Anyone watch Up All Night?

stahlop · October 2011

I've felt this show is pretty on the money for the older parents (my DH and I being first time parents in our 30's), but I was disappointed tonight when they flashed back to the birth. Christina Applegate's character was very gung ho on a natural child birth and even had a 30 page birth plan (a little overkill). They showed her laboring for about 6 hours and insisting on no painkillers, while her husband kept saying she could get and epi if she really needed one. I had just commented to my DH about how unsupportive the husband was being, when they then showed her having got an epi 5 minutes after denying it. And then the baby's head was apparently "too big" for the birth canal and she had to have a c-section. Why can't television ever show a natural birth?

jcsumm0 · October 2011

I know, I hate how they are perpetuating the idea that it isn't uncommon for a baby's head not to fit through the birth canal while in reality that is rare.

Huahine · October 2011

I was also annoyed that the husband kept pushing the epi. Way to not be supportive, guy.

And I was completely pissed at the doctor with his whole "the cesarean isn't a suggestion" line. Whatever happened to informed consent? This is my nightmare scenario and why I ultimately decided to try to have this baby at a birth center instead of a hospital.

The part that I found completely unbelievable was - for a character that supposedly researches everything, you would think that Reagan (Regan?) would have looked into alternative birthing positions. Laying on one's back with an epidural in seems like the worst idea for someone trying to push a baby out. If it isn't working in that position, have them turn off the epi, get on your knees or find a place to squat. I was really frustrated with the character and the writers.

superned · October 2011

I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...

Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.

Sharon21 · October 2011

I didn't watch it. We had it set to record the series but I thought the show sucked so I hadn't been watching it. I saw the commercials for the birth show and when it started to record last night I told my husband he might as well cancel the recording unless he wanted to watch me scream at the television. So he went ahead and canceled the whole series, the episodes I watched didn't live up to my expectations at all, it wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it was going to be. I could tell from the commercials that they weren't going to portray the birth very well. Part of me wanted to watch it because I was curios how it was going to go down. But I knew it would get me all worked up for no good reason so I resisted.

Sharon21 · October 2011

superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.

I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.

superned · October 2011

Sharon21:
superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.
I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.

My statement was hyperbole. But I also don't think they perpetuated any mentality - it's fiction. Most adults know that how sitcoms portray birth is not how it happens in real life.

I agree that reality-type programs do a generally terrible job portraying natural/med-free births. But I am not holding a sitcom to those same standards.

ETA: And I find that show to be hilarious. It's clearly aimed at a specific demographic - me and my DH.

iris427 · October 2011

superned:
Sharon21:
superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.
I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.
My statement was hyperbole. But I also don't think they perpetuated any mentality - it's fiction. Most adults know that how sitcoms portray birth is not how it happens in real life.
I agree that reality-type programs do a generally terrible job portraying natural/med-free births. But I am not holding a sitcom to those same standards.
ETA: And I find that show to be hilarious. It's clearly aimed at a specific demographic - me and my DH.

I haven't seen the episode but I think the way childbirth is typically portrayed in the media does reflect cultural attitudes about birth and can influence people's perceptions of what birth is like.

shoestringmommy · October 2011

I was so disappointed in this episode. It was going so well and then she ended up with a c-section. No wonder society sees birth the way they do. Heaven forbid we could see an actual natural birth the way nature intended. I don't think I'll watch it anymore! Ha..so there.

superned · October 2011

iris427:
superned:
Sharon21:
superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.
I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.
My statement was hyperbole. But I also don't think they perpetuated any mentality - it's fiction. Most adults know that how sitcoms portray birth is not how it happens in real life.
I agree that reality-type programs do a generally terrible job portraying natural/med-free births. But I am not holding a sitcom to those same standards.
ETA: And I find that show to be hilarious. It's clearly aimed at a specific demographic - me and my DH.
I haven't seen the episode but I think the way childbirth is typically portrayed in the media does reflect cultural attitudes about birth and can influence people's perceptions of what birth is like.

I think what you are saying is true. But the birth on that show was not real; people would be basing their perceptions on a fictional event. There are very few things in a typical sitcom that are portrayed as they actually happen in real life. People on sitcoms never wear the same clothes twice. Their homes are always impeccably clean. They're always funny and their hair always looks nice. To expect that type of show to do any justice to the experience of birth is a little bit too much, I think.

I can't imagine that any of us on this board who have had a med-free birth would think it would make good comedic television!

