I’m going to answer that for you. We don’t usually watch a lot of T.V., but the other night I decided to veg out. I was flipping channels and came across the MTV show, 16 and Pregnant. Now, I personally have no issue with the show or teenage girls and their journeys. I will tell you what I do have a problem with. Their births, or at least this one! I was very quickly reminded why I do not watch any reality birth shows.
Here is what went through my mind (and sometimes popped out of my mouth in not so nice ways) as I sat on the couch watching in horror. Mr. BWF had to calm me down.
This teenage mama and her boyfriend were going for her last prenatal visit (I tuned in at just the right time, eh?). She was 3 days from her Estimated Due Date and the Dr. told her she would be having her baby…you guessed it…in 3 days!
“Um, what the heck? How does the doctor know her baby will decide to come on her due date? Oh wait, that’s right, because he will force the baby out by using unnecessary interventions and induce. Duh, I forgot, Dr.’s know better than God and babies.”
Next we see mom and dad at his house (his parents house rather) packing for the birth. Dad has lost his keys and everyone is worried that they are going to miss their appointment and miss the birth of the baby.
“Since when are babies born by appointment?! Not to mention, how in the world can a mother miss her own birth?! Good grief, I need to change the channel. This is ridiculous. Why is she inducing? There is absolutely no medical reason to be doing so. Mom and baby are healthy. Ugh!”
So now, the teen mother is at the hospital and hooked up to the monitors and I.V. She receives pitocin and before she knows it is in a lot of pain. She gets an epidural.
“Of course she is in pain! Not like anyone ever took the time to educate her on coping through labor. Unreal. I’d want the epidural too if I was strapped down, having artificial hormones pumped into my body and was lying on my back! I can totally see where this is going.”
Now mom is fully dilated and ‘ready to push’. Of course she has to be told this, because she can not feel anything herself. She is already exhausted from the pitocin induced labor. There are nurses holding up her legs, paper draped over her and they start coaching her to push. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 come on keep pushing 8, 9, 10”. The Dr. is standing just staring at her vagina.
“You have got to be kidding me. This poor mama can not feel a thing and is pushing so hard when she is told. The Dr. is just staring at her vagina. How can mom relax and really feel comfortable birthing like this? I won’t be surprised if she ends up with a c-section. This is why women think birth is painful and are scared. I would be too if I believed this is how birth really is. I want to scream!”
Mom has now been pushing for an hour and is beyond exhausted. She can’t feel anything, but is trying her hardest. The Dr. says to her, “Well, baby is just not coming down enough. If the baby doesn’t come out this way, we have another way to get it out. Don’t worry, it’s not like it’s failing.” Mama starts to cry and says, ‘I don’t want a c-section.” She is determined to push this baby out vaginally.
“What a f-ing a-hole! How dare he induce her (she trusts him and doesn’t know any better), stack the cards up against her, then stand there staring at her vagina and telling her that baby can just be cut out of her. He has no regard to what she wants and what is best for her and her baby. Of course she is upset. Who in the hell wants to be cut open? To have layers of skin, tissue and muscle sliced through? It is major abdominal surgery! I hate this doctor.”
Mama pushes with all her might. She is not going to give in. She pushes her baby out vaginally and escapes the c-section!
“Wow. Go mama! How amazing is she? She showed him! I wonder now though how she will always view birth and can’t imagine how many other women and babies this Dr. does this to. This Doctor is the biggest idiot on this show!”
People wonder why I stay away from OB’s and hospitals. This is why. This is not birth. It is torture. It is traumatizing for baby and mom (and dad). This is a fearful, intervention, managed way to birth. This is what society and media show birth to be. This is why women see birth as painful and something to be afraid of. This is what doctors are taught birth is (most have never even seen a natural or empowering birth). This is why I spend so much time and energy writing and supporting women.
When birth is trusted and respected, when we let go of our fears and replace them with making educated choices, we can have faith and birth becomes a beautiful and empowering journey. I think every woman deserves to experience that, teen or all grown up.
Recommended Reading
My Battle With Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Vaginal Hospital Birth of TRIPLETS
Two Amazing Hospital VBAC’s!!!
