Taking pains to ease giving birth
Brock O’hurn didn’t need a lot of convincing to film horror film The Resort in an island paradise... but that was before he heard locals’ claims the set was actually haunted. KERRI-ANN ROPER finds out more
QI’m expecting my first baby and I’m really scared about giving birth. Can I have a caesarean just because I’m frightened of the pain?
ADr Shazia Malik, a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at The Portland Hospital in London, part of HCA Healthcare UK, says: “About one in four women in the UK have a C-section to deliver their baby
“For women with a complicated pregnancy, a C-section may be recommended or necessary for the health of the mother or baby. However, some women choose to have a caesarean even when there’s no medical need.
“Also women sometimes opt for an elective caesarean for fear of the pain of giving birth. Some mothers-to-be may feel guilty or worried about asking for an elective C-section, but their healthcare teams will never judge them for their choice and just want them to have the best birth experience possible.
“Some women may have suffered previous traumatic experiences related to their sexual health, or a previous birth experience, or have a real fear of giving birth vaginally (called tocophobia). It’s important to discuss this with a trusted healthcare professional, ideally before you even become pregnant, so you can have counselling and psychological support, not only to help overcome your issues, but to make the right choice for you.
“It’s important to remember that having a caesarean isn’t riskfree, as it’s major abdominal surgery. It can take longer to recover afterwards.
“I’d recommend that any woman who’s nervous about giving birth speaks to a member of their healthcare team about their concerns, as they should be able to help put their mind to rest.
“If a woman is considering having a caesarean for non-medical reasons, such as anxiety about childbirth, their doctor should explain the benefits and risks of the procedure, compared to a vaginal birth.
“They’ll usually be offered an elective caesarean. If their obstetrician is unwilling to perform the operation, they should refer them to another obstetrician who’s willing to do it.
“There are many ways of your team looking after you during your labour to help alleviate any pain, such as gas and air, injections and an epidural injection. So if fear of pain is your main concern, discuss this with your midwife.
“They can also arrange an appointment with an anaesthetist – with modern ‘mobile’ epidurals you can remain mobile and pain-free in labour and during the birth. “Learning hypnobirthing during the pregnancy can be helpful if you feel anxious, and many women find it reduces their need for injections or epidurals.
“Discuss your worries in good time to make a clear plan for whatever birth you choose. It helps you feel more confident and enjoy the experience of welcoming your baby.”
BROCK O’HURN looks like the kind of guy who doesn’t scare easily. Not even taking on a role filmed in a resort rumoured to be haunted rattled the muscled, 6ft 6in actor – especially when he found out the filming location was in Hawaii.
The 29-year-old American stars in horror film The Resort, which sees four friends head to Hawaii to see firsthand if reports of an abandoned resort being haunted by the infamous Half-faced Girl are true.
“You had me at Hawaii,” he says, smiling as he talks about signing up to the film. But the star, who has built up an Instagram following of more than two million due to his fitness posts, also had a hand in making it all happen off-screen.
“Taylor Chien (the director) and Will Meldman (executive producer) are good friends of mine. I actually introduced them,” he says.
Then shortly before filming began, the pair told Brock they still had a part to fill.
He explains: “Probably a couple weeks out from filming, they’re like, ‘Look, we still need this character, Chris – we think you’d be a perfect fit, we’d love to work with you.’
“And I was like, ‘Dude, I love you guys and you had me at Hawaii.’ So let’s go.”
It may be known for its picture postcard palm trees and sandy beaches, but the production found a suitably creepy, abandoned resort as the location for the scare-fest complete with stories of real-life supernatural incidents. Brock recalls how director Chien shared spooky rumours he’d heard from the locals – including one about a security guard who left his job after an encounter with the spectre of a crying lady. “He went over to see that the woman was all right and when he gets close, he said that he could see through her and then she stood up, turned around and flew right through him – and so the guy quit on the spot,” the actor says.
“I was like, okay, it’s one thing to hear that maybe this place is haunted, maybe some of these locals are messing with us, but at the same time, there was a point where they’re like, ‘Look, you should get a shaman to bless these grounds because they’re Hawaiian burial grounds.”’
He continues: “So Taylor had shared a few (stories), I learned a few from the locals there, and had a few interesting experiences myself. I definitely think the place was actually haunted.”
Taylor, who wrote and directed the film which also stars Bianca
Haase, Michael Vlamis and Michelle Randolph, describes the movie as being about four friends looking for an adventure who end up getting more than they bargained for.
The director says: “It’s a fun and scary thriller with great shocking twists. Many of our scenes are from real stories that have happened there.
“We had a lot of fun making this because it was truly scary while on set. At the end of the day, we were safe... for the most part.”
The horror genre is one Brock says he enjoys watching, too.
“I’m a big guy, it’s very hard for me to get scared. So when I watch a horror film, and I’m genuinely terrified, that is a great film,” he explains.
“I remember watching The Conjuring for the first time and by the end of it I was like, ‘I’m not even going to put my feet down so somebody can reach out from under the couch and grab me!”’
Sadly, empty hotels like the one they used for filming may be easier to find in future as Covid- 19 continues to batter the tourism industry. It’s something Brock has thought about since filming wrapped.
“A lot of resorts might actually look like (that) in a couple years and cruise ships or just local businesses,” he says.
“I remember I was walking through somewhere recently, it was like: ‘That place has shut down. Oh, this building was shut down. Oh, this store that’s been here for 20 years is gone now.”’
The financial impact of Covid is not the only disquieting facet of a year that has often felt like a horror movie. Brock reflects on a trip he took through a deserted Hollywood during the lockdown.
“I drove down Sunset Boulevard and I’ve been living here for years, I had never seen it empty in my life... I’m waiting for a zombie apocalypse to come around this corner right now, what is going on?
“So I definitely feel like, especially during these times, and we all are still dealing with Covid... I think (the film) will resonate with people very well.”
Acting aside, another of Brock’s passions is fitness. A scroll through his social media pages reveals workouts that look tough enough to make even The Rock sweat.
But as well as the physical side, the effect exercise has on his mental health is also important to him.
He says: “That’s the reason I fell in love with it in the first place. I suffered from clinical depression. It helped almost rewire my thought process in the way I show up in the world and how I feel.
“That was one thing growing up – I found (with) working out, that I could leave feeling better than how I came in. And it was something that I craved every day.”
“I want to push it and I always want to help people, if they need help or want the help. I’ll explain first-hand from my experience – it saved my life. So from a mental health perspective, it is one of the best things I think you can do.”
■ The Resort is available on digital and on demand now
He said that he could see through her... she stood up, turned around and flew right through him...
Brock tells the story of a security guard who claimed to see a ghost at the hotel