Best and Worst birth scenes in film and TV

[jodiemiller]

http://io9.com/5633419/best-and-worst-childbirth-scenes-in-science-fiction-and-fantasy?skyline=true&s=i

I stumbled across this site while researching something else. Thought it was so much fun, best share it here.

[Kali]

Is ER in there? Does anyone else remember the emergency c section when the literally pulled the woman apart to get the baby out, with no anesthetic and the woman died? Derrr! but wait for ...... they saved the baby.... grrrr
That story line put me off having babies for a couple of years.

[Stardust]

There are some shockers out there. Those sitcoms like 'friends' come to mind too. I do remember ER too.

[Beckstar]

I was really dissapionted when Pheobe from Friends birthed on the show. She was always the flakey, hippy, "out there" kinda character and yet this didn't extend to her birth (she was surrogate for her brother's twins or something).
Always pisses me off when TV shows women laying down....gravity people!

[Harmony]

I was really dissapionted when Pheobe from Friends birthed on the show. She was always the flakey, hippy, "out there" kinda character and yet this didn't extend to her birth (she was surrogate for her brother's twins or something). Well, she did give birth to triplets vaginally and drug free! I agree, though, it should have been a homebirth in water to be true to the character...although as a surrogate you'd have to respect the wishes of the parents, one would think. Rachel's birth makes me laugh - no way they'd let someone labour that long IRL and undiagnosed breech? Yeah right :rofl

[Phoenix]

I love it when they birth a six month old! :2lol

[lucylu]

My friend just had a 10lber and he looked like a 3 month old!! :Lol

The portrayal of labour in pop culture irritates me soooooo much!! Why are they always on their backs for god's sake??? and what is with the funny breathing??? Grrrrr And the baby being taken away from the mother straight away and tidied up and wrapped in a million blankets so there's no skin on skin?? Move with the times script writers!!!!

[Ethereal]

That first one is just, like, superb!

[Harmony]

Oh, and then there's the 'emergency' birth, like in 9 Months with Hugh Grant collecting other people who need to go to the hospital on the way while his wife is huffing and screaming. I laughed my arse off when I saw that pre-children, now I can't watch it at all :2lol

I don't remember a lot of it, but when Helen Hunt had the baby on Mad About You, I remember them telling her it was time to go to the delivery suite, and she's saying - OK, now, I want the drugs, NOW! And they're telling her, sorry, it's too late now :shrug

[Ethereal]

I don't remember a lot of it, but when Helen Hunt had the baby on Mad About You, I remember them telling her it was time to go to the delivery suite, and she's saying - OK, now, I want the drugs, NOW! And they're telling her, sorry, it's too late now :shrug

Wasn't that because she wanted an epidural but her "window of opportunity" had gone - she was in transition I would have guessed & ready to push. Of all the scenes talked about this is the only one I remember :laugh.

[Rinelle]

I do remember one in A Country Practice, where Lucy (a nurse I think?) birthed on all fours. I remember being impressed with that even though I was only a teenager.

[Stardust]

There were a couple of on the side of the roads in home and away, and a few upright births. But of course the OTSOTRs had emergency afterwards...

[Karena]

I do remember one in A Country Practice, where Lucy (a nurse I think?) birthed on all fours. I remember being impressed with that even though I was only a teenager.

I remember that too T, is read an article about it too and Georgie Parker (who played Lucy) wanted to show women that an alternative to birthing on their back. She didn't have children then. I remember reading it thinking that's really cool.

[Hailstorm]

I've been banned from watching birth scenes on T.V:2lol

[Pinky]

LOL Hailstorm... I've been banned from watching a few things.. that's not one yet though..

did you guys get Judging Amy? her court reporter Donna had a waterbirth at Amy's house.. successfully.. no hospital transfers... but she was a weird flakey person.. her baby was the result of a conjugal visit with her husband (who she'd met online as he was in prison for murdering his mother.. of course). She'd married him in jail and they had a C visit. Anyway you get the idea.. she was a WEIRDO.. it kinda saddened me that in american TV those are the only people allowed to give birth in an alternative way.. saying that.. it is sad about Phoebe... I remember Rachel's birth of Emma and thought it was funny... completely ridiculous but funny.

anyway.

[Stardust]

I did like that Rachael was walking round and upright. But then they had her in the horrible 'turtle on back' pose for the pushing.

[Stardust]

And all of them have that coaching 'Push, push, breathe, push' thing happening. Ick!

[Harmony]

I think we got Judging Amy briefly, it was one of those ones that just didn't take off.