2 Videos of Twins and Triplets Born Naturally!
The Birth Story of Pippa Saoirse
One Woman’s Successful Frank Breech Vaginal Hospital Birth
Finally, Relief! {A Painful Pregnancy, Spinal Injury}
A Mother Will Overcome {I Am Strong}- The Long Journey Home: An HBA2C Story {Part I}
Congenital Anemia, Three Days in Labour, and a Hospital Cesarean.
112 Comments
pam
Guess you haven’t seen One Born Every Minute… It is the epitome of what is wrong with obstetrics in the US. I have a hard time watching.
Megan
My heart breaks for this mama. Makes me think of my two hospital births (one c-section) and how uneducated I was and how unwilling drs. and nurses can be to teach and comfort. Thankful for people around me (my own mama) encouraging me to give home birth a chance.
Jayme
I am glad I had a good doc. My doc is a family practice doc who specializes in OB. She did not induce (I didn’t want it) and told me to stay home after my water broke until contractions. The nurse I had was equally as awesome, she told me straight away that she would not offer pain meds unless I asked. I did end up asking for the IV meds at 7cm. The nurse helped me to try to cope in the shower, birthing ball, walking, etc. She never once told me I had to stay in bed for any reason. So, not all docs in hospitals are bad. But I totally agree that you need to do your own research and know what you want and stand up for yourself.
Brandy
Agree!!! My memory was so foggy after my first birth but so similar. I came to hospital in labor and they still gave me a whole hosts of interventions, pit, fetal, drug after drug, and bed bound. Knowing perfectly well I wanted natural. I can honestly say I tried it their way and I all most ended up on the cutting table. Baby went into distress, leggs died, dr threaten section if I didn’t push enough. I litterally had blood shot eyes and I huge cut from A-Z when it was over!!
Next #2 I fought and won but that wasn’t an easy task considering they were trying to wear me down during contrx and my hubby wasn’t there!! They litterally snatched my water bottle out of my hands and there I was coming up on another contrx. Not much I could do they ended up planting an IV and blowing my viens after forever trying to tap into one. Oh and that was during contrx of course.
Hubby understands why home birth is where I’ll be this go round!! 37 weeks tomorrow!!
Love this blog–it’s The Voice of the future freedoms to come!!
Seriously?
Really? Every woman has options. Every woman has the right to bring her child into this world whatever way they so choose. I had my child by induction, I also received an epidural. I was not traumatized, my daughter was fine. We are both very healthy. Everyone has their own opinion, but you don’t have to say such ignorant things just to get someone to understand your point of view. Every experience is different.
Mrs. BWF
Yes, seriously. If you follow this blog or especially our FB page, you would know that I support women in their own educated choices…even if different from mine. My opinions in this blog post were specifically about this show and a mama who was not educated, nor did she have anyone who cared enough to give her all of her choices and options. By the way, I’ve had 2 c/s and a VBA2C with an epidural. So, like I said, maybe you don’t know me well enough…yet. 🙂
Nicole
I think a quote from another post here is appropriate:
”If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any.” ~ Diana Korte
I think that’s exactly what the thoughts and reflections on the show are about. This young girl was not informed, so how could she have made a decision for herself? She didnt I think is the answer. The decisions were made for her.
I’m sure you were education on the risks/benifits of induction and epidurals. This unfortunately is not the norm.
Elisabeth
It’s just about “birthing without fear,” and this poor girl was really freaked out! It was clear from the episode that she didn’t know her options and had she understood them she may have either made a different choice, or not been so upset and scared because she understood the risks ahead of time. I had friend whose doc wanted to induce at 39 weeks for a “big baby” (at least 9 lbs, they told her). Luckily she was educated enough to say no because of her concerns about the risks of induction (she originally agreed to the induction until she looked into it on her own). Her baby came on her own 4 days later. She was 7 lbs 6 oz. The doc was in error, she had to use her own brain, and yet I don’t blame women for trusting the docs, they are supposed to be the experts and supposed to be looking out for your best interests.
Christina Marrufo
I totally agree with you. I have only seen 1 (I think) birth on this show where no medications were used. It’s unreal. I myself was a teen mom (TWICE). My first was by epidural (and nothing was done the way I wanted) and my second was natural (but again, my delayed cord claamping and having the baby put on my chest immediately) was also ignored. This time hubby and I are ‘accidentally’ going to have her at home. Our closest hospital is 2 minutes away for emergencies. And there have been only 3 moms that even ATTEMPTED to breastfeed and this one in particular is the only one that actually did! (Im nursing my 7 month old). I quit watching the show that keeps giving ME and teen moms like me who DO their homework a bad reputation.
