Birth in the Media

I'm actually more bothered that I have never seen a single woman breastfeed on A Baby Story. They will have the post interview in their home and every single one of the babies, if being fed, is being fed with a bottle.

I think some of the shows make it all look too easy, and some of the shows make it look too rough. Namely, Babies: Special Delivery makes it look so hard. They turn everything into a potential emergency. even natural childbirth-the lady could become fatigued and that could be dangerous!

Or one, they said the baby's heartbeat was erratic (dont remember what show) and the baby could be in distress. What did they show, but a view of the monitor when it is searching for the heartbeat and shows the crazy numbers, 90, 240, 70, blipping all over the place searching. No little heart pic blinking beside it, so clearly NOT the babies heartbeat.

I would like to see later what teh moms have to say about how tv portrayed their experience.

One thing I do like is the babies:special delivery where they give you an update on the baby at the end.

While watching these shows every day (post-op for 6 long weeks!) I saw exactly ONE mom nursing her kidlet--but with the "blanket as poncho"trick you wouldn't have known if you didn't already KNOW what you were seeing.

They really annoy me for most of the reasons already listed.

But I think these shows portray a lot of what our society is like to begin with: we want things quick, and painless, and God forbid we do things like expose a breast to feed a baby. Everybody knows those things are supposed to be sexual, not utilitarian.

I meant to add in the above post that that mentality is why I'm so grateful to get patients like the one I had the other night - a sweet elementary school teacher having her first baby who 1) kept her in the room all night; 2) was so open to help with breastfeeding; and 3) accepted it as par for the course when baby wanted to nurse every 1.5 hours. I LOVE having patients like that.

Are you serious?

I had one like that the other night - primip, natural labor, unmedicated, controlled delivery of an 8+ lb. baby, breastfed after delivery and all night. I told her that deliveries like hers were what keep me doing OB! She was so pleased with and proud of herself it was wonderful to see.

gee that sounds like a great woman to care for. these programmes are so unrealistic and i think the guys who make these shows have alot to answer for. they paint an almost unobtainable picture to the general public who take anything on tv as gosple and then wonder why labour is so long, rough, messy....ggggrrrr.....i almost want to blame the rising intervention rates on them and their edited "birth" entertainment....you just cannot call it educational. it the climate of fear.......ggggrrrrr