An Ottawa-area woman plans to live stream the birth of her third child, and is inviting would-be viewers to sign up to receive an email when she goes into labour.
Nancy Salgueiro, a chiropractor and childbirth educator, has posted a video on the website yourbirthcoach.com to explain why she is opening her home to the world for the occasion.
“In our culture, we’ve created this idea of fear and this visual image of what birth is, with TV and with sitcoms, and with the stories that we’ve heard in the last few generations that have really created just this culture of fear and secrecy and privacy,” she explained.
“We don’t know what to expect as women going into labour ourselves, and I really believe that it’s important for women to see what a normal natural birth is like.”
Salgueiro is due in early October, but noted that “due dates don’t mean a whole lot” and the baby could come anytime from now to late October.
Those who register will receive an email when she goes into labour about where to watch the birth live online.
In her video, Salgueiro said other women and girls used to attend births many years ago.
It is important to change the “visual blueprint” of childbirth so that it can be thought of as a normal natural process that is part of life, she said.
Salgueiro said she has had two “wonderful” home births already and can’t wait to do it again.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, so you’re going to have to wait and see. So am I.”
