Recently I heard a debate about Whether it is a right or not for parents tube able to film the birth of their child. So do you think parents should no matter what be able to film this once in a life time moment, or does the hospital have the right to protect themselves from documenting possible mistakes?
big916
Posted: 30 Sep 20:02
Able? As in permitted by the hospital, clinic, whatever? SURE. GO RIGHT AHEAD.
But, as for me - DON'T YOU DARE!
Just what every woman wants to see - herself large, spreadeagled, vagina increased to the point where she thinks she's a bus station, blood, feces, urine and the smell of ammonia everywhere not to mention the swearing and cursing coming from her - OH JOY!
Copies make lovely XMas gifts too.
EvilEvilKitten
Posted: 30 Sep 20:02
I think parents should be able to film or photograph the birth of their child, if that is desired. Hospitals shouldn't interfere with that.
I find it strange they would fear of such recordings. Should a mistake be made, they're responsible for as far as they can be held accountable. The recording doesn't change the fact. But: I could imagine personnel requesting for filming to stop, when it is interfering with their work somehow. A birth is best done with as little interference as possible. But when interference is needed, doctors/midwives should off course have the access as required, without camera's in their way.
How women want their birth to be, differs a lot. Some want the entire family present. Even other children can be prepared for the birth of a sibling. Some want every step to be recorded in detail and chose a photographer long before the date. Some want only privacy. A birthing mom in fury can even make doctors leave the room, if only for a few minutes ;)
Personally: I have pictures of myself being born, also in the hospital. From my mom going through the different stages of labor, to the point where my head is crowning, the actual birth, to my first gasps of air and after they've put me in her arms; the first time I open my eyes and look straight at my mom. I find it quite special I have them. Just do realize; it also meant that my father wasn't part of the birth. He was only observing everything happening through the lens. Which is something to consider when choosing the person making the film.
RedRoses
Posted: 30 Sep 20:02
Whereas, my husband was very involved in the birth process and all we have photos of are babies becoming adults.
EvilEvilKitten
Posted: 30 Sep 20:03
I truely feel that if a woman/couple want to record birth that should be their right as long as it doesn't infringe on the privacy and rights of others. We do live in a highly litigous society so those with the most to loose in a law suit will be the most resistant to the possibility of being filmed/photographed. Many hospitals have banned birth filming largely due to liability. Hospitals and physicians are good at covering up fault, records can be and are alterted everyday in the US, even in military hospitals which I'm the most familiar. If a facility/Physician won't allow filming of child birth you can call the Insurance commisioner in your state as well as the liscencing board for Obstetrics to find out if there has ever been law suits pending or resolved for that facility/Dr. If there is a significant history with either you may want to reconsider where and who will deliver your child when the time comes. I would smell a rat if there is no allowance what so ever for a couple to film child birth. I would personally be too uncomfortable with that policy and choose an alternative that doesn't restrict my personal right to record child birth.
LustyLisa
Posted: 30 Sep 20:03
Given your post Lisa, I'd probably take it as a bad sign if the hospital refuses camera's.
It is advisable for women and their partners to make a list of birth-wishes. And part of it would be to go out and get hospital policies. Even when the first choice would be birthing at home, it is good to have a back-up plan when that becomes impossible. That way you can maximize your chances of having your baby the way you wish it.
Personally; I do think I'd like to have it captured on film. But I would like the perspective of a woman birthing. Not the biological perspective of a vagina opening without a woman attached to it (as most of the pictures of my birth are :rolleyes:)
RedRoses
Posted: 30 Sep 20:03
I have kind of a funny story about this exact subject. :)
For our 1st child, the room we were put in at the hospital didn't have a mirror available for my wife to watch. Being the ingenious husband I am, I rigged up our video camera next to the TV, wired it in, and positioned it so she could just watch it on the TV. It was well zoomed in and basically was only the action angle. It was stationary, wasn't being handled by a shaky ass 1st dad, or anything. No faces, no commentary up close, no love, no emotion, no stopping. This was an unyielding video display of an event. I frankly had forgotten I put it there,as I was busy doing all the important new dad things like being in the way and saying stupid things like "boy I'm getting sleepy".
Apparently I had hit record setting it up.
What we ended up with was EVERYTHING you don't see on National Geographic. It was well over a full hour of full on labor, episiotomy, and everything. You could see contractions, and how her whole "area" would bulge out during it. It was like watching Jim Carrey poop himself out of the rhino in Ace Ventura II. :)
Now the funny part. My father was extremely old school. He HAD to wait out in the waiting rooms for all 6 of his kids. At my brother's birth he was laying tile in the same hospital (he worked construction). So as far as he knew a seance took place and the baby was disgorged by a stork. We had all joked about how he had never seen a birth and never would, when my wife piped up and said "I'll get the DVD."
