Re: TV and preterm labor
Cris Coffey (CCOFFEY@rugs.bry.indiana.edu)
Thu, 28 Mar 1996 13:54:08 EST5
Mary,
So true, so true! I got hooked on the soaps, too, but any TV program
generally upset me to the point where I had to constantly swich the
channel (I couldn't watch Oprah or anyone else because the debates
were too heated and I became upset). One soap in particular that
made me hot under the collar was "As the World Turns." At the time,
Lilly was married to Holden and they were expecting a baby. She
wasn't even showing yet but was put on total bedrest. NOT to get out
of bed! It was so unreal. She was always in a satin gown, hair
flowing over her shoulder and looking beautiful as usual. Sitting in
bed with nothing in particular to do but look good and read or
whatever. No TV. Room was perfectly cleaned and nothing out of
place. C'mon! I was on bedrest watching this, a fat lump (and I do
mean fat--I was so pittied that if I wanted a Ding-Dong, someone went
to the store immediately and bought me a box...I ate and ate for lack
of anything better to do), stinky, hair dirty and matted, room
totally cluttered with my bedside potty, home monitor at bedside,
cards and cute little Easter Bunny decorations all over the walls and
pinned to the ceiling (Mom thought I could use something on the
ceiling to cheer me up!), bed all a mess (let's face it--no one could
change the sheets or straighten the bed with me laying in it at all
times). I'm sure whoever wrote the script for that soap opera had
never experienced this! It made me so mad! They made it look so
easy and like it was really no big deal. Geez! I think they should
consult people like us before they go and make preterm labor and bed
rest, premature birth look like such a sunny picnic!
Cris
From: MarAim@aol.com
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 12:41:16 -0500
To: preemie-l@vicnet.net.au
Subject: TV and preterm labor
Now, I only watch one soap, and sometimes I see the start of the one after
it, but not more than 5 minutes. The way soaps portray preterm
labor/preemies drives me nuts (yes, I know it's just the soaps, but I still
have a gripe).
In the past I'd say 3 months, on one, a girl went into preterm labor at 6
months after a car accident, and the doctors said "There's really nothing we
could do for the baby at this point" WRONG! On the next soap, the baby was
supposed to be 2 or 3 months early, was in the regular nursery in a
bassinette, no monitors, and had a full, healthy newborn cry. UGH!
I suppose this wouldn't bother me so much, but not everyone who watches these
things realizes that they are not medically correct, and then they can
needlessly worry and worry others when in happens to someone close to them.
I just had to vent while the subject came up! I suppose they're no less
acurate than the labor scenes where it's 2 minutes flat from the first
contraction to delivery!
Mary
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Cris Coffey, Information Specialist
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Indiana University
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