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Dr. Phil is doing a show about homebirthing  

post #1 of 29
8/29/08 at 4:11pm
Thread Starter 
(I got this from another forum)

Ladies, I am writing to a mixed group here - midwives and clients. I would like to bring your attention to the link below and would ask you to write to Dr. Phil with your story.

They appear to be asking for midwife horror stories. I want to swamp him with stories about great experiences and for the midwives to write and tell their stories. I also think he needs a huge overflow of bad hospital birthing stories!! I think it would really help for them to see how people really feel.

I am very annoyed that he has specifically asked for the bad stories. I'd really like then to hear about the bad hospital births! But it is Doctor Phil after all!

Please send your story in. It may not do any good, but we can only try. To be silent will help no one.

Midwives, please send this link to all your clients and ask them to do the same.

http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=12524
post #2 of 29
8/29/08 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
I'd be first in line with two horrible hospital birthing stories. I am choosing a homebirth this time around because both of my hospital births were two of the most traumatic experiences ever. (they circed DS without my signed or verbal consent, induced me 5 weeks early because it was more convenient, neglected in a tiny dark room for 12 hours... the list goes on)

Anyone have any stories to share?
post #3 of 29
8/29/08 at 4:46pm
There were some other threads on this survey in Birth and Beyond but they all seem to be closed or moved now.
post #4 of 29
8/29/08 at 5:50pm
Okay, why not a show about terrible hospital births? Or OBs who have no time to talk to their patients?
post #5 of 29
8/29/08 at 5:54pm
Since this is a call to action that all members can help with and isn't a DDC-specific thread, I am moving it to Activism.
post #6 of 29
8/31/08 at 12:32am
I hope your approach to yet another Dr. Phil signature ratings tactic is successful.
post #7 of 29
8/31/08 at 5:15am
Sorry playing Devil's Advocate here. (my lot in life... or my personality I don't know)

It could be that they are doing a show on birth in general. Its very easy to get happy midwife/homebirth stories. They abound! To be unbiased (I know seems silly the subject is considered opinion and needs to be reported in an unbiased way) they may want "the other side" .

Also, I do know of one bad homebirth with a mid-wife story. Cops were called by neighbors, lots of screaming, unhappy mama who decided on planned induction in hospital with number 2 (yes, that sucks, I know!) And lots of "happy" mamas who love their poking/prodding OB/Gyns, laboring and pushing on their backs, and their epidurals stories too.

I know when he did the show on home/unschooling there was "the other side" who thinks home and unschooling is for the birds featured too. I think if it were worded differently like "help us expose the evil that is homebirth/midwifery sign up here" I could see the call to activism. Until these natural life choices we make become common the traditional media will keep going for the "unbiased" two-sided type story.
post #8 of 29
9/1/08 at 5:05pm
Somebody in another thread brought up a good point. The producers are probably on a frantic search to find a home birth hater because . . . heaven knows, those of us who advocate for it can't keep our opinionated mouths shut! They originally had a submission form for anybody with any opinion. They probably got flooded with emails from home-birthers.

My one concern is that the producers find a health care professional or other scholarly advocate from our side. Cynic that I am, I envision an "uneducated" mother giving her home birth account and then a "real" M.D. expert coming in to save the day and "set the record straight."
post #9 of 29
9/1/08 at 6:12pm
It's Dr Phil. Nuff said.
post #10 of 29
9/1/08 at 6:52pm
Well, I don't get Dr. Phil on my two TV channels, but I'd like to see what comes of this...I wrote my piece on his form - and intend to post a little something on my blog about it too. So - can someone keep us posted?
post #11 of 29
9/2/08 at 1:29am
Posted my reply. I had four births in a hospital. Took me until baby number five to figure out I had been having babies wrong! I don't like the Dr. Phil show but would love to know the date this show is on. Dr. Phil and Jerry Springer not all that different!
post #12 of 29
9/2/08 at 2:10pm
: Just like Dr. Phil to try and twist the truth for ratings. Anybody know when this is set to air?
post #13 of 29
9/2/08 at 3:07pm
Hmm. Someone on another board posted the following link almost a month ago, where they are looking for both sides of the story (still written in a bit of a biased way, but they were looking for both hospital and home birth supporters)...I wonder has the concept for the show changed, or are they specifically looking to fill the particular "void" of someone who doesn't like home birth, to add to teh panel of the original show...(maybe they didn't get any negative homebirth stories with the original appeal...since it seems fairly rare for women to change their opinion of homebirth even if they do end up transferring or having a problem or whatever)
http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=12471_