Elisabeth
Good for you and good luck! Are midwives an option in your state? I completely respect your choice, just wondering, I know some states it is still technically illegal. Just go with your gut, if something doesn’t feel right, but you’ll probably do great!!!
Elisabeth
I saw that show, “A Birth Story” I think it is called, and this woman wanted a natural birth at the hospital. Her husband also supported. She began to enter “laborland” but it made the nurse (who had obviously never seen a natural birth before) nervous where I interpreted it as “she is doing a great job.” The nurse said to the camera, “she is really out of it and not responding well to our questions, we will try to get the husband to talk her into an epidural.” Hello, her being out of it is normal and a sign she is coping with her labor and working hard! The nurse got the husband who also didn’t know about natural labor on board and his wife got the epidural because he said he was worried about her. Ghaaaaah! Again, get an epidural if you want to, but if you want to go natural know that you may not get the kind of support you need at the hospital if you don’t educate yourself ahead of time…they are not going to do it for you. (some exceptions exist of course, but you really have no control over who your nurse is, some are really wonderful but they are all usually very busy, and you OB is not holding your hand the whole time). It makes me so mad that people are seeing this show and thinking that nurse was doing a good job. I wish that woman had a doula, or a midwife, or a nurse who knows about natural birth, who would have told her she was doing great!
Elizabeth
I was induced with my first 2 with no pain meds and my third came on her due date on her own less than 2 hours and 45 min in the hospital (2 1/2 hours was in the observation room cause they didn’t have a labor and delivery room for me) My first one took a long time and my second happened so fast, that I was in pain and thought I wasn’t that far because of how long it took with my 1st (19 or so hours). I had already told my nurse that I didn’t want any pain meds. She was great. Well when the pain hit so hard and I thought I was only like 5 cm, we called the nurse in and said that I think I might want something (not an epi though) and her response still makes my heart sing. She said “well you have been doing great up to this point, I wonder if you are further along, can I see where you are at in your diliation?” I agreed and am happy that I did cause I was almost a 9. (my whole induction with my second was only 3.5 hours from start of pit to the time she was out, this hospital I was able to walk the halls unlike the first where they didn’t have wireless monitors and I was stuck next to the bed the whole time) So the nurse asked “Are you sure you still want something?” I looked at her and said “No, I am almost there, didn’t think I was that far along.” She smiled and never mentioned any pain meds but I went from almost a 9 to her rushing to get the doctor in 10 mins and the pushed my daughter out after 5 mins of pushing.
Yes having a baby hurts and it drives me crazy when I hear on those shows “you won’t have a root canal done without pain meds why would you have a baby with out an epirderal?” It drives me crazy when they push and push and push them to get an epi.
I support all women to make that decision on their own. My sister had an epi and I supported her because I know that’s what she wanted. I personally don’t like the idea of a needle going into my spine or the idea of not being able to feel my lower body. That is just my personal choice.
Wendy
I’m not surprised by how this birth went, it seems ‘typical’ of most hospital births now days. What actually did surprise me was the dr didn’t push the young mom to induce BEFORE her Estimated Due Date! Even with educated mom’s it is hard to ‘fight’ back when you are being pushed or scared into induction. Way to go young sweet momma for being determined and pushing the baby out vaginally! I have a feeling though, that even IF the young mom had been informed and educated, she still would have been pushed around – young mom’s often are, (so are old married one’s having their 5th baby!!! – I saw an OB pat the mom on the head during labor like she was a puppy or a small child and he would just ‘take care’ of her, because she didn’t really know what she wanted or what she was doing… it’s hard to be a doula at hospital births in my area…
Grace
I wrote a post on a mom forum and I believe we may have been riled up about the same episode. Like you, I had never seen the show before and this is the only episode I have seen. I just happened to watch it but it made me so upset for that poor girl. Here is what I wrote:
“I have so many stories of bad pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding advice and/or management that I’ve heard people be given and I know many of you have personal stories.
But every now and then, I see one, and I just have to share the obvious crime. We all know doctors tend to decide that women need to give birth soon right around holidays, but I just witnessed it on TV and it made me sick to my stomach to actually see. Oh, it’s just so blatant and yet so accepted. It’s such an abuse of power and misuse of trust.
