Did anyone watch 'The Hospital' on c4 tonight?

roundrachel

Silver Member
completely off topic but just how distressing was it to watch those teenage mums with no idea what they're letting themselves in for. I'm 31 and the thought of the responsibility of having a child still terrifies me. I'm not saying all teen mums are clueless, some are incredible with their kids. But the ones on the programme this evening scared me!!

Went to visit my cousin and her new baby in hospital yesterday. There were three heavily pregnant teenagers at the entrance, all smoking. I wanted to shout at them so badly!

Next week should be an interesting one, it's about teenage obesity and how the NHS is dealing with it. Put them all on LL I say!
 
Watching it now and can't actually write what I think for the sake of completely offending someone! ;-)

I had my first four weeks before my 21st birthday, but always worked and went off to college/Uni. I was a single parent for 7 years, but not through choice! The scary thing is that those girls have nothing, and no plans apart from the fashion accessory of a baby in a lot of cases! Yikes - it makes me so sad for everyone involved!

Now, as for the smoking while pregnant, don't even get me started....
 
I watched it :( D'oh..

Still, not as shocking as last weeks about teens and alcohol. The abuse was shocking. Felt so proud of the fact that if my teens did get drunk, I am 100% sure that they would never speak to people who were trying to help them in that manner.

I just know they wouldn't...however drunk.
 
'It's hard to give up smoking when you started when you were 10'

'I'd had sex before and never used contraception and didn't get pregnant so thought it'd never happen to me'

'I have a needle phobia' (in spite of my multiple piercings!)

'I know the Dr says I should have anti clotting medicine but my mates say I don't need it' and they're qualified medics are they?!

Last week's was awful as well. Kids with no self control who get so drunk they end up in a&e then complain that they have to wait to see someone because the staff are dealing with a real emergency. I used to get pretty drunk and once twisted my ankle but was never as vile as the people they were showing last week.

Ah, all's that's good about young people these days (and I'm still young myself!) Not that they're all bad. The ones I work with voluntarily are a pleasure. Mind you, they actually have some ambition to do something other than get all they can off the state.

I shall now step down from my soap box lol xx
 
Have just finished watching it. I am only 21 and I was horrified at the things coming out of these girls mouths. I have multiple piercings and am scared of injections/blood tests (not needles) but I sure as hell know that if someone advised me to have a course of injections to prevent a huge risk to mine or my childs life, there would be no question. I am also a smoker and have been for a little too long, I had a pregnancy scare and immediately stopped, it was a no brainer.
 
a no brainer indeed but these girls don't seem to have a brain. Or if they do, they have no idea how to use them!

One of the 15 year olds on my cousins ward had been in for three weeks because she didn't know what to do. She's dropped the baby three times and kept forgetting to feed it- even though it was lying screaming in hunger bless the tiny wee bundle :-(
 
I watched it! I work with girls like this day in day out and the majority of them are a joy to work with, when you get to know them and relate to them, some are just little.......!!

Most girls really dont realise that if you have unprotected sex there is a possibility of getting PREGNANT!!

Honestly, I have seen and heard a lot worse than what was shown in that film!! That is the tip of the big teenage pregnancy iceburg!
 
They all seemed good hearted but just scarily clueless. I have a friend who works with teenage mums. The funniest thing I've ever heard is a story of when she was talking to a young mum about contraception following the birth of her child...

Q: Are you sexually active?
A: Nah, I just lie there

She said she tied so hard not to laugh she almost wet herself. As did I when she told me the story. It's a classic!
 
I haven't watched it yet but I did sky+ it and will watch it later. I had my first child at 18 (was 17 when I fell pregnant) and immediately stopped smoking and drinking. I am a good mum and it does annoy me when people say all teen mums are bad (I know thats not what you lot are saying!) but even I can see there are some that leave a lot to be desired!

Emma :) xXx
 
I watched the show last night. Like others have said, it was pretty grim viewing and very sad that so many girls see a baby as a free ticket to a house, love and happiness. I'm a social worker and work with many young mums (youngest one I had on my caseload was 12 when she gave birth!) and I find most of them come down to earth with a very loud BANG once the sleepless nights / lack of social life / etc kicks in. Teen pregnancy is all part of the benefit culture within this country sadly, and whilst it's all well and good to put teenage pregnancy workers and midwives in place, nothing will change until young people can see a way out of benefits/poverty and are rewarded for doing so.

I'm looking forward to next week's programme about obesity.

It's kind of sad really that the worst my parents had to worry about when I was growing up was whether I would smoke or get drunk, whereas now I have to worry about my daughter carrying knives, doing cocaine, getting stabbed etc!!
 
