Pregancy/Labor scenes.

[Spaceception]

Uhhhh, this is for my novel............. And uh, you guys wouldn't happen to know how to make it realistic, do you? Some of you guys mention having kids, so I assume you know what it's like, any tips on how to write it?

 

 

Yeah... This is an awkward post to make, but I'm cringing hardcore at what I'm writing so far, and I need help.

[Red Iron Crown]

I've been in the room for both of my children's births, some observations:

It takes longer than is typically portrayed in tv/films, several hours of waiting involved. 

That said, when the main event occurs things start happening fast. 

The duty nurse plays a much bigger role, in some ways bigger than the obgyn. You might see the doctor a couple of times during the labor, but the case nurse is basically there the whole time. 

There are more people in the room than typically portrayed. Film usually has one doctor and one nurse, in reality it was two docs and three nurses. 

Modern medication has made the whole thing more civilized than previously. No more raging at the father or dramatic screams, unless the mother refuses the meds for whatever reason. 

The new parents cry. Pretty much every time without exception. 

Newborns aren't as pretty as media makes them out to be. Birth trauma can deform their skulls temporarily, lanugo is a thing, they're covered in mucus, and have bluish skin. If you are unprepared you might think it's a little alien. 

[WinkAllKerb'']

yup same in farm, when the farmer help the various animal to gave birth, it's always about respecting what you may eat for it's sacrifice, could be a plant an animal or whatever anyway

Edited April 16, 2017 by WinkAllKerb''

[ZooNamedGames]

12 minutes ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Newborns aren't as pretty as media makes them out to be. Birth trauma can deform their skulls temporarily, lanugo is a thing, they're covered in mucus, and have bluish skin. If you are unprepared you might think it's a little alien. 

Im not a child person and them looking like aliens is partly one. Babies are not cute or beautiful. They're weird. Sorry to all the parents. 

@Spaceception I'm only 19 but I tend to be overly dramatic and I hope, bit more true to the depth and detail of pain and trauma. So if I can help any, let me know as I'd enjoy helping a fellow writer  . 

[WinkAllKerb'']

baby just repdroduce what they are taught too, now if the question is do adult teach well baby ... well ... it's complicated i guesss ... at some point they may start to think about what they are where they walk if they luckily they don't lost there leg along the road

Edited April 16, 2017 by WinkAllKerb''

[Waxing_Kibbous]

58 minutes ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Newborns aren't as pretty as media makes them out to be. Birth trauma can deform their skulls temporarily, lanugo is a thing, they're covered in mucus, and have bluish skin. If you are unprepared you might think it's a little alien. 

The way newborns look fresh out of the oven is a glimpse into what they will look like in 70 years

[Gargamel]

With my past career being a medic, I've asssited in the OR on quite a few of them.  Luckily I never had one in my truck or bird, always got to the hospital in time.

TV actually does a pretty good job in depicting what happens.  Best thing to do would be to write what you think happens, and then have it edited by people who have actually experienced it.  Consult more than one, as experiences between people differ. 

1 hour ago, Red Iron Crown said:

 

It takes longer than is typically portrayed in tv/films, several hours of waiting involved.

Case in point.  Some labors takes many hours, days even, and some are VERY fast.  Usually the more children a mother has, the faster it goes.  I've seen labors last for as short as a couple hours, and I've heard/read about some less than an hour. 

But as I said, do some research, and then write what you think, and then get help editing it. 

[WinkAllKerb'']

it remind me that question about the forum thread month back quote: "i speak my mind and it always make me into trouble" or not far .... why do stay enclosed series ... beacause doplhin and bat use infrasound to detect wall and because dog use nose to smell and etc ...

why not call the supreme court and assign all animal to a process ...for what they can do ... srrly ?also don't forget to  ask get animal to sell a notice on e bay for their behaviour ? srrly ?

Edited April 16, 2017 by WinkAllKerb''

[Camacha]

2 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Modern medication has made the whole thing more civilized than previously. No more raging at the father or dramatic screams, unless the mother refuses the meds for whatever reason. 

I think that rather depends on the country. In the USA, mothers tend to be drugged a fair bit. Elsewhere, this can vary quite a bit, from a full on natural to full anaesthetic.
 

2 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Newborns aren't as pretty as media makes them out to be. Birth trauma can deform their skulls temporarily, lanugo is a thing, they're covered in mucus, and have bluish skin. If you are unprepared you might think it's a little alien. 

I do not know what media you refer to, but the latter is the exact image I got from them. Something that just got pushed through a hole that is way too small and that is covered with all the fluids and substances that go with a birth is unlikely to win a beauty pageant. Human biology is not any more flattering than most other biology.

[Red Iron Crown]

6 minutes ago, Camacha said:

I think that rather depends on the country. In the USA, mothers tend to be drugged a fair bit. Elsewhere, this can vary quite a bit, from a full on natural to full anaesthetic.

I am only speaking of my own experience, of course, though I am not an American.

6 minutes ago, Camacha said:

I do not know what media you refer to, but the latter is the exact image I got from them. Something that just got pushed through a hole that is way too small and that is covered with all the fluids and substances that go with a birth is unlikely to win a beauty pageant. Human biology is not any more flattering than most other biology.

Almost every non-documentary television show or movie I've seen that depicts a birth shows a baby one month old or more for the newborn, when most of the effects of birth have healed and they've become fully "cute". Very, very few show anything like what a real newborn looks like.