The pregnant woman is actually a scared, very naive and certainly birth/medical ignorant. Earlier in the episode, she didn’t know the meaning of the world lactation. Just saying, she’s not a fully informed patient. She goes in at 39 weeks and the doctor decides that she will be ready to have the baby in three days. They word it like that. How could he decide that she will be ready in a certain number of days? That makes zero sense. She didn’t know she would be scheduling an induction at that appointment and they don’t even say it that way. They say, the doctor decides she will be ready, as if he looked at her body and gauged that she’d be ripe in three days. Then he actually has the NERVE to say “you will have the baby before Christmas!” Hmmm, I wonder why! Maybe the same reason women are always getting inductions on Fridays.
So, they go in for their appointment on December the 22nd. Pitocin is started. A graphic pops up to explain pitocin as a medicine given to jumpstart labor. At no point does it say that it’s medically necessary or anything like that, but it’s all treated as normal. It is normal, I guess, in this country. Then her contractions come strong and fast (no few days of warming up obviously), the pain gets really unbearable really fast and she says, in voice-over, “the pain was so bad, I had to get an epidural.” Of course, she’s flat on her back with tubes in her arms, and no tools for pain management are offered. Another graphic pops up- “Epidural: medicine to ease pain during labor.” After she gets it she says she is in “kind of a haze.” Her douchebag doctor comes in and says “you feeling better with that epidural?” She nods yes through her oxygen mask. “We are 5cm dilated and about 80% thinned out” he says. It’s also so foreign, and she is SOO at his mercy.
16 hours after pitocin, 16 hours in that bed, she starts pushing. People are in the room telling her when to start and stop & counting. The doctor says something unintelligible. The nurse says “did you say it wasn’t moving?” “Well,” he says “it comes down a little bit and then it goes right back up.” Uh, excuse me if I am mistaken everyone, but isn’t that absolutely normal and to be expected? An hour into pushing he says “well, if it’s not coming this way, you know which way we might have to get the baby.” I’m not kidding, he has a smirk on his face when he says that. I don’t even understand what that smirk could mean. But, what a hellish thing to say to a woman in labor, even if he is thinking that (which obviously I don’t think he should be), why say it if there is still time? If there is a might? Wouldn’t that just make her less likely to progress? Gosh, do most doctors try to stack the odds against women delivering vaginally on purpose this way? Do women go in and have c-section dangled over their heads the whole time?
She nods silently and then starts to cry. “It’s okay” he says “it’s not failure or anything. You’re doing fine, the baby is doing fine. These things we just never know until we’re here.” Excuse me? None of that made sense. If all is fine with mother and baby, why is a c-section necessary? Plus, she was obviously set up for this. Scheduled induction with pitocin for no reason (not even a bullshit reason like the baby is big, literally NO REASON given), epidural, then all this criticism and labor watching and telling her a c-section is inevitable.
Her voice over says “After pushing for OVER AN HOUR, the doctor knew I was exhausted and was trying to prepare me for a c-section (we see the doctor peak under the blanket and say “really swelling now, see all that swelling?”) but I’m going to fight as hard as I can before I even consider that.” Fast music ques like in a chase scene, and the camera cuts to the clock. No joke. 20 hours into labor and she’s pushing to their counting again. Voice-over again “but it just wasn’t working.”
“I don’t want a c-section” she says on screen, with sobs. Sobs.
I guess the doctor has been else where because when we come back from commercial a nurse is there with her and she is pushing, the nurse says “show HIM how good you’ve been pushing for me. Come on, push. Give it all ya got.” I guess we have to make the case to the doctor that we’re pushing good enough, so he won’t do what he really wants to and cut. The nurse seems to be rooting for vaginal birth though. Moments later the doctor walks in and says “where we at?” “Right there” “I would just leave her there, that’s lower.” ????? “Can we give her something for pain then, because she can’t… she’s having a hard time…?” Voice-over is back- I was totally against having a c-section, but after 26 hours of labor, I feel like it’s my only option. … And she’s being wheeled to surgury. My heart just sinks. How many women, in a non-emergency situation- are made to feel like it’s their only option when it’s not. I’m not convinced that she couldn’t have had a vaginal delivery even under these circumstances had she been left alone without all the micromanaging and fear via threats of abdominal surgery. But, I would be willing to bet cold hard cash that had they let her go into labor spontaneously when her body was ready and let her labor on her own before coming into birth, vaginal birth would have been 100% achievable.
