Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,505
"Between the Hedges"
Canadian Mother will broadcast her natural childbirth online

Are YOU gonna watch??

A chiropracter in Ottawa gave an unusual invitation to the World Wide Web this week.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Nancy Salgueiro with YourBirthCoach.com,” she said in a YouTube video, “and I’d like to invite you into my home to watch my live birth online.”

The mother of two, who runs a website that promotes natural birth, has set up a sign-up list for access to the live stream on that site and her Facebook Page. About 800 people have already signed up to watch, according to Canadian television station CBC. Her 2-year-old son will cut the umbilical chord.

Even the thought of a front seat to the miracle of life is enough to make many people’s stomachs turn. And that is exactly Salgueiro’s point.

“The reason why I’m doing this is because in our culture we’ve created this idea with fear and this visual image of what birth is,” she says, “and we don’t know what to expect when we’re going to give birth. And I really believe it’s important for women to see what normal, natural birth is like.”

Although she’s made videotapes of her previous births public, and there a wide variety of YouTube videos dedicated to natural births, she says that being able to check in on the entire process, not just the point where the baby enters the world, is an important factor that will be achieved with a live video stream.

“There’s only so much variation to how a baby comes out,” she says.

Salgueiro’s intentions seem more in line with a teacher’s than a reality TV star’s. The sign-up sheet to be notified when she goes into labor begins, “Attention: Natural Birthing Moms To Be.” But it’s easy to understand why she’s getting attention — and not all positive — from a much more diverse crowd.

Commenters on the websites of several Canadian television stations that covered the story have accused her of attention grabbing, removing the last private arena from the world and being gross. “What happens if something goes wrong during the birth?,” “Is she looking for sponsors?,” they ask.

The audience for which the live stream is intended — mothers considering natural births — seems to be appreciative.

“I am 2 1/2 months pregnant with my first, and planning a homebirth with this baby,” reads one of many supportive messages on her website. “I think this is wonderful and empowering, and you are very brave.”
 
When I was pregnant with my son, my daughter and I (she was 9 at the time) would watch a weekly show about natural childbirth. (I can't remember the name of it now.) It was very graphic, but tasteful, and meant to portray reality as much as possible. And even here in the US 10 years ago, it was shocking! Now, it wasn't live, and I'm sure that when things went wrong they were edited out as were scenes that may have been TOO graphic. But thinking back, I don't think they edited out all that much.

I appreciate people who are willing to do this really. I think that partially because of this my daughter was able to go through the whole process of my son's birth with me. And now she is not in the dark about what will happen when she has her own children. And I have to add here - she still wants to have them!

I didn't before, nor do I now have any desire to watch this stuff. However, when I was pregnant and about to go through it, it was strangely comforting. It's certainly not for everyone.
 
I once watched a birth on TV (on TLC or something) many years ago, as an adult. Even though I know exactly what goes on during a birth, I felt genuinely traumatized by watching it. It bothered me immensely, and I had no idea that it would bother me at all.

I'm thankful my wife had a C-section with our son. That didn't bother me at all.
 
I've seen a live birth and one on tape. I've also seen live surgeries on tape. Doesn't bother me.
 
Speaking as a man, some things are best left unseen. :eek:

Would you risk future erections, due to the vision of a live birth still in your head?

Shrink may have a different opinion, as this kind of stuff is his stock in trade. :p
 
Good for her. If you don't want to watch, then don't. I don't see the controversy.


Speaking as a man, some things are best left unseen. :eek:

Would you risk future erections, due to the vision of a live birth still in your head?

Speaking as a man, this isn't one of those things that are best unseen.

I witnessed and even assisted when my son was born. Oh, and I cut the cord.

My erections since that day have been plentiful and long-lasting.
 
Speaking as a man, some things are best left unseen. :eek:

Would you risk future erections, due to the vision of a live birth still in your head?

Shrink may have a different opinion, as this kind of stuff is his stock in trade. :p

Listen, if you think it's going to take the lead out of you pencil (BIG pencil, I'm sure) - then definitely don't watch it. ;) :p

Men who have attended the birth of their own children usually describe it as a fantastic experience.

Having seen videos myself, it ain't like the movies - all neat and clean and all. It's about as primal as it gets. But it's also part of all our lives (although I admit to be a little blurry about my own birth:p)

As far as watching it goes - no reason to do it if it's going to freak you out. But if you can - it's a pretty amazing event. Don't think it will do any permanent harm to anyone. (Well, iJohn may be the exception :rolleyes: :D)
 
My First Reaction: "WHY!!!????? This is not something new to human beings."


