Woman to Broadcast Birth on Internet with a CNM

by Melissa Garvey, ACNM Writer and Editor

Lynsee is a 23-year-old who is pregnant with her first child and one of more than 4 million women who will give birth this year. But there’s something different about this teacher who lives with her husband in Minnesota. She plans to broadcast her labor and birth live on the Internet.

The couple’s choice is sparking a wide range of reactions, from fascination to curiosity to, as one Boston.com reader commented, “Eeeuw! Disgusting....”

Lynsee’s decision isn’t for everyone, but it is her decision. And it may actually have a positive influence on public perception of birth. For starters, Lynsee’s care provider is a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), which is an option not enough women know they can choose. Now more than 1,500 readers of the Watch Lynsee Grow discussion group on Momslikeme.com know about their options thanks to this telling Q&A:

Question: Lynsee, will you use a midwife? I did not, yet have always wondered what it would have been like to have the attention and care of a midwife.

Answer: Yes I am using a midwife! She is amazing!! She takes the time to talk with me about my concerns in the appointments and is supportive of my decision to try to go as natural as possible with the birth! She also is not afraid to tell me that things will not always go as planned and that she may not be able to meet all my needs. There are many doctors in her office, and I will be seeing some of these doctors in case I end up needing one of them for the delivery. But my midwife is wonderful!! She even takes time out of her daily life to call me just to 'check in.' Never heard about that from a regular doctor!!

Lynsee’s upcoming birth (she's due on November 19) is at the height of a trend toward more transparency in labor, birth, and care decisions. With more than 3 million birth videos on YouTube, the Internet is exposing the reality of birth—and that’s something many women are hungry for.

Whether Lynsee has the natural birth she prefers, an emergency cesarean section, or something in between, I have to agree with the Boston.com reader who commented: “Don't want to see it? Don't watch. There are plenty of people who do want to know how this all works.”