[Camacha]

Just now, Red Iron Crown said:

Almost every non-documentary television show or movie I've seen that depicts a birth shows a baby one month old or more for the newborn, when most of the effects of birth have healed and they've become fully "cute". Very, very few show anything like what a real newborn looks like.

Quite a few shows and movies do this, indeed, but anyone I know considers that to be fairly hilarious. Anyone aware of the processes involved in childbirth will be able to deduce without effort that that is not what babies look like right after birth.

[Spaceception]

Thanks for all of the replies, especially, @Red Iron Crown, @Camacha, and @Gargamel, I really appreciate it.. 

@ZooNamedGames You can shoot me a PM

[WinkAllKerb'']

i found it hilarious as well as hilarious as ant bee termit,  "puceron" and feeding breeding ... i do wonder how thoos being behave in space ...

anyway my point is 12 years old or so hospital camera movies at school ... so ... to me it's a bit weird you ask

Edited April 17, 2017 by WinkAllKerb''

[Gargamel]

14 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

I am only speaking of my own experience, of course, though I am not an American.

 

Human Birth is Human birth, regardless of where you live.  We've been doing pretty much ok for how many thousands of years as humans, and how long without help before that.  It's only been the last 50 years or so, and primarily in the "modern world", that the excessive amount medical interference has occurred with child birth.  A lot of the OB's I know are switching back to a more relaxed, almost hands off style, and only intervene when it's not going perfectly. 

Quote

Almost every non-documentary television show or movie I've seen that depicts a birth shows a baby one month old or more for the newborn, when most of the effects of birth have healed and they've become fully "cute". Very, very few show anything like what a real newborn looks like.

Yes, my nephew is 2 weeks old right now.   He still looks like a potato turd.  That's a turd from a potato.   Babies may be one of the ugliest things on the planet, until about 6 months, then they get cute.  I told my brother this and he laughed.  His wife started to get mad, then decided she heard me wrong.  It's a good thing she's deaf (literally). 

[Just Jim]

17 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

It takes longer than is typically portrayed in tv/films, several hours of waiting involved. 

That said, when the main event occurs things start happening fast. 

Oh, I can testify to that!!!  My daughter was 2 weeks late, so they ended up inducing her mothers labor. We went in on a Saturday morning, and more or less waited around until Sunday around noon... then WHAM!!!  Susan (my daughters mother) went into really hard labor in a matter of minutes, and before I knew it, I was holding my daughter. It all happened so fast I felt like I was in a hurricane.

The really fun part was after, when the nurse let me accompany her to see my daughter get all cleaned up, weighed, measured and all that. I don't know if you're normally allowed to do something like that... but I worked in that hospital... and I had friends... lol... so I got to see everything.

 

[Adstri]

Labor is well... from what I've heard... Very gross, painful and messy.

[Spacetraindriver]

Well acording to my health teacher, getting hit hard in the...gentlemens parts... is the closest any male can feel to child birth, albiet for a short time. (as in the pain)

...

On April 16, 2017 at 6:26 AM, Spaceception said:

So if I guess you want to know yourself..? 

[Spaceception]

7 minutes ago, Spacetraindriver said:

Well acording to my health teacher, getting hit hard in the...gentlemens parts... is the closest any male can feel to child birth, albiet for a short time. (as in the pain)

...

So if I guess you want to know yourself..? 

Just to the point that I can write accurately.

 

Oh crap, forgot to update.

 

I'm actually getting help from an author (Who's given birth' who's also giving me tips, so you guys can keep this thread going if you have anything to add

[monstah]

On 17/04/2017 at 9:44 AM, Just Jim said:

but I worked in that hospital... and I had friends... lol... so I got to see everything.

I've been on this forum for four years and I still have no idea who's a teenager and who's of working age (or better yet - retired!)  

[Just Jim]

31 minutes ago, monstah said:

I've been on this forum for four years and I still have no idea who's a teenager and who's of working age (or better yet - retired!)  

I only know of a few teenagers for sure, and that was by accident. But as for who they are, I'm sworn to secrecy. 

[NSEP]

My Biology Teacher once told me her friends pregnancy went all fine with no pain at all, but her own pregnancy was still painfull. It think it depends on the medication the take.

And im just a teen kiddo, no real witnesses expect for my own birth wich i cant remember.

[HebaruSan]

Luckily for you, another work of science fiction has already captured the experience in its entirety:

Spoiler

 

More seriously, every time the topic comes up my (child-free) wife insists that the mother voids her bowels while pushing. I haven't heard that elsewhere, so she might be full of it, but it'd make me cautious about putting a birth "on-screen."

[GDJ]

Depends on the mom/kid, and every birth is different. With my family:

-1st daughter was 12 hours, and 3 hours of actual pushing.
-2nd daughter was 5 hours, and 2 hours of pushing.
-3rd daughter was 4 hours, and then BOOM!!! She was out in 15 minutes. Damn near needed a catcher's mitt.

On 2017-04-19 at 9:26 AM, Just Jim said:

I only know of a few teenagers for sure, and that was by accident. But as for who they are, I'm sworn to secrecy. 

I don't pay attention at all. Don't really care.
Not trying to be a dick, but does it really matter to me? Nope.

[Just Jim]

23 minutes ago, GDJ said:

I don't pay attention at all. Don't really care.
Not trying to be a dick, but does it really matter to me? Nope.

Oh, me neither, I could care less how old or young someone is, I like everyone...  

I only bring it up in the context of a writer being careful how much or little detail they should write about depending on the age of their audience. 

Edited April 21, 2017 by Just Jim