Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Netflix #StreamTeam - What Helped Me Lazily Prepare for Birth.

Disclosure: I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam so I will be writing one post a month about movies and shows that have made me happy to have in our family queue. To be totally forthcoming, I have been compensated with a streaming device and a one year streaming subscription to Netflix, but this is a service that I have used at minimum four times a week for the past four years (and at many points in the timeline, everyday) so you can say that I am definitely excited to be partnering with them. 

As I just mentioned, I've been utilizing Netflix Streaming for four years. It all started when I had to watch a movie for my French film class my last semester of college. The movie was available in the library which was all the way across campus, and I would have to hope no one else was watching the movie when I got there. My professor had noted in the syllabus that the movie was also available on Netflix so when comparing the pros and cons between signing up for a free one month trial with Netflix and trekking to the library, I quickly got myself a Netflix account and watched the film from the comfort of my own bed (and my dorm bed was actually very comfy thanks to an excellent mattress pad, but I digress).
Just me, Netflix, and my poor interior decorating skills, fall 2010

From then on, I pretty much have a Netflix movie or TV Series to go along with the memories of the past few years. I designed, stamped, addressed, and stuffed our wedding invitations while watching every romantic comedy Netflix had to offer. Our time in Chicago had Grey's Anatomy in the background whether I was writing one stack of 300 thank you notes, making dinner or folding laundry after work. I unpacked to Private Practice when we moved to South Bend. I watched Tangled way too many times for an adult to be able to during its stint on Netflix. The summer when Ryan was a baby, my brother-in-law put Cheers on everyday he got home from class. Downton Abbey in two days two winters ago. And don't get me started on 24! Anyway, last fall was no different; I had a Netflix soundtrack, if you will, yet again, and it turned into a makeshift birth prep cheerleader. 

I mentioned in my last post and here that even though I had already gone through labor and delivery with Ryan, I was still pretty nervous for our second because 1) I KNEW how much it hurt and 2) what if the first time was a fluke? I planned on reading the Bradley book again as a refresher, but other than that, I had no other plans to up my confidence even though I needed it. 

Here is how Netflix helped me via a British television series. 

Call the Midwife.

One day, I read somewhere that if I liked Downton Abbey, I would love Call the Midwife. As luck would have, I saw it pop up in the Netflix New Releases one day when I was flipping through. The BBC series is based on the memoirs of a nurse midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. It follows a group of nurse midwives based out of a nursing convent as they tend to one of the poorest parts of London both when mothers are giving birth and when the neighborhood's residents are ill. The series is not always happy, but there is a sense of optimism throughout the times of heartbreak; maybe it comes with the territory of new life. Chris does say, "If you were to hear Call the Midwife from another room, it would be the least relaxing mix - babies crying, women screaming and my wife crying from watching it," but I found it fascinating and confidence building. The history in itself is interesting, but seeing women give birth in all kinds of circumstances was incredibly motivating. I'd think, if she could give birth in a shack full of fish, I can give birth again in my sanitary hospital. If she could give birth aboard a ship, I can so do it in a spacious labor and delivery room. The third season has been up for a bit, and I'm finally rewarding myself by starting the third season. I highly suggest it!

Other films that helped me prepare and that are only available through Netflix DVD:
The Business of Being Born: this is an extremely biased documentary, but it did provide some food for thought and prompted me to do much more research about our options. 
BABIES: this documentary follow four babies and their mothers who are each in completely different environments and cultures. It is not an incredibly active piece, but I enjoyed it because it calmed me down about pending parenthood. The babies were happy and healthy whether they were in Mongolia, Japan, Namibia or San Francisco. 

Any other Call the Midwife fans out there?

Do you have any genres you would like to hear about during the #StreamTeam series? 


12 comments :

  1. I need to get back into Call the Midwife. I started it shortly after Michael was born but my postpartum emotions couldn't handle it. I've been meaning to go back but I'm still working on finishing up Parenthood and Downton Abbey (not on Netflix of course...). BUT if I want to catch up I need to do it before January when Friends FINALLY is on there... actually, I should probably get a lot done before that happens...

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    1. Ha, I do get emotional and cry in every episode, but hey, what's new about that.

      And SO true. Bye-bye productivity when that happens.

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    2. I can't watch Call the Midwife. I've tried watching it several times and several different episodes, but I always end up a hot mess and turning it off. Maybe when I'm done with my childbearing years. I just can't handle that show right now!

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  2. Might be time for a re-watch over here. Johnny came into it pretty late, so that's my excuse to go through the first season and a half, right? I'm currently making my way through Gilmore Girls, just because I need something relatively mindless on in the background of a big project I'm working on.

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    1. You should! Excellent excuse.

      That's how I ended up watching all those horrible medical dramas - I don't need to follow along too closely to know what is happening.

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  3. No comments on Call the Midwife, I haven't really watched it, but I was entertained to see a dormroom snap on the blog! What fun! What dorm did you live in? Somewhere on West Quad?

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  4. I LOVE Call the Midwife (and Downton Abbey)! I saw all the episodes thanks to Netflix :) Also, I am planning to go to grad school for Midwifery in the next two years! We saw Business of Being Born in our OB nursing class-- it's fascinating. Definitely agree on the bias part. I remember seeing commercials for BABIES but never saw it. I'll have to check it out!

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    1. Yes, you should! It really is pretty adorable, but also good food for thought. Good luck with your midwifery school! I've had great experiences with them :)

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  5. I love Call the Midwife!!! It was one of my pregnancy go to shows. Too!

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  6. Replies
    1. I received an email invitation from their outreach team! I don't know if they are accepting any more for the year, but if you would like, I can pass along your email.

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