Earlier in the episode, she looked in a pregnancy book with her friends. She said she didn’t want a c-section because the mother only get to look at her baby and can’t hold the baby until after she gets stiched up and “I really want to hold my baby right away.” Sigh… you should have been able to. I’m pained to watch them walk her over, more so than other c-section births I’ve witnessed, because of the earnestness with which she said that, and knew it.
The baby weighs six-pounds.
I know there are some medically necessary c-sections and I know some people want epidurals by choice, but as this girl observed, she didn’t feel like she had a choice. For how many women is this the case?
It makes me sad, and angry. I just want better care from our medical system, our doctors. Watching this seemed not just like poor care though, it seemed like a crime. Like purposefully doing this to her, making her go through hours of torture with abdominal surgery and separation from her baby looming over her head, and then of course doing that, and deeming it her “failure to progress” because he wanted to cut the baby out and go home for Christmas. The worst thing, it’s not even the worst case. Women in this group have horrifying birth trauma/birth rape stories. But watching this, which is like a typical case, I am just sick to my stomach.”
Emilie Lili
We do have a similar show in France right know, it’s called “Baby Boom” and full of so-called-births” like you describe…..
AWFULL…
But worst is that DO IS NORMAL to everyone !!! All my Facebook friends are “emotionnaly so touched” by this show….
It just makes me sick….
aid
Maybe the intention was to turn teens off having babies!!! -it would certinly turn me off!!!
Kathryn Lindsey
It’s exactly because of shows like this is why my sister in law thought the only way you could deliver a baby was flat on your back with your feet up in the stirups. She’s pregnant, due in October, and it wasn’t till her childbirth class where the instructor showed videos of women giving birth squatting and standing up that she realized you could give birth a different way. It’s sad, and stupid and frustrating and I wish more women knew the importance of educating themselves about their choices/options for birth instead of just handing their healthy bodies and babies over to the medical establishment.
Brianne
Thank you for adding that it traumatizes the daddies as well. My poor husband at the birth of our almost three year old was forced out of the room when they had to knock me out during my emergency c-section because the epi was not taking. He watched them intubate me and thought he was going to lose both me and our son. No one comforted him no on told him what was going on. He barely got to see Kade before they rushed him off, the baby was fine, they had no reason to rush him off they should have allowed him contact with at least his father but NOOO.
Anyway my point is no one really thinks about the father during or even after the birth, it’s just as important to them.
Laura Paulescu
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said “This is not birth, this is torture!” It’s a completely different perspective & experience…. that’s what I’ve learned is the key as I’m preparing for my first baby’s birth! My mom (who had 5 babies naturally & has watched 3 of my sisters already give birth & will be attending mine,) and I watched the French video you posted recently of several natural births, with tears in our eyes because of the beauty in each moment, and seeing how HAPPY each mama was! My favorite was the beautiful blonde who smiled ecstatically as her baby entered the world, joyfully scooped him/her up onto her chest and literally wrapped her baby in a bear hug! I will be sharing that video with my cousin who is also pregnant, due in Oct & terrified of the pain she’ll be experiencing during labor/delivery, partially because she watches stupid shows like this one!! No one has told or shown her a better birth experience, so who can blame her? Thank you for every way you have influenced mine & my baby’s personal journeys!!!!!
Anne
This breaks my heart because I was there. 12 years ago I was a terrified teenager about to give birth for the first time (and no, I dont condone teen pregnancy but we all have our life journey – this was mine). No on ever told me that I had a choice when it came to birth or my baby – and even though I should have known I was so young and had doctors and nurses who barked at me and treated me like I was less than human. I “had” to be induced (never was told the risks) and when I refused the epidural (something in me, even though I didnt know what, said NO, DONT DO THIS) I had to fight with my nurses 6 hours into labor because they told me and my mom that I “had” to have one. When they realized I wouldnt give in they told me that I “better stop making noises then or they were going to kick everyone out of my room”. This went on for the whole 12 hours of my labor – to say nothing of how I was told there was NO CHOICE when it came to circumcision. It makes me want to cry even now all these years later.
