Mum-of-two Alexia Leachman hosts the Fear Free Childbirth podcast, which is all about encouraging women to have an amazingly positive birth experience.
So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear that she’s unimpressed with the highly-dramatic and emotional birth scenes featured in Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute.
Writing on her blog, the pregnancy coach explained: “It’s creating fear among women when it comes to childbirth.”
She continued: “My problem with fear, is that it’s directly responsible for crappy childbirth experiences that are bad for mum and bad for baby.
“And if something is bad for mum AND baby during birth, then it’s bad for society… the impact of difficult and traumatic birth experiences include a higher likelihood of the occurrence of post natal depression in women as well as an increased likelihood of mental and emotional health challenges in the children.
“This is something that we could really do much less of in the world right now.”
She added powerfully: “Childbirth is best for mum and baby when it’s without the drama and in a calm environment."
Alexi has since started a petition for Channel 4 to portray childbirth in a more balanced way, insisting: “Women deserve the truth about childbirth, not a version made for TV.”
Calling upon the public to support her petition, she added: “I’m trying to do my bit to add positive content to the childbirth narrative with my podcast Fear Free Childbirth, but I can't do this on my own.
“A more concerted effort is required from all media publishers, and free-to-view TV channels need to be part of this.
“Please sign this petition to give a clear signal to Channel 4 that future mothers-to-be deserve the opportunity to approach childbirth free of fear and suitably informed about their choices and the reality of such a momentous life event.”
Do you agree - is One Born Every Minute traumatising mums-to-be?