I first saw knocked up at the cinema and enjoyed watching it again for this blog post. As far as movie birth scenes go it’s actually not that absurd. However it is memorable for lots of reasons, primarily the uncommon sight of a baby crowning from the vagina.
Knocked Up or Knocked Out?
In summary knocked up is a comedy about a successful woman who becomes pregnant after a drunken one night stand with a slob. She decides to keep the baby and endeavours to build a relationship with the father. This is where most of the comedy originates as they are so dissimilar. She has an ascending career at a TV station whilst he is unemployed and living with a group of other slobs who spend most of their time smoking dope and watching porn. It generally portrays the women as uptight bitches and the men as hapless contributors.
Well I enjoyed the movie (obviously not in the class of The Jazz Singer but no where near as appalling as The Back-Up Plan), it has funny scenes that will appeal to both sexes. If you have experienced pregnancy & birth there are plenty of moments to identify with. The Ob reneging on his promise to be available for the birth, relaxing in a candle lit bath, having pregnant sex, buying books to educate the partner and many, many more. By the way, What to expect when you are expecting seems to be awful book of choice in every movie although she did buy a copy of Penny Simkins The Birth Partner too.
But What About The Birth Scene?
Firstly I must say they did a pretty good job on making the actress look pregnant. They flaunted plenty of convincing belly shots to make you wonder if the actress really was pregnant. Perhaps they used a belly double? As for the birth scene it was a standard (caesareans excluded) hospital affair, sadly more realistic than it aught to be. They went in to the hospital wanting a natural birth, but as soon as she was hooked up to the monitors and for some reason a drip, then had her resolve broken by a tyrannical ob she soon capitulated. “Whatever, do what you have to do“, she says defeated. All too a familiar story I’m afraid. I only wish it was absurd. The writers must have met an ob or two to think of nicely encapsulating the dead baby card with the who’s in charge card.
So I think knocked up delivers one of the better hospital birth scenes in any Hollywood chick flick. And showing the vagina was pretty unusual don’t you think? I’m sure it was eye opener for anyone viewing for the first time.
In the birth scene clip I’ve prefixed the moment where the Ob is demanding compliance as it is so pertinent to the birth scene that soon follows.
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Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Did you enjoy the birth scene?
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I wasn’t sure whether to watch the clip or not, was worried it might trigger me. I think it was sadly realistic of hospital birth and I wanted to punch the doctor when he said “You’ll have to do it the natural way now, just like you wanted”. Prick.
I have a question. Why doesn’t she have any pubic hair? Do hospitals shave it off or is it now fashionable for women to simply extend their leg shaving up to their crotch?
Personally I think some pubic hair would have made it more realistic. It looked a little plasticy. Not that I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at it you understand.
Hmmmm….. no cord around the neck like the ob promised. Fancy that!
you left out the part where he takes the doctor outside and pretty much tells him to shove his attitude, she just wants a nice birth. and the doctor later comes back in acting slightly sorry… =)
what all good birth partners should do!
Kicking husbands butt. I specifically wanted that included and he said he put it in. He didn’t edit it properly. Will change ASAP
When I watch the clip it includes the part with the doctor and father having the private conversation and the doctor then apologising. The total clip length is 5m 37s. Can anybody else confirm?
Oh, thank God I don’t have to see that kind of horror show any more. Very realistic altho that didn’t look like any vulva or head crowning I’ve ever seen. Think it was one of those plastic learning modules they have nowadays. Ewwwww. Blue bulb syringe, cord clamped with hemostat before mother even get to see the baby. . . .the doctors fundamental hatred of women. Too bad most people will never see a dark, quiet, private, powerful, calm birth at home.
Gloria
As an interesting side note, the Ob in “Knocked Up” is a Physician in real life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Jeong
I actually thought this scene is the lesser of all the evils of hollywood births! It shows the typical derailment of a woman’s birth plan.
