Birth Books and Videos to show kids? « Back to Group Discussions

[Jaimee]

It's quite possible that my 4.5 year old dd will end up seeing part or all of the birth itself if she wakes up in the night.  I'll have my MIL here to help out with the kids, but I think I would be fine with dd watching if she was prepared ahead of time with some books and videos.

So, what are your favorite birth videos off of youtube (or elsewhere)?

What are you favorite birth books for kids?

[Jaimee]

Anyone recommend Welcome with Love, Hello Baby or We're Having a Homebirth?

[meesh933]

I was about to start a similar thread! A friend gave us Hello, Baby, and my 4 yo loves it. Before DS was born, I showed her lots of birth videos on YouTube, but I don't have any bookmarked anymore. I definitely watched them alone first, and I tried to find some that were similar to how I imagined my birth (water, mostly). It helped prepare her a lot, and I've been meaning to start showing her some again. She ended up not being in the room when he was born, but I still think it helped her understand what was going on a lot better.

[Jaimee]

Here's a great hypnobabies, water birth.  Very calm, nicely shot and edited.

[Jaimee]

Stunning birth photography put into a slide show of a water birth (that appears to be at a birth center).  Not much detail about the birth itself, but a nice progression from start to finish. 

[Abraisme]

I came across this blog today.  I'm pretty sure that this mama happens to be in our DDC as well.  Maybe she'll comment.

http://codenamemama.com/2011/09/25/prepare-children-childbirth/

Apparently her next blog in the series is supposed to be 30 links to child friendly birth videos.

Edited by Abraisme - 9/28/11 at 8:57am

[TalkToMeNow]

Jaimee, we read Welcome With Love a million times and watched tons of birth videos. This was to prep dd1 for being at the birth of dd2. Of course, when the time came, I didn't want her anywhere near me... I would've scared her to death with the way I was acting. So this time, even at 14, 9, and 6, none of the kids will be with me during labor. They will never want to have kids after that! 

Sigh... I'm just not "perfect" during labor, like the woman in the slide show. I'm a peaceful birth failure. :( Of course, that lady looked calmer than I am on a normal afternoon after school! 

[Jaimee]

I'm a screamer so I'm not sure if that will work for dd either.  I'm not planning to have her there, but if she wakes up and MIL is unable to dissuade her in the middle of the night, I want her to be somewhat prepared for what she might see and hear.  

[jbk21]

Whew, I'm so glad I'm not the only non-peaceful birther.  Granted, I had pitocin and what not last time, and I was in the hospital... so maybe it will be a little more serene this time (*wishful thinking*).  I was SC-REA-MING bloody murder when I was pushing, especially.  LOL!  I certainly don't think DS would do well if he were in the room.....

I'm excited to see more book/video recs.  I have shown DS some nicely edited slide shows... but I don't know if he understands.  What would you consider age appropriate for a 2.5 year old?

[Code Name Mama]

Yes! I have a bunch of slideshows/videos posting on 9/30 - but I'm nervous about the response, b/c I think I'm much more liberal about showing blood/etc. than some parents might be Plus I *know* my son is not going to willingly go anywhere with a caregiver during labor, so he needed to get used to what will happen. FWIW, he loves watching the birth videos - even the ones that show everything.

[Jaimee]

I'm excited to see your blog post!  Will you post here again when you put up the videos to remind us?

J- I thought that maybe the second time around I wouldn't scream b/c I was in so much more control of my situation, just letting things happen as they needed to instead of being instructed to push when I had no urge.  But as it turned out, it's my natural instinct to scream while pushing.  It just feels right.  Fortunately I only pushed about 2 and a half times to get him out and so it wasn't much screaming compared to the 40 minutes of scream/push, rest, scream/push, rest that I went through dd.  Dh was horrified the first time and thought something was really wrong.  I tried to explain that it was something to do with my breath- it helped me to focus my energy.  I figure this time will be the same, but who knows!

