The programme is scheduled to start at 8pm and makers Endemol say it aims to 'celebrate the miracle of birth'. However for various reasons, the show has been slammmed by midwives and parents' groups.
The Royal College of Midwives is considering lodging a formal complaint about the programme before it is broadcast, even though the broadcasting watchdog will not be able to deal with this until the programme has been transmitted.
It must be stressed that the expectant mothers have all agreed to be filmed giving birth naturally and without pain relief but midwives say the presence of a camera crew will cause unnecessary additional stress.
An unnamed member of staff at The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham where the show is to be broadcast from said, "Some of us have very big reservations about this. If they really want to show the wonder of birth, why don't they film it and then transmit it once they know everything has gone well and mother and baby are fine?
"Childbirth isn't always that simple and things can go wrong. Imagine if there was some disastrous complication, live on TV, where perhaps the mother or the baby was in serious danger."
"A TV crew in the room won't help, and the truth is that staff do react in a different way if a camera's there. I can't believe the hospital has actually agreed to do this."
The hospital has confirmed that they will receive payment for the programme but have not disclosed how much.
Janet Fyle, the Royal College of Midwives' educational adviser, said, "Women are at their most vulnerable when they give birth. It's a very intimate and intense time for the family and having strangers there could really increase the stress levels.
"They may have given their consent... but what if they change their mind halfway through? We cannot support this."
The National Childbirth Trust has also raised concerns. "There is absolutely no need to film this live, other than pushing up the TV ratings of course," said chairman Belinda Phipps.
Channel Five and Endemol have defended the programme. Executive producer Elaine Hackett said, "We will film as much as possible and we will certainly show the mother and her baby coming out of her. Our teams are very experienced and they know if there was the slightest problem, they would stop filming immediately."
A Five spokesman said, "We have always said that this is an attempt to show a live natural birth. It's quite a busy maternity ward anyway so we expect something to happen but, of course, we can't guarantee you will see something from start to finish."
October 2 2006 |