I got to witness my pop turn all 63 shades of embarrassed. He was even peeking through fingers! :) We all laughed about that for YEARS!
Firmus
Posted: 30 Sep 20:03
Firmus, you already had me laughing at this part of your post :D Not to mention the description after :rolleyes:
I actually find it a bit sad your father never got to be part of it. It is amazing what this experience can do for you as a couple. The moment your child is born, you are "born" as parents. And the first few moments after birth are an incredible jumpstart for the bond you both develop with your child.
Off course, some pregnancies and births happen in more or less fortunate circumstances and the people present carry their own baggage. My father is a semi-professional photographer, who -by my mother's description- kept himself emotionally distant. There was not a moment of shaky hands. But perhaps in the way he was present, he found the only way he was able to contribute.
PS: thank you, Big, for starting this thread. I find it very interesting, as may be clear from my several posts :)
RedRoses
Posted: 30 Sep 20:04
In the opinion of the hospital it infringes on their right what they want their policy to be. It is hard to say if these hospitals that don't allow recording if it is because of frivolous lawsuits where people are trying to cash in, or serious mistakes occurred. Either way they are protecting themselves from lawsuits which makes since. 9/10 lawsuits in the world are filed in the US.
I don't believe this is the policy of the majority of hospitals. It must depend directly if they or surrounding locations are sued often. I do believe that people should research the policy of the hospitals so that they are not disappointed and miss out on the opportunity that won't happen again.
Personally if we were to record the birth I would just want it filmed or shot at the mother's angle. Firmus I believe put it best with the Ace ventura reference. :D I don't have the old beliefs where the men wait out in the room and when the child is born you light up a cigar. I think smoking is gross, and if I had all the fun making the baby then I should be in the delivery room for support if she wants it.
And you are very welcome RR :)
big916
Posted: 30 Sep 20:04
My husband's opinion of being there was not happy - he died a million deaths knowing how strenuous it was and how useless he was to help but he stayed voicing no complaints even while I was crushing his hands and telling him to shut up about the breathing, dammit. Then there's that wonderful experience of checking over the placenta with the doctor to make sure it was all out. a large flattish dark blood mass of lumpy jello with a red rope hanging from it. Lovely.
This was through two births, btw.
The best part is that 'eel sliding over the rocks' feeling - ah! the baby's out!
EvilEvilKitten
Posted: 30 Sep 20:04
A friend of mine was really flabbergasted over that. As the nurse explained how the baby had been in there, she was like: get that thing away from me! Whereas I also know some women really liked to see what had been the baby's protective and nursing bubble for months.
The placenta is actually a wonderful thing. It has functioned during pregnancy as the baby's lungs, kidney, gut and liver. And after birth; it can even provide new-born-CPR. As long as the umbilical cord is connected, it can provide the baby with that bit of extra blood it needs. In fact; early clamping of the cord (clamping while it is still pulsing) deprives the baby of 54 to 160 ml of blood, which is about half the baby’s blood volume at birth. Especially for a baby that is weak or not breathing too well, this blood can be life-saving. For a healthy baby, delayed cord-clamping can provide him an easier and healthier transition into this world.
Not to mention how some people contribute spiritual value to the placenta. Some actually take the placenta home in, like ritually burying it with a tree. Even Lotus Births, in which the baby and the placenta remain united by the umbilical cord, until it separates naturally. There are no proven health risks, though there is indication it possibly poses risk of jaundice. There is no known health-value in leaving the placenta attached after the pulsing has stopped, only spiritual. It is perhaps a weird idea. Yet: it is the baby's DNA, so maybe not that weird at all.
That's another aspect parents may like to think about when having their baby; do they want the cord clamped early, late or not at all?
You may want to get informed about your options at the hospital.
RedRoses
Posted: 30 Sep 20:05
Yeah he always wished he could too. I'm 12 years younger than my nearest sibling (I'm the baby :)) so it was all back in the early 60's when the others were born. Fathers flat weren't allowed in.
I couldn't imagine missing what I've witnessed.
Firmus
Posted: 30 Sep 20:05
And husbands are sternly counseled NOT to resent or remember what a woman in labor might say. Like that lady down the hall swearing enough to make sailor or a longshoreman blush in shame and run for cover. I thought she was very articulate and quite inventive but then she wasn't yelling at me. My husband wanted to hide though.
EvilEvilKitten
Posted: 30 Sep 20:05
