New Irish Maternity show
A new show started on RTE this week – From Here to Maternity. This is a six-part show set in Cork’s University Maternity Hospital (CUMH); it tells the story of couples attending one of Ireland’s busy maternity hospitals. I recorded it earlier in the week, but tonight was the first time I got a chance to sit down and watch it. I was really looking forward to it, because as you may know, I love birth stories! The UK show “One Born Every Minute” is one of my favourite TV shows. I just love seeing how people cope with labour, and watching just how different every single experience is.
I think I was expecting From Here to Maternity to be just like One Born Every Minute, but it’s not. It’s hard to explain, but I almost felt like the mother and her birth story were an afterthought in this show. In some ways that was refreshing. We don’t often see depictions on TV of the effect of impending parenthood on fathers, so I quite enjoyed watching the expectant Navy Dad looking for advice from his friends.
The show also covered a couple from Cork who are expecting triplets. They received heartbreaking news that one of the triplets is failing to thrive. Their story will continue next week. I was amazed by their strength and courage in dealing with such difficult news, and I hope and pray they get better news next week.
I loved the personal stories on From Here to Maternity, but I felt like the show only just skimmed the surface. It was a 30 minute show that could have easily been a one hour show. One minute the Naval Officer’s wife was walking the corridors wondering if her induction would take, and the next minute she pushed the baby out. And the way the birth scene was depicted seemed bizarre to me. Perhaps the mother had asked not to be shown during this scene, and if so that would explain why it was filmed as it was. All of the shots were of the staff or of the father, and none of the mother. I found it so strange to watch in comparison to One Born Every Minute.
I’m still not sure whether I liked From Here to Maternity or not. It wasn’t what I expected, so that affected my enjoyment of it. I’ll just have to watch it next week to see what I think of it then!
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Don’t forget to enter the competition to win a Baby Led Weaning Cookbook this week: http://www.mama.ie/?p=915 Closing date for the contest is Saturday February 26th, 2011.
Ya I watched it too. I enjoyed the couples stories and thought it was refreshing not to see the mother during labour. Love 1 born every minute too. Best of both worlds me thinks.
Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from Laura. I guess because it’s set right in the Maternity Hospital, I just thought it would be One Born Every Minute, the Irish version. I suspect I’ll enjoy it a bit more next week now I know what to expect from it.