Plymouth hospital to feature in BBC baby documentry

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust features in ‘Don’t Just Stand There….I’m Having Your Baby’ next week. This is part of BBC Three’s Baby Britain season of programmes exploring what it means to be a young parent in Britain today and how a baby changes your life.

The series follows a group of fathers-to-be as they try to learn as much as they can about babies and births before their own are born. First time dad Jamie from Plymouth and his partner Jess will feature alongside Paul Youngs, Consultant Anaesthetist and Midwives Ceri-Rose Brown, Clare Southby and Louise Sheetz from Derriford Hospital in next week’s episode.

Louise Sheetz, Jubilee Midwife said: “I certainly felt with the hours I had spent with Jamie and Jessica during their labour, I had witnessed Jamie's growing understanding from the antenatal education he received which was clearly evident in his labour support for Jessica.

“If only we could provide this one to one to all 'dads to be', this could certainly have a positive effect on the atmosphere during labour, which often can be stressful for the mum and have a knock on effect for the partner too. However, with a calm, supportive and knowledgeable partner, even with the interventions that Jessica and Jamie endured, it can still be a controlled and a positive experience for them both."

Clare Southby, Midwife explains: “I was really glad to have the opportunity to be involved in this documentary.  The creation of a documentary which focuses on the father’s experience of pregnancy and birth, is both timely and very important.

“There is a growing body of evidence which demonstrates that there are many health and social benefits associated with the increased involvement of fathers and this starts during pregnancy. We know for example that when a birth partner is prepared to give effective support, women will have less need for pain relief. Parents to be who smoke are much more likely to give up if they do it together therefore creating a smoke free environment for their baby. We also know that babies will be breast fed for longer if the father is supportive of his partner’s decision to breast feed.

“The documentary has been made for a younger audience so it will hopefully be viewed by many current fathers-to-be as well as those who will become parents in the next 10 years. 

“In recent years, NHS policy has changed to actively encourage the involvement of fathers to be and this has been supported by The Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Fatherhood Institute.”

The episode is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC Three at 9pm on Monday 1 April.

For more information about local couple Jamie and Jess visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p014syzx/profiles/jamie-jess