Lots of people, for lots of different reasons. It is a remarkable human event - but definitely not required viewing. ;)

^ After your reply:

This is not just a remarkable human event ... well not my words ... but HUMBLING! no matter what human beings have accomplished, no matter how technologically advanced we are ... the MIRACLE of having a child, from conception to cell splitting, to self breathing, the travelling from the birth canal, to the first breath of air, and that cut of the umbillical chord ....

Humbling!

nothing in this world can make a woman feel like a goddess, a man feel like the biggest weakling while still feeling like the heavens above have blessed him ... nothing compares.

I honestly believe this is one of those moments in life that MUST be cherished by those that can have children, and those that cannot (same sex couples, infertility, etc whatever the reason) to visit this in person ... this is not to be cheapened with television or for media consumption. Local TV stations, when the chance arise to show a birth on the road live, will have decency NOT to. Students in training may need to see this ... but this miracle ... should be kept as that.
 
The best is yet to come...

In the future, babies will film* their own birth.

* "Reconstructed memories", transferred from the baby's cerebrum shortly after birth, reformatted into a variety of popular HD digital video formats.
 
My First Reaction: "WHY!!!????? This is not something new to human beings."




^ After your reply:

This is not just a remarkable human event ... well not my words ... but HUMBLING! no matter what human beings have accomplished, no matter how technologically advanced we are ... the MIRACLE of having a child, from conception to cell splitting, to self breathing, the travelling from the birth canal, to the first breath of air, and that cut of the umbillical chord ....

Humbling!

nothing in this world can make a woman feel like a goddess, a man feel like the biggest weakling while still feeling like the heavens above have blessed him ... nothing compares.

I honestly believe this is one of those moments in life that MUST be cherished by those that can have children, and those that cannot (same sex couples, infertility, etc whatever the reason) to visit this in person ... this is not to be cheapened with television or for media consumption. Local TV stations, when the chance arise to show a birth on the road live, will have decency NOT to. Students in training may need to see this ... but this miracle ... should be kept as that.

Your point is well taken. :)

While I would almost always agree that TV and other media cheapen and debase everything they touch, I'm not sure that this both everyday and, at the same time unique, event can be anything but remarkable to watch.

Perhaps HOW it is presented might make a significant difference.
 
Perhaps HOW it is presented might make a significant difference.

You mean if the kid has a Nike logo on the top of their head??

I could watch a Caesarian, or a fully natural childbirth, but if a scalpel comes into view during the latter, I'm heading for the floor.
 
Your point is well taken. :)

While I would almost always agree that TV and other media cheapen and debase everything they touch, I'm not sure that this both everyday and, at the same time unique, event can be anything but remarkable to watch.

Perhaps HOW it is presented might make a significant difference.

^ How it is presented indeed will have an important effect on the idea and on those wanting to watch. I didn't think of that and this is why I love rebuttal on these boards, thank you.
 
^ How it is presented indeed will have an important effect on the idea and on those wanting to watch. I didn't think of that and this is why I love rebuttal on these boards, thank you.

De nada...:)

Really liked your Profile Biography. Stay with the attitude...:D
 
The kids in the school yard will have a field day with this when the kid goes to school.

Yeah, unfortunately. That might be the one reason not to do it really - 'cause it's technically not just about you (the mother/parents). You have to think of the kid, and at birth is a good place to start a good habit like that ;)

Otherwise, yeah, go for it. I don't know if I would watch; like Shrink said, it may be a natural childbirth filmed live/in real time, but that doesn't mean it won't be 'directed' - as in, that it won't be filmed etc in a way that tells the story the parents, mom, or whoever wants to tell. And sometimes, the story they want to tell is that it's all full of gore, pain, and horror etc etc. In which case, I'll spare myself the freakout and not watch.

But as part of a documentary (on babies, from a sociological/social issues perspective - amazing piece, full of humanity and uplifting even when it was discussing horrible stuff like abandonment) there was a small piece with a young woman giving birth (dunno if it was the full-on no meds kind of natural, but it was certainly a regular vaginal birth, not a cesarean or a breech-birth or anything), and because it was filmed without an ounce of sensationalism or agenda-pushing, and both the doctor and the midwives were just lovely, seemed very supportive, the whole thing was just...really, really nice. Bloody, and sweaty, and weepy, and screamy, and intense, but still, lovely.
 
I don't mind this at all.


You can see surgeries on TV already, and it's something I'm willing to watch. How is this any different? :confused:

I regularly watch a show called "Embarrassing Bodies", which is a health show where real people who are embarrassed about their health issue, finally go to see a doctor about their health issue. They regularly show things like cysts being removed from testicles, heads, skin infections where the flesh is essentially rotting away, etc.

Childbirth isn't embarrassing. I'm interested in seeing it, even if it makes me a bit uncomfortable at first.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Don't see what the big deal is. Also, am I the only one who has see this in highschool sex ed class?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.