I also HATE that they made the nuchal cord seem like an emergency. Decels can be cause by compression on the cord during a contraction but as long as it come back up properly it’s nothing to cause panic about. OBs (even in the movies apparently) have a way of making you panic!!!
I watched it… It was ok..
Except that Seth Rogan looked(and acted) exactly like me at the time.
MMm similar hair style.
I agree! No pubic hair??? I think it’s fair to say that most pregnant women can barely reach their toes…never mind their vaginas with a razor!! and who goes for a Brazilian at term? I think all her huffing and puffing was so dramatic! COME ON HOLLYWOOD…
*puts hand up* I went for waxing while pregnant, just as I have done prior and since…just personal preference, and makes me feel much cleaner especially PP.
I do love the movie though, and while it’s not my experience, I think it would hit close to home for alot of mothers.
Hey Lisa… the actor who plays Dr Kuni actually IS a doctor, and still practicing – does acting on the side as a hobby. His wife is a doctor too… Explains alot lol (that said, I have Knocked Up on DVD and it always has me in stitches… who can beat lines like “its not herpes if its everywhere!”)
It could have been much worse – most Hollywood film birth scenes are – but it still makes me mad to see her railroaded: ‘You need you to turn on your back now okay, the baby’s heart rate is slowing’ – how the hell is that going to help? A nice bit of inferior vena cava compression to take its mind off it?! That said I like the bath/candles bit and the back massage is a nice touch. And incidentally I used to work with pregnant teenagers and nearly all of them were completely shaved. It’s a generational thing I think! Teenage boys don’t expect to see pubic hair anymore; it comes as a bit of a shock to see a real woman.
I was once approached to play the part of a midwife in a film – since I was the only midwife in our hospital with acting experience – as I was told they wanted it to be more realistic. I asked what the part would entail and I was told “Oh we just want you to say ‘push push’ and then when the baby comes out you say ‘It’s a boy!’” I told them I never tell anyone to push, seeing as it’s rather redundant in a woman who is getting a strong urge to do so, and I would NEVER tell anyone what sex their baby was! I said if it’s realism you want then I’ll do it the way I would REALLY do it, and she said no thanks and hired an actor instead! What a waste of time and opportunity. Still, I’m glad I stuck to my principles.
On the lack of pubic hair issue, many of the women that I see in the public system dont have pubic hair. It’s a fashion thing, especially amongst younger women. On a deeper, more analytical level, it’s really gravitating to a prepubescent state. Sometimes I wonder how comfortable it is for them though. Many of them have skin that reacts to shaving and it just looks sore and uncomfortable.
Its actually more common than you’d think for women at full term to go get a bikini wax. So they look noice and tidy “down there” on the day. I’ve also heard stories of people overhearing hospital staff discussing a womans “forest” as though it were rude of her not to get waxed.
Vomit worthy hey!
.
Absolutely horrible to see this ‘birthing’. The vagina without pubic hair, that doctor, the screaming of the woman, the active purple pushing… absolutely NOT what I consider normal, loving bringin baby into the world. It is a shame. And especially to see the scissors in the cord..
PUKE
I understand the empowerment that comes with homebirth, but there seems to be many generalizations regarding hospital births on this blog. I also think it is important for the author to be mindful when using phrases such as “playing the dead baby card.” It sounds trivial and dismissive, and something that doctors use only as a scare tactic. As a mother who has endured the stillbirth of my second child, I resented this comment. Also, having met MANY other stillbirth mothers whose stillbirths were the result of lack of medical intervention or a failed homebirth, I can tell you it is a very real thing to have a dead baby at the end of a birth experience where one has refused intervention. It is not always a scare tactic. Sometimes there is a very real risk. I just think you need to be careful in dismissing the risk of stillbirth, because it can and does happen.
I am sad for your loss. Playing the dead baby card is in no way trivial it is real and threatening and has nothing to do with any real risk. I am not generalising about hospitals as I spent years working in them. Babies die, it is tragic and it is a fact of life. They happen mainly at the hospital and rarely due to lack of intervention. Through your experiences I think You are generalising and not this blog.