Woman streams daughter’s birth to 45,000 viewers on YouTube to prove it’s not “gross”

A woman hoping to show others labor isn’t always “gross” and “scary” live-streamed the birth of her daughter to 45,000 viewers on YouTube, but all didn’t go to plan.

For new moms, giving birth for the first time can bring about some anxiety and fear. It is a complex and life-changing event, and it’s normal to feel nervous.

In hopes of helping others see that labor doesn’t have to be “gross” or “scary,” one woman decided to take matters into her own hands and show loved ones and strangers alike that childbirth can be “euphoric.”

37-year-old Siobhan Miller set up a camera to livestream the home birth of her fourth child on YouTube, filming herself throughout contractions.

Having had a traumatic experience birthing her first son, Siobhan discovered hypnobirthing — a practice that uses therapeutic relaxation techniques to manage pain during childbirth. Inspired, she trained in hypnobirthing and launched her own company before taking things to the next level for the arrival of her fourth child.

“Everything we see depicts birth as traumatic, it’s a skewed portrayal of birth,” Siobhan told Metro. “It ties in with how people think about birth typically – people think of it as gross and scary. But a change of mindset can show it can be empowering.”

However, after an hour and 20 minutes in labor, no midwives were available to come to Siobhan’s house and she was forced to end the livestream and rush to the hospital.

Siobhan ultimately gave birth to her daughter, Fionnuala, at the hospital in a birthing pool, calling the birth itself “really lovely.”

“I was disappointed not to have a home birth. I was disappointed the live stream had to come to an abrupt end,” Siobhan said. “But I got to show [how] labor can be. I wasn’t screaming. I wasn’t terrified. People got to see me breathing. They just missed the finale.”

And while she would “love to do it again and again,” Siobhan has already decided Fionnuala will be her last child. Nonetheless, she hopes her livestream has helped others see the beauty in childbirth; “I absolutely love giving birth. The power in your body – it’s like a miracle.’

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