NCT Comment on new Channel 4 Series ‘One Born Every Minute’

Released on 09/02/2010

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

NCT Press Statement

9^th February 2010 

NCT COMMENT ON NEW CHANNEL 4 SERIES ‘ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE’ 

Background

‘One Born Every Minute’ is a new documentary series on Channel 4 that follows the day to day life in a maternity ward. Filmed over a month the series highlights the intense experience of bringing a new life into this world from the perspective of the soon-to-be parent, the family, and the maternity ward staff.  

Quote

Elizabeth Duff, Public Policy Officer, NCT says:

"‘One Born Every Minute’ shows the importance of the day a child is born in the parents’ life, with a narrative reflecting their thoughts, hopes and fears. 

"This first day in the life of a new family deserves every chance to be wonderful – the NCT wants the experience of birth to enrich parents’ lives and give them confidence in their new roles. For this to happen, maternity services need midwives to provide continuous support to women in labour and their partners. The birth environment should be comfortable, relaxing and a place that is fit to start a family. 

"‘One Born Every Minute’ shows the reality of maternity services today. The midwives do their job well under great pressure. Caring for a wide diversity of women, from every walk of life and with a variety of clinical conditions, they are overstretched and under-resourced – ‘firefighting’ instead of being able to give calm and continuous support to parents on the day their lives change forever. 

"NCT has concerns about the challenges encountered by parents and staff in the maternity service environment. However, we are pleased to see the programme and its associated website http://lifebegins.channel4.com/ highlighting important issues about childbirth and maternity care. NCT offers support, information and contact opportunities to parents around the childbirth experience and the transition to parenthood." 

ENDS     

For further press information contact NCT Press Office on 020 8752 2404 or email press@nct.org.uk  For out of hours, please call 07722 839 428. The NCT has ISDN line on 020 8992 6499 – please call Press Office first to book.  The NCT - the National Childbirth Trust - is the UK’s leading charity on pregnancy, birth and early parenthood – we’re with parents all the way from bump to baby. Each year the charity supports thousands of parents through a life-changing experience, offering expert information and trusted practical and emotional support through a network of 300 local branches, helplines, classes and breastfeeding counseling and we campaign for improvements to maternity care. For more information call NCT on 0300 330 0770 or visit www.nct.org.