Now that I am much older and pregnant with my second I knew that I would do anything not to go through that again. My husband is supportive, I am armed with much more information, and I know my options and whats best for my baby. I will always feel terrible that my first had to be born under so much stress and trauma and I can never take back the things he had to go through.
Every mama deserves to be treated like a human. Young or old, black or white, rich or poor. I know there are great OB’s and great L&D nurses and Im sad that the ones I had ruined it for everyone.
Amy Horn
I couldn’t disagree more with this article! I have had three children, the first two which were natural and not by choice but because I dilated so fast and was passed the point of getting an epidural once at the hospital. My third was an elective induction two weeks before my due date. I received my epidural prior to the pitocin. The last was by far my BEST experience! I was actually able to focus on and be in the moment for the birth of my baby; seeing the doctor and nurses prep everything, talk to my husband, and I no issues pushing as I could feel enough to do so. I had no pain from the pitocin at all! With my first two all I could focus on was the pain, it was like I was in a fog and nothing mattered. I didn’t know who was there, who wasn’t, what they were doing, nor did I really care, all I wanted was the pain to stop.
I do agree with educating yourself as far as birth goes, although you need to be educated enough to also realize it isn’t always going to go the way you want and to be so upset over that is ridiculous to me. Why would you want to be in the most extreme pain of your life for hours on end? Just so you can say I did it natural? Do you get a trophy for that or something?
In the end, you have a baby, however which way you did it and to be criticized for it either way is again, ridiculous.
Mrs. BWF
Hmmm, I don’t see how your experience is disagreeing with this post. You were informed and happy with your choices, this mom was not. Not all of my births have been natural either. Not all my natural births were painful either. I don’t recall getting a trophy either way, I recall getting a baby. Each baby, pregnancy and birth are different and that is OK. I am glad you are happy with your birth! My best experiences were my first cesarean and my 4th baby who was a home birth. 🙂 I guess we do agree being educated and making informed choices is important and what brings a happy birthing experience, not just how/where you birth!
Sara
You’re right, birth shows are terrifying. Especially the shows on TLC where 99.8% of the births they show end up in the hospital and usually with a c-section. It’s terrifying! I watch a couple of them when I was pregnant with my last baby (now 18 months) and it almost scared me out of a natural birth.
The media is sensationalizing every day life to a whole new (and sickening) level.
Bec
Poor bugger. That DR WAS an arsehole !!! Why the heck would you induce a mother when her nor her baby are ready !!! Just because a baby doesn’t come on it’s EDD does NOT mean an induction has to take place. GRRRRR !!!
Oregonmommy
I get so mad when I see these girls go through this, that is why I don’t watch either. Sadly I was one of them, 16 and pregnant,so scared and thought I could trust my CNM, but I wasn’t so lucky. I did end up with a cesarean because I was induced and didn’t move fast enough even though I got to 7 in 14 hours.
Me'Lisa
When i was 18 I had my daughter. I went into the hospital with back labour after 4 hours I was told I wasent progressing fast enough and they wanted to do pit i refused so the doctor broke my waters during a vaginal exam no warning no nothing. when I got “stuck” at 4 for an hour the doctor came in and told me i had to have an epidural to push my labour farther along because my body wouldnt do it. after an hour the docotr came in and told me she was prepping me for a c section I said no she then had the hospital social worker come in and tell me that if i refused medical treatment they would take my baby from me and i would never see her again if she lived. I consented to the c-section with my second I had an elective c section at 38 weeks i had crushed 4 disks in my lower spine in a car accident at 18 weeks pregnant and had lost all feeling and movement in my legs at 37 weeks I needed surgery so i could walk again. with my last my water broke at 36 weeks and i had no contractions at the end of 24 hours i was told my baby would die of infection if i didnt have a c section once again i consented. now ttc’ing again I have done so much research and no that none of those things in my first and third where medically necessary
Fatima
I’m pregnant with my first and I have done tons of research into my birthing options and I’ve made sure my husband is as fully informed as I am.
We watch this show occasionally and funnily enough, it is now my husband (and not just me) who gets riled up about the fact that 1.in just about every episode we’ve seen, the girl ends up getting induced and 2. the doctors never explain why it is necessary to induce, offers other options or gives any information as to what effects an induction actually has.
