Birth Videos on YouTube Abound
Until I had my first kid, I had never seen a birth all live and up close. Actually, I didn’t see that one either, what with my eyes being so far from the action.
On the other hand, I did have a vague idea of what to expect, since my childbirth instructor showed a ton of birth videos during our six-week class. Also, I watched a minimum of two births a day on TLC’s A Baby Story.
Still, I wanted more.
The TV stuff is so heavily edited. And those class films? What I really wanted to do was rewind and play certain bits over and over again, even nudge in closer to the screen to make out the poorly lit body parts.
So I kind of envy first-time mom’s bounty of birth movies right inside their computers. Just log on to YouTube and search “birth” and you’ve got footage to get you through nine months of gestating.
The NY Times writes about a few of the women who watch and/or star in these tell-all, show-everything films and tries to answer why? Why! Why in the world would someone put their naked, groaning, primal selves out there for all to see?
For starters, Boston University professor Eugene Declerq says these YouTube films are filling a gap in the birthing world that has been there for several generations now. It used to be women saw birth all the time — their own mothers, aunts, sisters, neighbors etc. But once birth moved into the hospital, girls and young women had no more opportunities to see birth — until they, themselves, were in labor.
Then there’s this: another mom quoted in the story used online birth videos (pre-screened, of course) to introduce her 7-year-old to childbirth and prep her for watching her little brother’s birth.
Plus, I think, birth is pretty cool, though you won’t see any of mine uploaded anytime soon. I can barely stand to hear my voice on an answering machine. I sure don’t want to subject the world to my moans and groans. But, yes, I loooove a good birth video.
Do you ever watch birth videos online? What do you think? Would you consider (or have you) posted your birth on YouTube?
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Photo: NYTimes.com
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Tags: birth videos, childbirth, childbirth education, home birth, pregnancy, youtube
5 Comments
[...] Birth Videos on YouTube Abound [...]
The Case Against Marriage | Strollerderby commented on Jun 12 09 at 10:37 amAmy Kuras commented on Jun 11 09 at 4:30 pmI’m sorry,but I think putting your birth video on YouTube for all the world to see is classic narcissistic overshare. Why oh why would you think that moment is as special to the rest of the world as it was to you? Videotape your birth if you must, share it with friends and family if you must, but some things can and should remain private and within the “Circle of Trust.”
meghan commented on Jun 12 09 at 12:33 amI love watching YouTube births! I started seeking them out because it’s hard to find real pics or videos that aren’t blurred or edited, and I really wanted to know what to expect. While I won’t be doing it myself, I appreciate the fact that other women made their videos available for my–and other mothers’–viewing.
Marj commented on Jun 15 09 at 2:44 amI saw a birth video in 9th grade science class. It was horrific. I’m not into birth videos, don’t want to see any more. If I could not see my own in two months, that would be great. I’ve already warned my husband that I will kill anybody I see with a camera of any kind. I don’t want to remember that part at all. I’m of the (unpopular) opinion that birth is messy and violent - and I cover my eyes during messy, violent stuff during movies. And yeah, feeling this way, I still, deliberately got pregnant. I figure it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for my kids (and my husband).
Nicole commented on Jun 15 09 at 8:09 amI love them! I watched them a lot with my second pregnancy to help prepare me and my son. I recorded mine and posted it to share with my friends (who are birth junkies) and for the world since I found them so helpful and comforting.
