posted January 20, 2012 08:53 AM            

It is not just personal preference. Small kids have rights! What he witnessed was not healthy for this toddler's emotional and physical well-being. Like witnessing his parents having sex, witnessing a woman (his mother) giving birth is something a small kid can do without! They may not understand what is going on rationally, but the experience is too much for a young soul to handle. (And, no, it is one thing to witness it accidentally, and totally another to just leave the toddler there to witness this! I am criticizing the very fact that they chose to leave the toddler present, and completely abandoned, while the mother was giving birth.)

Plus it is the issue of lack of boundaries. Like you won't leave the door open to the bathroom when you are doing your business, you should not have your toddler witness your giving birth. I was livid through out that video with how they ignored the toddler in this whole business. Until the last few seconds after the baby was born and the toddler approached reluctantly to hug his mom, I was just livid at how they can let the little one witness this! He was anxious throughout the whole thing because in his little mind he didn't know what was happening and nobody was dealing with his anxiety either.

It is not just for the comfort of the mother that the toddler should have not been there. It is mainly for the (emotional and mental) comfort of the toddler that he ought to have been taken away. Left there, watching the pain without understanding what is going on, living the anxiety of the birth, was not appropriate for his age and emotional developmental stage.

I don't know why I feel so strongly about this but it really popped up from the first few seconds of the video. I am psychic and I immediately got into this toddler's shoes. I can tell you the toddler was feeling abandoned, anxious, scared and horrified through-out witnessing this! As much as I personally loved seeing a fast birth and the relief and happiness of the mother after that, I could not ignore the fact that it was not right for the toddler to witness this in person.

posted January 20, 2012 08:19 PM            

Still to this day if i catch a birth on tv i have to quickly look away and change the channel because it makes me feel sick and weak, dizzy-like. So, i havent watched the vid at the link.

Not sure if it stemmed from seeing a birth so young. I'd be the person who passed out if i watched one in person as i can't take blood and bodily fluids, watching someone in pain etc.

Even seeing a pregnant woman's belly stretched and the belly-button popped out really gets to me and i don't like to see it.

posted January 22, 2012 06:46 PM            

But like I said Anon , it all depends on family culture, it's all perception. My SIL gave birth to her son in front of his siblings of different ages. Many years down the track they review that as a positive empowering experience. Seeing a traumatic birth or medical birth where the mother is going through hell it should be more private. But a family setting during a peaceful birth is totally healthy IMO. However I agree generally it should not be done. I do believe in some instances it can be appropriate and in many ways not appropriate. I'm on both sides of the fence when it comes to this.
As far as this particular Toddler is concerned, I completely disagree that he was anxious and horrified.

posted January 27, 2012 06:42 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by T:
As a youngster I caught a birth on television and was horrified and said to myself i'd never ever have babies.

Still to this day if i catch a birth on tv i have to quickly look away and change the channel because it makes me feel sick and weak, dizzy-like. So, i havent watched the vid at the link.

Not sure if it stemmed from seeing a birth so young. I'd be the person who passed out if i watched one in person as i can't take blood and bodily fluids, watching someone in pain etc.

Even seeing a pregnant woman's belly stretched and the belly-button popped out really gets to me and i don't like to see it.

I don't know how moms and docs do it.

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I completely agree with you. Anything involving that stuff tends to make me be like o_O.

I believe VERY strongly that some things are public, some are private. The term 'overshare' was coined for a reason. Personal space and privacy are very important. As a Libra, yeah, I need that. I would never want to see a birth; just hearing people talk about it freaks me out (especially since I am NOT a kid person--am NOT going to debate that).

If it involves ANY bodily fluids (save a sneeze) or your Britney (or your John Thomas if you're a guy), it falls into the 'private' category. Period, end of story. Seriously. I don't care how "natural" it is; just because something is "natural" doesn't mean that it's not completely disgusting. BOUNDARIES, people, BOUNDARIES.

If anyone ever saw me pee, I'd probably spontaneously combust or something. Libras just Do Not Do That.

I'm laughing at myself, though, as I type. I really am such a typical Libra on this one.

posted January 27, 2012 11:02 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by SunChild:

"Like you won't leave the door open to the bathroom when you are doing your business".... Oh this also comes down to family culture... My mother's catholic parents would not be caught dead on the toilet! However, in our family I've grown up and seeing my mum pee (she broke all the taboos!) and ALL my kids have seen me pee. With three kids running around including babies I can't afford to shut the door! LOL
Actually I don't remember the last time I shut the door.
That's just how we roll.

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