Five or ten years ago, I would loooove sick days. I’d lie on the couch and watch hour after hour of TLC…specifically The Baby Story (and…Bringing Home Baby). I’d watch these happy couples planning their births, hitting the hospital and writhing in agony to produce this slimy being. Then I’d cry and cry – oh so beautiful, so touching. A baby – a new life. Then I’d imagine the husband packing up his wife and baby and they’d drive home and spend the next couple days getting settled into their routine of bliss. Cue the happy tears.
Well, the last couple days it’s been in the background. And suffice it to say, my reaction has changed.
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD SIGN UP FOR THAT???? Listen – don’t get me wrong, there was everyone but the freaking pizza delivery guy at Will’s big reveal but filming it to air on national television for years?? (because one was a rerun I’d seen a million years ago – and yes, shut up I still watched it) I don’t think so.
My sister told me that my step-mother asked her, in the middle of my three hour contraction, if now was a good time to start taking pictures. She was wisely advised that no, not a good idea. So filming it for TV? Out of the question!
Watching the Baby Story has now become like watching sports for me. You know, at the start of the show, I pick sides. If the woman has this massive birth plan and elaborate plans, I generally root for the nurse. If she’s chillaxed – I root for her (I always have to pick sides). And yes, I yell at the television – ‘give it up – take the drugs already’ or ‘dude, shut up – she doesn’t want to hear how great she’s doing’. Honestly, I’d like to set up a scoring system or maybe a drinking game around the whole show.
And the Bringing Home Baby? Well, I’d like it to alter to ‘Bringing Home Baby – The Five Week Mark’ because really, the first two days? Aren’t we all still in blissful shock. Aren’t all family members cooking and doing your laundry? Yeah, wait till 6 weeks and then show the chapped nipples, black circles around the eyes etc. And then? Make it mandatory viewing to all Grade 10 high school students.
So tell me? What would it take for YOU to have your birth on A Baby Story???
For me – it would be a lifetime supply of beer, dark chocolate and university tuition.
wait – are we talking vagigi shots?- full frontal and up the wahoo?
no thanks
I don’t even like to look there myself during the car accident we call child birth
a free 14 day all expenses paid spa trip to the the Half Moon Bay in Jamaica every year. OH and yes, I forgot, a tennis lesson with Federer AND Nadal…not too out of the question me thinks…
I love Baby Story! But I would NEVER put my birth on TV. Um, ok, I shouldn’t say never. maybe I’d do it for free tuition for The Boy to any school he chooses…or if they paid off my mortgage?
Honestly, The Baby Story (and the Wedding Story) almost always made me want to barf. I thought they were cheesy. Or maybe I have selective memory, ask Jen, we used to watch them together.
Anyhoo, there’s not a chance that I would go on the tube with my delivery, or any part of my story, unless it were a Nature of Things type of show, scientific and all. And… I got paid a million dollars so I could buy some fancy mustards and John Merritt’s remains.
My husband’s comment after the delivery in the OR (a must with twins) was “the place looked like an abattoir”, and it was true…..NUF SAID.
And we really did have 18 people in there and I didn’t care if they looked at my hoo hoo.
I loved to watch Gill Deacon when I was home on mat leave.
There is not enough money in the world. Both of my deliveries were crazy fast, and complication-free. I had no issue with anyone and everyone watching my kids be born (though I had no idea 18 people could fit in such a small room), I had only minor issue with the nurses taking bets on how fast my second child would deliver, and made no effort to show any modesty whatsoever when dealing with the shrieking agony related to my daughter’s MASSIVE head. Seriously, I wouldn’t care if the whole wide world saw a direct feed of the whole shebang. But I don’t want to see it. And I don’t think my kids would want to see it on syndication 10 years from, now. I mean, does it get more personal?
But I ABSOLUTELY watched the show whenever I was home in the afternoon. I’m with Tracey – it’s better to be a voyeur 🙂
My whole birth deal was fine – both times – but I’d never want to be on one of those shows… better to be a voyeur, methinks.
Baby Story is way too”produced” and all shiny and happy.. I LOVED watching Birth Days (Canadian), now that is real life/real people and it followed them for 6 weeks. Some episodes were freaking hilarious, those people were nutcases. I’ve got to hand it to the casting people from that show – they found some real doozys. And the running commentary/advice from the panel was hilarious. I wish that show was still on, if anything it made me feel like a better mom and appreciate my husband more. Still on Twist TV if anyone wants a laugh.
That is hilarious Sarah. And so true. I’m happy to know I’m not the only sad-o who used to watch back-to-back episodes of that awful ‘docu-drama’ (and after I moved to the UK – the British version of the same show). I became almost obsessed with it when I was contemplating IVF and fully immersed in the world of baby desperation. It used to sicken my husband, which I thought made him unsentimental in the extreme (I used to worry that it reflected on his ability to be emotional with his children…and although he is a great father, he really wasn’t very emotional during the birth, falling asleep during BOTH relatively short labours).
Now I’m too cynical to watch it – these nervous first-time mothers and their ridiculous water-birth plans! I just WAIT for the plan to go all wrong – because that’s what happened to me so by God that’s what should happen to everyone!
I think I’d let the world see Eva’s. It was nice.
Cuyler’s was pretty horrific for all involved – dr’s included.
And with Cam I gained nearly 70lbs and I looked like a whale giving birth.
I can visualize that with your sister adn I’m howling…. my dad was there too – he stayed up near the head of the bed..but my step mother would describe to you the full delivery…it’s a riot she uses hand gestures….
I had friends on the proposal one…even that freaked me out!!!! Did they get paid???
Well my Sara my friend I actually know someone who did this.
Seriously.
Brad’s cousin and her hubby went on the Canadian one…the name escapes me. They were pregnant when we were, I was a tad jealous that they were going to be on it…says alot about me huh?
So when it aired we sat with a bowl of popcorn to watch the action. It was strange to see folks you know on the TV, interesting and all that.
Then they were in the delivery room, her hubby who is a very cool cat went green, fainted and well missed most of the birth.
So no, I’d never do it.
Poor guy.
man, i hardly wanted to be there for mine let alone having the whole world see it. don’t think there’s a price for me. although the university tuition is quite tempting….
Sorry – no money would make me have my any of my three births televised…too much of a personal moment… my sister took pictures of my first born coming out AND I was appalled – I deleted them off the camera!! Her response was “oh thought you would like to see it”. My response was “then I would have asked for the mirror – I know how the child is coming out. I don’t need to see it!” By the time I had my third, my dad was in the room moments before Andrew that born and I have to stay that was pretty cool. He kissed me on the forehead and said “I can’t see you like this” and left….
I would do it if they provided a full time nanny and maid for the first year after baby was born.