YPT on TV!
The Young Parents Team (YPT) has been on Channel 4 twice this month!
YPT midwives Keely Franklin and Lorna Waite were asked to take part in the popular 'The Sex Education Show’, which aired at the beginning of October. The YPT's second appearance was on 'Embarrassing Teenage Bodies' which aired on Thursday 30 October.
Rachel Ambler, consultant midwife, was approached by the TV company 'Maverick' and was asked if our teenagers and ourselves would be interested in taking part in the show. They wanted to find out about problems teenagers face in pregnancy and wanted to find out about teenage motherhood from the teenage mum's perspective.
Rachel, Keely and Lorna agreed and our teenagers consented to taking part and we spent two days filming at Archway Children's Centre, by kind permission of Georgina McGuigan, Deputy Head of the Centre. The participants included our pregnant teenagers and new mum's and thier babies. Onitha, who had her baby in May, was filmed over several days. She was our star!
Rachel, Keely and Lorna were also interviewed. We had the chance to meet the lovely 'Embarrassing Bodies' doctor, Dr Dawn Harper, who spoke with the girls and got their photo taken with her. The girls spoke about stretch marks, pregnancy and on being teenage mums.
The second day of filming in September, was Lorna Waite's last day working with the YPT. She made a great exit, as the last thing she did with the YPT was to be interviewed for television!
The producer found that there was so much useful material that could not fit into the show, that a further show is hoped to be scheduled for February next year, focusing on Teenage Pregnancy.
The YPT were approached for this show, following a successful year. We received a Royal College of Midwives award in January, appeared on Radio 4 Woman's Hour in June, arranged a successful Young Parents Open Day in July and have been involved with the new Family Nurse Partnership in Islington.
The YPT would like to thank Georgina McGuigan at Archway Children's Centre and of course, our pregnant teenagers and teenage mums in taking part in the filming. It involved a long couple of days, but was very exciting!
Keely Franklin, YPT midwife and Rachel Ambler, Consultant midwife
Last updated03 Nov 2008