To say it straight away: I have nothing against smartphones in the delivery room. It is quite understandable that new parents want to capture some of the first magical moments with their child after the birth as a photo or video and perhaps share them with others. That's why my Checklist for the hospital bag the charging cable for the mobile phone. I want to avoid forgetting it at home, otherwise there will only be extra excitement in the delivery room.
Perhaps you're wondering why I'm bringing up the topic of smartphones here anyway? Quite simply - I think it's part of good birth preparation to think about it a little beforehand.
The precious first time together
Let's take a look at a situation that I have experienced many times in the delivery room: The baby has just been born and is lying skin-to-skin with its mother in its very first moments of life. And the proud dad doesn't take his first look directly at the baby, but through the lens of his smartphone. Once the "good news" has been posted on social media, the parents are immediately bombarded with congratulations. They often feel compelled to respond straight away.
I think it's a real shame when parents can't spend this first magical time with their child undisturbed. Because these moments are absolutely unique - and also significant for the all-important first bond. You should therefore be able to enjoy them without any distractions. Even we midwives withdraw into the background in this situation. There is a tiny human being lying there: your child, your personal miracle. These moments belong to you alone, undisturbed. And their indescribable magic can hardly be captured on film or in photos. Trust that a few hours after the birth, your baby will still be just as sweet, unique and wonderful that everyone will still be just as happy about the news and the first pictures later on.
In my Birth preparation courses I experience again and again how many parents feel under pressure to "have to" inform their family and friends immediately and up close about the birth. I would therefore like to encourage you here: You alone decide when you are ready to share your new life with your baby with other people! Don't let the expectations of others guide your decision. On the contrary: let everyone know in advance that you would like to have the first time as a threesome all to yourselves. Then your family and friends won't have any false expectations in the first place.
Once your baby has seen the light of day, it needs your full attention. I can't say it often enough: this also lays the foundation for your relationship with your child. This will make it much easier for you to recognise your baby's signals early on, interpret them correctly and respond to them. You can find out more about baby's first hours of life here read in the blog.
Labour needs concentration and support
But I am not only concerned with the question of whether and when someone will use a smartphone. to of the birth in the delivery room - but whether and at what moment that also while happens at birth. Because both are very sensitive, intimate times that are also prone to disruption.
It's hard to believe - but there are fathers who want to meticulously document the entire birth process from the first to the last contraction on their smartphone. Instead of supporting the woman giving birth, they prefer to take photos and videos. Some couples have even discussed this with each other beforehand, so there are also mothers who are in favour of this.
From the professional point of view of a midwife, I cannot approve of this. After all, such a scene in the delivery room means a lot of distraction for the mother. This can significantly impair or even interrupt the labour process and also severely disrupt the midwife's work. Whether agreed in advance or not, women giving birth are much less able to engage with the labour process and concentrate on it if they are constantly being "photographed". In fact, such "documentation" even jeopardises the natural birth process, so I can only warn against it. In addition, the mother also loses the important support of her labour companion if she is busy with her smartphone again.
What always leaves me a little stunned: There are quite a few videos or pictures of births on the internet - and in the most personal moments. But I ask you: Do you really want to be the protagonist of a mobile phone video on the internet that shows you, for example, breathing out a contraction or pushing? And do you want this footage of a very intimate situation in your life to be "shared" and passed around? Maybe that's okay for you. But I take a critical view of your baby's opinion. It can't even comment on it. Although, in theory, it has its own right to its pictures. I find it difficult to imagine that a person can agree to pictures of the moment they come into the world being circulated in public. But newborn babies can't yet say: Stop - I don't want that!
I also find it problematic when some mums and/or their birth companions in the delivery room are constantly "distracted" by their smartphones. We midwives experience this too: Birth mothers who focus more on their social media accounts or answering emails during breaks in labour instead of resting and gathering strength for the next contraction. Accompanying fathers who scroll through messages, apps, Bundesliga tables or business enquiries while the next contraction rolls towards their loved ones next to them also don't use these valuable breaks.
This deprives both of them of the opportunity to rest. However, this also disrupts the hormones in the woman giving birth, which have a pain-relieving effect. It is therefore not surprising that these women need an epidural or opioids as painkillers. This helps the mum at this moment. However, this makes the baby's first days of life more difficult. The price for the baby is therefore quite high.
My conclusion to the smartphone in the delivery room
I would like to emphasise once again that I have great sympathy for parents who want to capture some personal birth memories. The smartphone, with all its technical possibilities, can be a convenient helper. However, it should remain in this role - but not take over the direction of the birth.
BY THE WAY: Selfies with the midwife accompanying the labour in the delivery room are also becoming increasingly popular. My tip for you if you want to take photos or film with your smartphone in the delivery room: In any case, get before consent from the obstetric team to be included in the picture if necessary. This not only requires respectful interaction with each other, but is also a legal issue. Because even in the delivery room all The right to one's own image!
