After great excitement... a baby boy

[reggie]

[UncleBen]

Speak for yourself. I wasn't excited. Another leech is born imo.

[zeban]

I am so relieved I don't live in the UK right now

[*Bob*]

Gosh yes, because there's bunting on every street, the national anthem playing in every pub and every tongue is a-wag with news of His MiniRoyalness!

oh no, hang on, it isn't

[El Pibe]

Rolling news, and 17,000 page spreads in the Daily Mail aren't reality.

There's bone crushing levels of indifference to this going on.

[Otta]

A couple of people that I previously thought were intellegent have posted things like "wonderful news, well done Kate" on Facebook. I don't know if it's some sort of sisterhood thing where women feel that they share some sort of bond having delivered a child, but I strongly suspect Kate wouldn't give a fuck what they say or think.

[Saffron]

It wasn't so very long ago that childbirth was the leading cause of death for women in the UK (and still is in many undeveloped countries, I suspect). In addition to which, although the stillbirth rate in the UK is significantly lower than in poor nations, it is still shockingly high compared to other Western countries (11 stillborn babies per day).

It may be argued that those stillbirths are due to negligence. However, that is not the case. A percentage of the stillbirths which happen in the UK every year, in otherwise healthy pregnancies, remain unexplained. It doesn't just happen to poor, unknown families. It happens to rich celebrities too. Just about this time last year Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn very sadly suffered a stillbirth. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19163712

So to see a woman like Catherine who has professed a deep desire to have child, then go on successfully to attain that desire with both mother and baby healthy is indeed a thing upon which to be congratulated. Personally, I received many congratulations on the birth of my child, some from people I barely knew, and a few from perfect strangers. Of course I can't speak for every woman, but I cherished every congratulation that I received, as did my husband and our families.

To people who are naysaying the royal birth, what would you be saying if Catherine had had a stillbirth? Nothing, I hope.

http://www.uk-sands.org/home.html

http://www.bigbuddhafilms.co.uk/films/documentary/still-born-still-loved/

[El Pibe]

A very worthy post I'm sure.

Of course noone (I hope) would have wished them ill, but there are many reasons why there may be indifference or hostility to these events.

These may be political from republicans, it may have to do with aversion to celebrity obsessions, a response to saturation media coverage or even just a natural reaction to peer pressure that we must all celebrate.

In my case it's probably a combination of all of the above (although my republican leanings are weak, I'm against herdeitary political privelege in principal, but can't think of a better replacement, especially given the levels of dedication to public service the queen has shown compared to say, ooooh, politicians, who come to think of it seem to have created a privileged and often hereditary political class, but that's another tale).

So yaaay, there was no stillbirth (friends of mine suffered this awful calamity last year), but do I give a shit at any other level? No.

[Chick]

Another benefit scrounger to support.

[Otta]

Saffron Wrote:

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> To people who are naysaying the royal birth, what

> would you be saying if Catherine had had a

> stillbirth? Nothing, I hope.

>

This was a point I was making the other day about everyone (press and idiots) hanging around outside the hospital. Had something gone wrong the poor woman would have had to face that mob during a hugely distressing time.

I am very pleased that they had a healthy baby boy with no lasting ill effect to mum. I just find all the attention twisted.

[*Bob*]

This is what we pay them for.

Think of it as one big lifelong version of The Truman Show.

You can always change channel.

[Jeremy]

Saffron, I really think you're confusing the issue. Of course people (well... normal people) are glad that the baby's healthy, etc. Just because we're not interested in (or don't agree with) the institution of royalty and resent the blanket media coverage, doesn't mean we resent them on a personal level or wish them harm.

[*Bob*]

You can get your royal fix 24/7 now - with the strangely familiar-looking 'world of royalty' forum. There's 'The Royal Court' (for royal-specific) and 'The Palace Garden' (for off-topic).

http://worldofroyalty.proboards.com/

[*Bob*]

'Princess' ("member of the nobility") asks:

'Australia vs. Great Britain. Have you live in either or both countries? Which one do you like better? Why? And how do these countries differ in your opinion?'

