experienced midwives were sent on homebirths for exactly that reason. i'd forgotten about the cord

I was screaming at the telly 'it's on the cooorrd' and I'm definately no midwife... it scared me a bit about my planned home-birth! But I think I have enough common sense myself to know what to do if the midwife's a right numpty!

on in 9 minutes

nish is on thisx one

HAs little girl

Seee the other thread where she talks about it

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