A vlog content of actress and social media personality Toni Fowler drew flak after it showed Papi Galang, another internet personality, delivering a baby with an audience.
Toni on June 29 uploaded a vlog documenting what she said was season two, episode 26 involving the “ToRo family,” her team.
It was titled “Motherhood,” and it featured Papi giving birth to her third child via water birth at Toni’s home.
Water birth is the process of giving birth in a tub of warm water.
The theory behind the birth is that since the baby has already been in the amniotic fluid sac — a water-like substance surrounding the fetus — for nine months, birthing in a similar environment is supposedly gentler for the baby and less stressful for the mother.
While it has its own benefits like the effects of buoyancy, the process also carries the risk of water aspiration on the baby, who may accidentally inhale water.
Among the personalities who have given birth through this method is actress-host Coleen Garcia and Max Collins.
Meanwhile, Toni’s vlog documented the whole process, from the team setting up a pool inside the house to Papi sharing her thoughts post-water birth.
It also included scenes of Papi in a laboring position while surrounded by the ToRo family, including vloggers Anthony Leodones and Jamie Bautista.
Some online users found the moment disturbing as it featured a live view of Papi giving birth in front of a group of people, including males who were not in the medical field.
“Naloka ko nung napunta sa ibang view, ang dami pala nanonood?!” a Filipino wrote in Reddit.
“Andoon si Toni Fowler at ‘yung asawa [niya] pa ang nag-iilaw sa kiffy ni ate, pati mga bata at ibang lalaki na may mga dalang camera pa. Nagulat lang ako kasi nakaharap talaga [siya] sa mga tao habang nagluluwal siya ng sanggol,” the Redditor continued.
Other Redditors also had issues concerning privacy.
“Kadiri naman ‘yan, binuyangyang mo na sa lahat ng tao ‘yung ki*** mo. Kapag nagpapa-OB nga ‘ko, nahihiya ako at babae pa OB, pero ano ‘yan, may mga lalake pa na ‘di naman niya asawa [or boyfriend],” the Reddit user said.
“Naka-focus tayo sa pag give birth sa bata at ‘tong mga kupal, ang iniisip, pordabiew [for the view] at audience impact. Lintik na pordabiew na ‘yan. Baka may mga manyak pa nanood sa YouTube at iba ang tinitingin kasi si kuya iniilawan ang kif** ni girl. Hay naku!” another Pinoy commented.
“Bruh, bakit bukod sa asawa [niya], may apat pang lalaki [diyan] at tsaka bakit naka-bidyo-bidyo pa with matching DSLR????” exclaimed a difrerent Redditor.
A meme page also referenced the vlog in a Facebook post.
It had the following caption:
anak: 1
nanay: 1
audience: 14
Toni’s vlog content also earned flak among Facebook users.
“Forda content kahit dignidad isa alang-alang at kaligtasan ng baby, tsk! Normal lang daw sabi ng ilan. Normal kung documentary. ‘Di rin kita mukha sa documentary pero ‘yung kanya, kita mukha, may bata at audience pa,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Basta my ma-ivlog, kahit ipakita pa kaluluwa diyan,” another Pinoy commented.
Doctors, labor nurses, and other specialists such as anesthesiologists and pediatricians are usually present during births in hospital environments.
In water births, a doctor and a midwife are present, although the number of people present is less controlled than hospitals, which may impose limits on people entering delivery rooms.
Meanwhile, there is the concept of birth photography which documents the labor and the delivery process of a child’s birth. It focuses on capturing moments leading up to and immediately after the birth of the baby.
