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Reality Vs. Fiction: What Birth Really Looks Like Off The Screen

Have you ever watched a show where one of the characters gives birth?

Most on screen births are depicted pretty much the same way. First, the woman either has a sudden crouching in pain contraction, or her water breaks, which is immediately followed by frantic screams of 'The baby is coming!'. The woman is then immediately rushed to the hospital, and if she's lucky, she'll be placed on a bed, feet in stirrups, and pushing a baby out soon after. If she's not so lucky, the baby will be born in the car on the way to the hospital. Basically, they're all super fast, quite intense, and decently predictable with little to no options. As it turn out though, birth doesn't usually look at all like the TV shows. In fact, it pretty much never does.

So, what do the shows have wrong?

We'll start with their statistics. Statistically speaking, 80-95% percent (I'm estimating) of on screen births start with the woman's water breaking. In reality, only 8-10% of women experience a premature rupture of membranes (PROM) , which is when their amniotic (water) sac breaks before labor begins.  Once their water breaks on screen, they immediately begin having intense contractions causing them to speed off to the closest hospital.  In real life, it can be 12-24 hours, or more for contractions to begin after PROM occurs. Sure, some women do experience contractions soon after a rupture, but even then, they're not likely to start out very strong. That's a far cry from "Thundercats are go!!" in Juno.

Speaking of time, labor takes time. While 2-3% of women do experience precipitous labor (lasting 4 hours or less), and may find themselves rushing and overwhelmed like the women on screen, the other 97-98% of us do not. The average length of labor for a first time mom is 12-18 hours, and that doesn't even include prelabor! Contractions build up in intensity. They don't start out with the sudden crouching in pain intensity that is shown on TV shows. You will have plenty of time (in most cases) to finish your pizza, grab a shower, and maybe even take a nap. No need to panic like Katherine Heigl in Knocked up!

Last, but certainly not least, you have options in child birth. Surprisingly, they go far beyond stirrups or taxi cab. Did you know that some women plan to give birth at home or in a birth center? TV producers and screen writers apparently do not. They also don't seem to know that some women give birth via a cesarean section or that some women are able to birth peacefully without cussing out their husband or doctor (have you seen 9 months?). As it turns out, women can choose all sorts of things about their labor and birth, from their care provider, support team, pain management options, location, delivery position, and much more!

I for one am thankful that made for TV births are not the norm!

What sterotypes have you noticed with on screen births? Did you believe any of them before having your own baby or witnessing a live birth?