ETA: Another one on there now...looking for women who are pregnant and thinking about home birth. They seem to be collecting up various viewpoints. Will be interesting to see how it goes (betting it will be negative, but hoping to be pleasantly surprised!) http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=12479
post #14 of 29
9/2/08 at 3:08pm
I just have to say that this part on the website cracked me up:
"Did you have your second child the traditional way in a hospital?"
Umm. Traditional? As in the last couple of decades traditional?
post #15 of 29
9/4/08 at 10:15pm
Well I wrote in about my very positive home birth experience. I don't expect to hear from them but I thought it would be good to just let them know.
post #16 of 29
9/6/08 at 1:59am

Homebirth Show to Air on 9/10/08

Footage for this show was shot in the Bay Area. Here's what one of our local homebirth midwives had to share with us...

So here is what I know: Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Doctors show which will cover homebirth will air on Wed Sept 10th at 4pm on Channel 2, KTVU. I am not sure if this will be the same time and date around the country. We filmed one of my clients giving birth and she will be on the show as well as footage from her birth and from It's My Body, My Baby, My Birth. I can not vouch for the tenor of the show. We will all have to see it. What I can say is this: If you can watch the show, do so. Then, be READY to contact the show with your opinions about how homebirth was portrayed. The producer told me that she will be looking at the feedback to inform their decisions about future shows about homebirth. You can also contact your local media if you think the show was unfair or slanderous. We can use our voices to respond and bring more positive attention to homebirth. I am not sure whether I am nervous or excited. I know there will be some stuff we all disagree with. I am
just hoping for some balance. Please pass this on because there has been much interest in this show. ]
Thanks! Maria Iorillo, LM, CPM
post #17 of 29
9/6/08 at 4:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanCrunchyMama View Post
Footage for this show was shot in the Bay Area. Here's what one of our local homebirth midwives had to share with us...

So here is what I know: Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Doctors show which will cover homebirth will air on Wed Sept 10th at 4pm on Channel 2, KTVU. I am not sure if this will be the same time and date around the country. We filmed one of my clients giving birth and she will be on the show as well as footage from her birth and from It's My Body, My Baby, My Birth. I can not vouch for the tenor of the show. We will all have to see it. What I can say is this: If you can watch the show, do so. Then, be READY to contact the show with your opinions about how homebirth was portrayed. The producer told me that she will be looking at the feedback to inform their decisions about future shows about homebirth. You can also contact your local media if you think the show was unfair or slanderous. We can use our voices to respond and bring more positive attention to homebirth. I am not sure whether I am nervous or excited. I know there will be some stuff we all disagree with. I am
just hoping for some balance. Please pass this on because there has been much interest in this show. ]
Thanks! Maria Iorillo, LM, CPM

This is going to be on the new TV show "The Doctors" not the dr phil show.
I was confused for a minute!
post #18 of 29
9/6/08 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dewi View Post
This is going to be on the new TV show "The Doctors" not the dr phil show.
I was confused for a minute!
Getting OT here but can't help but mention that I looked this up and one of "The Doctors" is a Sears (James, I assume that is one of "the" Sears family?) So hopefully that bodes well for how homebirth will be portrayed.
post #19 of 29
9/7/08 at 9:28pm

Correction : Update Info

"Footage for this show was shot in the Bay Area. Here's what one of our local homebirth midwives had to share with us..."

Correction: Yes, yes, you ladies are already on top of the boo-boo I made a few days ago. With a flurry of e-mails and posts about Dr. Phil in many of my online communities, I misinformed you about this piece of news. Dr. Phil is NOT airing this footage this coming week. There's a separate show called Doctors that is airing this footage. Sorry for the confusion. I was just reading my e-mails too fast.

:
post #20 of 29
9/7/08 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluepetals View Post
Getting OT here but can't help but mention that I looked this up and one of "The Doctors" is a Sears (James, I assume that is one of "the" Sears family?) So hopefully that bodes well for how homebirth will be portrayed.

Did you read the bio for the OB/GYN.
I'm sure we will get an earful of crap!
My interpretation of her resume in Hollywood hospitals is that she is a surgeon who happens to deliver babies!!:
It's network TV. We will see, I don't feel optimistic of the coverage.
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