Pregnancy is a deeply personal experience and everyone has their own vision of how they want it to unfold. For one mom-to-be, the excitement of her first child has been met with a mix of joy and unexpected challenges.
With her due date approaching, Reddit user BirthVidThrow received a videographer’s services as a Christmas present to film the childbirth. But the problem was that she didn’t want it. In fact, the woman had repeatedly expressed that she found the idea repulsive.
However, her refusal of the gift made her dad’s girlfriend—the one who had arranged the surprise—emotional, and the lady quickly became defensive, further escalating the tension.
Childbirth is often accompanied by a mix of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges
Image credits: Leah Newhouse/Pexels (not the actual photo)
And this woman’s dad and his girlfriend wanted to record hers
Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: BirthVidThrow
The woman shouldn’t be forced to accommodate others
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author of the post is absolutely right in highlighting the vulnerable nature of the moment. Severe injuries can occur during childbirth and subsequently impact her mental or physical health. Up to 45% of mothers report experiencing birth trauma and up to 33% of them develop symptoms of PTSD.
Common causes of birth trauma include:
- Emergency c-section;
- Provider mistreatment, lack of respect, or obstetric violence;
- NICU transfer;
- Poor pain relief;
- Injury;
- A very long labor;
- Precipitous labor.
Symptoms of PTSD from birth trauma include:
- Flashbacks or intrusive thoughts about your birth experience;
- Nightmares;
- Difficulty sleeping;
- Anxiety;
- Extreme fear of another pregnancy or birth;
- Difficulty bonding with your baby.
When the stakes are this high, everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and heard.
Having a baby is one of the biggest events in a person’s life, and since it comes with a lot of physical and emotional challenges, supporting them can make a huge difference. Instead of forcing your definition of a perfect delivery on them, you can cook healthy meals, be active together, and stay positive and hopeful about what’s to come. The lady who is so determined to bring a camera into the delivery room should understand that no two pregnancies are alike and try to minimize stress—not add to it.
As her story went viral, the woman replied to some of the comments
Pretty much all of the people who read the story said the woman hasn’t done anything wrong
But there’s always one person
English (US) ·