There's a British series that was on last year where the husband runs a funeral business and she's a homebirth midwife, there was a great waterbirth on that, but then there was this terrible one where she's advocating for a blind woman to birth at home, the ob eventually 'gives permission' (don't get me started) as long as he can be there, something to do with the baby possibly being blind too. Why that's an emergency I don't know ??? Anyway, she births and the baby is handed to this man, who shines a torch in it's eyes briefly, announces everything is perfect, and everyone is delighted. Why he had to be the hero of the piece I couldn't work out :shrug

Oh and while we're talking Friends, did you see the one where some friends of Phoebe's have loaned their birth video to Rachel to help her prepare for her birth, and Chandler mistakes it for pron? "You know how long it took to go back in the water after seeing Jaws?" :rofl

[Stardust]

I remember that one. That series was called 'William and Mary' and was great for the most part.
Has anyone watched 'One born every minute?' Real life births in the UK. Mostly drugged, all on backs, lots off for C sections. No breastfeeding, no skin to skin. There was one waterbirth early on but that's it. Very sad.

[jodiemiller]

I yell at the TV all the time when babies are being born. Anyone watching Offspring right now? That show is really getting to me. Must stop watching it.

[kebeni]

the birthing on that show is terrible. And the one born every minute does my head in! There was a water birth in Love my way that was pretty good though.
I am always amazed that they have to rush off to hospital the minute they get a twinge

[Harmony]

Oh yes, everyone is raving about that one...ooh I'd rather be prepared for what might go wrong :no

[Phoenix]

I watched an eps last week Jodie.

[cherish]

I loved ''William and Mary' ....

Jodie- you should see my Mum when she watches births on tv.. rolls eyes.. I remember watching a current affair with her once and they were talking about c-sections.. and she got her midwife voice on=- saying how inaccurate they were.. very interesting and stayed with me for years (probably almost 15 yrs ago and I still remember)

as for Phoebe's birth- as a mother of mulitiples.. it's easy to say- natural birth blah blah blah- but the reality is a triplet birth is different to a singleton birth.. many risks for mother and babies.. I know.. not a popular view- but I think she did well...

[Pinky]

no I think it is the same here Cherish.. even if a woman is low risk.. if it is multiples I think they don't allow a home birth.. would have to double check that though..

the other day a woman and I were talking about home births and she made the comment that her son had the cord wrapped around his neck so she was so glad she was in a hospital. I asked her if there were any complications because of it? you know was it pinched during the delivery? was it a slow deliver? she said no to both.. then I told her my son had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. She was visibly distraught and asked "what did they do??" she was left speechless when I calmly said "they unwrapped it".

it is amazing how little most people know.. the cord being wrapped around the neck occurs in 1 in 4 babies.. it isn't a huge deal in itself.

[jodiemiller]

I remember William & Mary - the undertaker and the midwife, yes? Gorgeous show, and great, representative birth scenes. That one was my US midwife's favourite series.

Yeah, two of mine had the cord around their neck, but it was loose, so they more or less slipped right through.

[mrs fox]

I watched the last ep of One born every minute...There was a young woman scared of needles..and I mean scared...the midwife knew this and as she was delivering she loaded up the Synt needle in full sight...the poor thing freaked out and lost her concentration...said she did not want it and the midwife just said that she would not feel it and she was going to give it to her when she was distracted....well you could see when the camera refocused that they gave it to her, she was shaking and crying clearly did not want the needle...My tears were flowing....she said no, but that did not matter...

[jodiemiller]

OMG! That is horrendous! So much for informed consent!

[Phoenix]

One of my friends posted on FB that after that eps she was so scared of giving birth. She has two children already but it completely freaked her out to the point where she doesn't want to give birth now. So sad. She is also knowledgeable on birthing and has been around hypnobirthing and the like and it still freaked her out that much. I am glad I didn't watch it TBH.

[Stardust]

I saw that too last night. Almost made me physically sick seeing her force it on that poor woman. And what is it with the distressed turtle pose!! That would not be helping mother or baby. Move women!

[kebeni]

i watched it last night too, horrendous! They were waffling on about baby being back to back and I wondered what they expected when almost every woman is on her back. It was like watching birth from the 60's

[Stardust]

I watched the L;ucy ACP birth episode on Youtube today. Yep, she was awesome. Shower, bed, floor, lots of moving and swaying, birthed on all fours. They did have the gas there (but put it down on the floor with her). Dr Elliot did keep asking if she wanted an epidural (no, no and no!). And afterwards there was a convo about cicumcision and how Elliot and Simon Bowen were fighting over who gets to do it (Vomit anyone?) but she said no (I think) and it was left at that. Over all one of the lovelier birth scenes I've seen though. Sooo different to Molly's of Chloe!

[jodiemiller]

Wow, I don't remember ANY ACP births - but they were ... ooh, thirty years ago, weren't they?

[Stardust]

70s, 80s and 90s Jodie

[Bron]

One of the worst I saw was a real birth! It might have been on the reality tv show Flying Doctors? The mother had had 7 or 9 babies already and was laying down and pushing like it was her first and she was on an American TV show. Yes, I was yelling and Niccola was telling me to be quiet :D

[lucylu]

Yes, I was yelling and Niccola was telling me to be quiet :D

Ha ha! Good on you you Bron!