No replies so far.

[zeban]

Completely agree Jeremy re Saffron's post and in general. And I'm sorry but let's be real, she's done what the majority of half of the world's population has. It's absolutely nothing special. The sentimentalism of the media together with so much political apathy in Britain makes me embarrassed to be British, actually ashamed to be British. See Sue's and Buddug's posts in the Food banks thread in the general issues page. She sums up the way I'm feeling right now.

[*Bob*]

I do wish Edward a little bit of harm, actually.

Nothing bad. Maybe just that he stubs his toe every night whilst going for a piss in the dark. EVERY NIGHT.

[*Bob*]

How much are they supposed to cost us again? 50p a year or something?

Here's a quid. Keep the change.

[Saffron]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Saffron, I really think you're confusing the

> issue. Of course people (well... normal people)

> are glad that the baby's healthy, etc. Just

> because we're not interested in (or don't agree

> with) the institution of royalty and resent the

> blanket media coverage, doesn't mean we resent

> them on a personal level or wish them harm.

Not at all confusing the issue. My post was in response to the suggestion that it's unintelligent to wish Catherine well. I disagree, because I think it shows a great deal of emotional intelligence and sympathy. My post was also in response to congratulations being irrelevant, or Catherine not caring about them. Again I disagree, because I don't think people necessarily disregard congratulations on a new baby just because they don't personally know the well-wishers.

[Otta]

"My post was in response to the suggestion that it's unintelligent to wish Catherine well."

I never actually said that to be fair.

[Saffron]

zeban Wrote:

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> Completely agree Jeremy re Saffron's post and in

> general. And I'm sorry but let's be real, she's

> done what the majority of half of the world's

> population has. It's absolutely nothing special.

Tell someone who had an unexplained stillbirth, or lost a partner in childbirth, that a healthy mother and baby is nothing special. Go on tell them. They're listening. Some of them are on this Forum.

Just because something happens frequently, doesn't mean that it isn't special.

If you or Jeremy or Bob etc want to talk about how you dislike the Royals as an institution, that fine. Opinions differ. But to me then, you're the ones "confusing the issue" with simply congratulating Catherine on the birth.

[Saffron]

zeban Wrote:

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> I am so relieved I don't live in the UK right now

Yes, I'm relieved you don't live here either.

;-)

[Saffron]

Otta Wrote:

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> "My post was in response to the suggestion that

> it's unintelligent to wish Catherine well."

>

>

> I never actually said that to be fair.

I didn't say that you said it, which is why I didn't quote you above.

There was simply the suggestion of it in your statement: "A couple of people that I previously thought were intellegent have posted things like 'wonderful news, well done Kate' on Facebook." Therefore, by this statement, they no longer appear to be intelligent in your p.o.v. because they have wished her well. Just one possible interpretation. If that's not what you meant, please feel free to clarify. xx

[zeban]

Oh Saffron get a grip, you are still confusing your issues, missing the point entirely, but instead of accepting others don't agree with you you choose to be rude instead. Sticking a wink face after that sentence doesn't make it any less rude. I'm glad I don't have to be around the likes of your rude self. What do you think about the fact that 1 in 3 children born in Britain on the same day as this kid will grow up in child poverty? You are so obviously taking this personally, to do with circumstances of yourself or people you know. I'm not saying stillbirth isn't an important issue, and a devastating issue, but this has nothing to do with the pathetic media circus on this particular birth.

[Mick Mac]

reggie Wrote:

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>

Soundcloud is brilliant, isn't it.

[numbers]

zeban Wrote:

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> I am so relieved I don't live in the UK right now

out of interest, zeban, why are you bothering to post on a thread with baby boy in the title then? assuming you presumably wish to avoid the media circus/press/publicity/discussion around the whole event?