Caitlin
I had an epidural, but I pushed when I needed to push! My doctor encouraged me to push when I felt it was ready. He told me that he couldn’t tell me when to push because I would feel it, and I did. An epidural does not numb you completely. I felt the crowning, tearing, the sewing, everything.
Talia
I had a very tramatic hospital birth.
nikita
I watched 16 and pregnant last night the girl was 3cm dilated and they still induced her ugh after hours of Labour, getting the epidural she ended up having a comment-section that probably wouldn’t have been needed had she went in when time was right did I mention she was induced before her duedate
J. Nikole
I am curious to know, I did not have a home birth, or even drug free for that matter. But I’d like to share my story. Do you post these types of stories too?
Brynne
This makes me so mad. I labored for two days with back labor because my son was posterior and i was in active labor for 17 hours. Was the most painful experience. Its sad that our ob’s won’t educate us about posterior either, I had to find out about it from a doula that noticed I was in pain for 2 days before active with back pain. At the hospital they had me lay back, i dilated very fast but was stuck at 9.5 for 15 hours. I did it drug and epidural free. The nurse broke my water and didn’t let me get back up just had me lay on my back. Then she tried being sneaky and putting pit into my I.V. and i yelled at her. Her shift was finally over and another nurse came in my room and asked if I happened to be having back labor, and i said yes! She had me get up, lay on my side, and as soon as i stood up, i was ready to push because he moved into the right position finally. If it wasn’t for her I would of gotten a c-section because hospitals just want you in and out. I was so calm the whole time, and then the previous nurse told me if it wasn’t time to push him out within the next couple hours i would have to get a c-section. I cried so hard, thinking all that work and pain done for nothing. I didn’t give in though and that nurse thankfully left and the new nurse went against the hospital and turned my baby for me. She was so awesome! (Found out she actually helped deliver me when I was born at that hospital).
Whitney
Last night while watching this show I turned to my husband and said, “These poor girls are victims here!” It is just horrible. Most of the episodes I have seen have been the same way- inducing and interventions and 80% ending in C-Sections. Any birth shows on tv are the same way. I cannot even watch “A Baby Story” on TLC anymore. They have become predictable, and after 10 hours of labor with Pitocin the doc will say, “Well, you just aren’t progressing well. We’re going to have to do a C-Section.” Have-to my ass! I weep for these women and hope before they have more babies they research their hearts out and find the better way to birth.
sue watson
so right BWF as a uk midwife i HATE thease sort of programs! thats why in my house thay are never on! at parent ed i show a lovely film BIRTH INTO BEING. and have shared pics of ladies i have facilitated birth with. BUT how many times have i heard BUT IT AINT LIKE THAT ON TV. shame thease programs actually tell birth as birth should be. intimate intense powerfull empowering and SPONTANEOUS
sue watson
SORRY teach me to read wot i write i ment shame thay DONT actually show birth as birth should be
Amy
I watch 16 and Pregnant all the time – or I used to. The births drove me NUTS. It seemed like almost all of them chose to induce for no reason, and NOBODY tells them that it might make it more painful or more likely to end in a CS. WTF?! And it just seems like there should be charities out there to help teenage girls get free birthing classes. They can’t afford it, and they tend to need it more than anyone since they’re young and vulnerable and often unsupported by the people who should be helping them be empowered. Yes, duh, teenagers shouldn’t be pregnant in general. But once they are, they need every chance possible to make it the best experience possible! Watching girls get lied to on 16 and Pregnant is SO frustrating, and it makes me want to do something to help empower pregnant teenage girls to have great births and to be in charge!
MamaSarah
I’m definitely with you. It is so sad to see these girls that are lost, scared, and uneducated being led astray, right into shackles and whips.
I have been lucky enough to have amazing midwives for all 3 of my births so far, but am still terrified of doing it again in a few months. I cannot imagine how much worse it must be for these poor mamas.
Rowen
I seriously regret not trying to be on this show. I had a homebirth a year and a half ago when i was 17 and i really wish i could have shown America how beautiful, empowering, and not scary birth can be. Its so sad that so many women have such awful experiences simply because they were given so much wrong information.
Mindy
I love that you are spreading the good truth about natural birth. I can not believe we as a society and nation have let something so natural and beautiful become so medical and painful.
jenn
great, what show and what episode are you talking about? I think I’ve seen it but I can’t remember the name
jenn
Grace* sorry, darn phone