Too Much Information?

When planning a pregnancy, how much information do you wish to know about the labour before hand? Some mothers like to know what will happen right down to the last detail, including what kind of pain to expect; others would prefer to just find out on the day to prevent any pre-birth fears.

But with birth videos available online and channel four's show One Born Every Minute on our screens every week, when does necessary preparation become just scaring yourself silly?

A friend of mine who was due to give birth for the first time just after the show came onto our screens refused to watch it, saying that she didn't want to know that much about the birthing process. Seeing and hearing the screams of pain can be enough to put you of ever getting pregnant, but then when the parents hold the baby for the first time, even the most stoic of watchers usually shed a tear! In a way, the show mimic s the feelings of labour in the watcher. As a viewer you experience fear and anxiety then utter relief and happiness when the baby is born, but I can see why it could be off putting for mums-to-be.

Shows like that can also give you more things to worry about, prompting questions like 'what if that happens to me?' Or they might put you off your original birth plan prompting thoughts like 'that pain looks too much without an epidural' etc.

Additionally, I've heard of mothers who've been discussing their due dates with work colleagues or acquaintances when suddenly, they are faced with an in-depth account of the other person's traumatic birth story! Ending with a courteous 'of course, this probably won't happen to you,' isn't enough to quash the effects of a horrendous tale of labour.

So how do you avoid all of this unwanted information? Well, firstly, decide how far you'd like to investigate into the labour. You might want to be talked through the process without watching someone else give birth. Alternatively you might want your partner to watch the show One Born Every Minute so that they are better prepared, but you don't want to see it yourself. There are pros and cons to knowing every detail about someone else's labour. But remember, every labour is different so what happens to them might not happen to you.

As long as you are comfortable with the amount of information you know, don't worry about turning off the TV or shutting someone up if they start rambling about troublesome birth number three!

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Rosanne Moulding

Alice graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Masters degree in Classics, before moving to live in Canada where she worked as Marketing Coordinator for a publishing press.

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