[Deleted User] · October 2011

I dunno, I was disappointed that they decided to write in a c-section, but, it was just a plot device. I think they were just trying to show that this professional, analytical, overly-planned world the couple lived in was getting completely upended, that parenthood, birth included, was going to change them and that nothing would go according to their preconceived notions. But yeah, I was disappointed too that they used the "big head" angle as the complication.

iris427 · October 2011

superned:
iris427:
superned:
Sharon21:
superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom. I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way. And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV? Maybe. But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.
I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.
My statement was hyperbole. But I also don't think they perpetuated any mentality - it's fiction. Most adults know that how sitcoms portray birth is not how it happens in real life.
I agree that reality-type programs do a generally terrible job portraying natural/med-free births. But I am not holding a sitcom to those same standards.
ETA: And I find that show to be hilarious. It's clearly aimed at a specific demographic - me and my DH.
I haven't seen the episode but I think the way childbirth is typically portrayed in the media does reflect cultural attitudes about birth and can influence people's perceptions of what birth is like.
I think what you are saying is true. But the birth on that show was not real; people would be basing their perceptions on a fictional event. There are very few things in a typical sitcom that are portrayed as they actually happen in real life. People on sitcoms never wear the same clothes twice. Their homes are always impeccably clean. They're always funny and their hair always looks nice. To expect that type of show to do any justice to the experience of birth is a little bit too much, I think.

I can't imagine that any of us on this board who have had a med-free birth would think it would make good comedic television!

Yeah, I don't have high expectations.

I'm actually interested to watch this because it sounds a lot like how my first birth went.

Sawyerplus1 · October 2011

iris427:
superned:
Sharon21:
superned:
I watched it too and meh, it's a sitcom.? I don't think it's that big of a deal if they don't cover natural child birth in a comprehensive way.? And, really, I didn't think there was anything even remotely funny about my med-free birth, so...
Is it disappointing that there are people who get their information about different birth experiences from fictionalized programs on TV?? Maybe.? But it's not real life, so NBC doesn't have any kind of responsibility to show how birth really happens.
I don't think anyone is saying that they need to "cover child birth in a comprehensive way". Just not?perpetuate the "birth is awful and tons of women need c-sections because babies are too big" mentality.???
My statement was hyperbole.? But I also don't think they perpetuated any mentality - it's fiction.? Most adults know that how sitcoms portray birth is not how it happens in real life.
I agree that reality-type programs do a generally terrible job portraying natural/med-free births.? But I am not holding a sitcom to those same standards.
ETA: And I find that show to be hilarious.? It's clearly aimed at a specific demographic - me and my DH.
I haven't seen the episode but I think the way childbirth is typically portrayed in the media does reflect cultural attitudes about birth and can influence people's perceptions of what birth is like.

I agree. I was disappointed with how they worked her birth, even though it's just a sitcom. I think that TV absolutely does impact how people think, even if it's non-fiction and they know it. If ALL they see on TV for births is the same epi and/or c-section story, that will absolutely seep into the cultural sub conscious. I don't necessarily think TV has an obligation to show natural birth, but what would have been the harm?! I don't think the episode would have been any less funny or believable for it (I think the show is funny, but didn't find the birth particularly funny, so it could have gone either way). Obviously, it's just a show, and that episode didn't impact my life in any great way, but I did feel a little disappointed by it.

Nechie122 · October 2011

I just want to point out that this is not the first time they've mentioned that Regan had a c-section. In the episode where Chris tries to get her to dress sexier, she makes reference to her c-section scar. Clearly it's a plot device designed to open up story lines about body image issues. With 33% of women giving birth by c-section, I'm sure a lot of women can relate to that.

Also, she may not have had a natural birth, but I thought her desire for one was portrayed very positively -- it was the crazy neighbors who were the ones saying she couldn't do it.

maddiemoon43 · October 2011

Nechie122:
I just want to point out that this is not the first time they've mentioned that Regan had a c-section. In the episode where Chris tries to get her to dress sexier, she makes reference to her c-section scar. Clearly it's a plot device designed to open up story lines about body image issues. With 33% of women giving birth by c-section, I'm sure a lot of women can relate to that.

Also, she may not have had a natural birth, but I thought her desire for one was portrayed very positively -- it was the crazy neighbors who were the ones saying she couldn't do it.

Yep, I remember her saying she "just delivered a child from her stomach," or something along those lines. Sadly, I think it was reflective of many people and Dr's today though, pushing c-sections without consent, etc.

I DID laugh, a lot, though when she said something about planning a child with a normal-sized head, not her husband's large head, since the first comment my MW made (after my episiotomy I totally consented to after 3 hours pushing) was about DS's head size. It's pretty darn big, and I was like, "But DH has the smallest head in his family, I thought I would be okay..."

Nechie122 · October 2011

Putting aside the specifics of the episode, aren't most births on TV vaginal? Complete with women in transition screaming at their husbands, "You did this to me!"

A c-section was a fresher story line, I guess.

Also, there was a natural birth on Knocked Up -- not a TV show but the most recent hapless-guy-finds-his-girlfriend-pregnant-and-now-has-to-grow-up movie. (There was one on Nine Months too -- I caught the tailend on TBS recently.)

Anyone watch Up All Night?

Re: Anyone watch Up All Night?

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