Being a social worker must be such a tough job Lou, especially these days. As you say, it must be a big bump down back to earth when they have to start being a parent. It's a viscious circle though when these kids have been brought u not knowing that if you work for a living then life can be so much better. Having a baby isn't going to solve all their problems. Just makes me sad to see these girls who seem to think it's the only option to a way into a better life.

And as they said in the programme last night, sometimes the Dr just wants to tell them they're making a bad decision and creating unnecessary risks but all you can do is support them. In the long run, that's all you can do once the horse has bolted.

I've got a number of friends who have had kids very young but they've gone on to get degrees and good jobs too which I wholly admire them for. They're good parents and work so hard to get the best for their children. It's just so sad to see so many who have been brought up to think that having a baby (which they don't seem to realise then becomes a teenager and a grown up!) isn't a free meal ticket.
 
Well I just watched it and it's so sad that these girls weren't bothering with contraception etc. These girls are insane thinking it's going to be easy and it's so sad that one of them wanted a baby so that they'd always have someone to love them.

What bothers me is that they always choose the 'worst' examples you know, they could of had a positive example too although I was very impressed with one of them breastfeeding ;).

I couldn't be a social worker it must be such a tough job I was listening to radio 4 yesterday evening with my husband and they were talking with a few and I was in tears listening to it.
 
Oh Rachel I had this with my Dr he literally said to me 'you stupid girl' when i went in and told him I was pregnant. What annoyed me was that I was using contraception (2 forms actually!) and had in no way planned the baby, I know it was 'stupid' but to have a Dr say things like that to you when you're clearly upset and feeling very vulnerable anyway just isn't on!
 
Hi Future YM - I agree that they could have chosen some 'successes' too - there are lots of teen mums who do a wonderful job.

Didn't know there was a social worker programme on radio 4 - we don't usually get much good press!
 
If they'd chosen successes they'd have been accused of advocating teen pregnancy. Plus, I think the whole series is aimed at showing how the NHS is having to put up with added pressures. I can't believe each teen pregnancy costs at least £10k!

FYM, sorry to hear you Dr was so unsupportive. Sounds like the last thing you were was stupid. These things do happen though as millions of women who use contraception but still get pregnant will testify. However, when you don't use any any still expect not to get pregnant it's hard to sympathise too much.
 
I did not see the program, but have lately been talking a lot to friends about the current state of affairs with regards to teen pregnancy, and single parenthood.

I don;t mean to offend anyone, and i know there are some fantastic women (and men) who raise children single-handedly and responsibly. This is not about them....but I find it very sad, what is becomming 'normal' and 'acceptable'.

It has beome so normal for a young person to get pregnant and then keep and raise the child themselves. No one bats an eye anymore.

What I find firghtening, is that it has become so common place, for a number of reasons - some good, some bad, some unfortunate, etc., but does anyone stop and think that there is a huge portion of a generation that will be raised and grow up in the world, never knowing what it is like to have a father? Or a family?

I find that very sad. The value of a 'family unit' is slwoly dissappearing, and that is tragic.

I don;t know what the answer it - and we cannot turn back time, or cultural awareness/acceptance. It is what it is.

I just find it a very sad state of affairs myself. So many children who did not ask to be here, will never know what a real family is all about. How is that going to affect the country in the long run. Not well I would think. Kind of a sad and scary thought.
 
Oh I agree BL I hate that it's now normal and acceptable. I have 3 children and I hate to think that any of them coud be in that situation in as little as 7/8 years (for my eldest). My niece lives in an area where it's almost expected that you'll have a baby by the time you're 15, when I got married she was 6 and asked my 15 year old cousin why she didn't have a baby yet and that just broke my heart, she's now 9 and I can't see her having much of a future if this is what she thinks is normal.

I believe strongly that children should be raised in a loving household with their mum and dad (as mine are) it's far too common now to be a single parent, children who are raised in homes with both parents seem to be in the minority.

TBH Bl you're only saying what most people (including myself) are thinking!

Emma xXx
 
OMG thats insane! I thought they wanted to reduce the numbers not encourage it!
 
The world's (well, the UK) gone mad it seems. The government will support anyone, whatever they want to do. Because they 'want' it and nobody is prepared to put their foot down and say they can't have it.

We're creating a narcissistic society where the needs of those who kick u a fuss and sulk if they don't get what they want are catered for whilst the hard working ones who get on with it are neglected and left to fend for themselves.

My friend who is a teacher says as soon as you say 'no' to a child, the first thing they say is either 'but I want it' or 'it's my right'. Where has the backbone of society gone? So very sad
 
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