[TalkToMeNow]

CodeName, I'm liberal too. I showed my dd pretty much any video when I was getting her ready. I figure it's natural and normal and nothing to hide. J, my dd was 2.5 at the time. She was very interested. She used to pretend she was having a baby, too. There was this one slideshow we used to watch everyday. The baby in it was named Jude, and that was my boy name. It was so special to us.

I am glad to see a few more screamers. I really do feel a bit like I'm doing birth wrong or something. Sometimes it seems like there is this attitude in the natural birth community that if you have the right attitude/ take the right class/ etc, birth won't hurt. So, if my labors are very painful and I scream and cry, it's my own fault. I'm sensitive... When I hear women say their labors didn't hurt because of x, y, or z, it's... I dunno, kind of makes me feel bad. I did those things, too. Anyway, sorry for the OT post!

[meesh933]

I ended up really glad that DD wasn't there when I was pushing last time, too. I was able to stay calm and quiet during contractions, but pushing was HELL. I pushed/screamed for 45 minutes with DS. I'm really hoping for a shorter pushing stage this time, especially since we live in an apartment now and I;m sure the neighbors won't appreciate it.

I'll probably be less cautious about the birth videos I show her this time, too. Last time, she was 2, now she's 4.5. I tried to keep the bloody, head-on vaginal shots to a minimum last time, to avoid freaking her out. I was also 99% sure I'd be giving birth in water, so that was what I showed her, and those videos tend to be a little tamer.

[Code Name Mama]

I will post a link! And you can all tell me if I went overboard

[jbk21]

So excited for your post, Codenamemama!  

Thanks, Jaimee and Talktomenow.  I have been feeling like I will "fail" at birthing this time because I haven't been doing any birthing classes, hypnobabies, or anything.  I have this ideal that I should be this peaceful birthing buddha but you're right- screaming is normal :-)  Sometimes even necessary!  I'm gonna yell it out if I want to :-)  

[meesh933]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

So excited for your post, Codenamemama!  Thanks, Jaimee and Talktomenow.  I have been feeling like I will "fail" at birthing this time because I haven't been doing any birthing classes, hypnobabies, or anything.  I have this ideal that I should be this peaceful birthing buddha but you're right- screaming is normal :-)  Sometimes even necessary!  I'm gonna yell it out if I want to :-)  

I haven't done any type of birth prep this time, either. Part of me says it's my third birth, second home birth, I know how to do this. The other part is terrified I'm going to forget how to relax and get through it all in the middle of labor! I need to pull out my hypno book, but I just honestly don't feel like it. I have other books I want to read first, and I know I won't have time after baby is here!

[Jaimee]

Apparently Hello Baby and Welcome with Love are the same book, just released in two different countries (US and Australia).

I feel the same way about birth prep. With my second, I had the neighbor girl look after Avalon three times a week so I could do my HypBirth CD's again. But the reality is, three times a week really didn't work. It has to be every day- I think you kind of have to go all the way with hypnobirthing training. I just can't do every day. I don't have that kind of kid-free time. While I did get reminded of how to relax and heard those birth affirmations again, I'm not sure how helpful it was. I already knew that stuff. So, I'm not beating myself up about not doing any birth prep this time around. It will be fine. My body knows what to do. I know what to do. Dh knows what's coming. It'll all work out. I'm more worried about the kids, honestly!

[Code Name Mama]

Here it is!!

http://codenamemama.com/2011/09/30/natural-birth-videos/

[Abraisme]

Thanks, my 25mo DD was absolutely amazed at how the baby came out of the mamas' belly.  She went on and on about babies coming out and how she needed her baby to come out of her belly.  We've opened up a whole new world here..  :)
 

Originally Posted by Code Name Mama 

Here it is!!
http://codenamemama.com/2011/09/30/natural-birth-videos/

[Code Name Mama]

Awwwww - that is so sweet!!