Is live streaming labour the new normal? Twitch streamer’s eight-hour birth raises questions

In what has to be one of the most bonkers things we’ve seen online this year, popular Twitch streamer Fandy decided to broadcast her home birth live to tens of thousands of viewers.

Over eight hours, fans watched her labour in an inflatable pool before welcoming her daughter, Luna, into the world all on camera.

Content creators are out here doing wild things for views, from sitting in a field letting their menstrual blood flow into the grass because, apparently, that’s “healing”, to stunts that have ended in serious injury or worse. 

This latest livestream highlights just how far influencer culture has come and how normalised it’s become to document deeply personal moments for an audience.

Over 30,000 viewers tuned in as she handled contractions, water breaking, and pushing a tiny human out while cracking jokes like, “I’ve waited forever for her. Get the hell out already.” 

Of course, some fans freaked out. “Can Twitch even allow a live birth?” they asked. Well, apparently yes.

Twitch CEO himself popped into the chat with a friendly: “Fandy, best of luck and congratulations. Wishing you the best in this journey.” So, officially, Twitch has no issues with you going full-birth-cam if you feel like it.

It reminded me of a classic "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" moment, you know the one. Kourtney, ever the “unusual” one of the family, decided to take Khloé to a home birth for moral support, and let’s just say… it was cringe all the way. 

And yes, a doctor was on standby, safety first, people, this isn't the jungle. But the stream captured all the screams, cheers, and first baby cries.

Fandy’s friends were hyping her up, the chat was full of chaos, and Luna made her dramatic debut into the world with a global audience applauding her first breaths.

Maybe Luna will like the fact that she was born on a livestream? Yes? No? Some called Fandy brave, some were genuinely shaken, and a few probably needed therapy after seeing it all. But that’s influencer culture for you.

Fandy’s livestream proves that in today’s social media world, nothing is too private, nothing is too wild, and yes, apparently, giving birth can double as entertainment.

Another X user chimed in with: “This generation is cooked 💀.” Again, not totally wrong. Influencer culture has normalised extremes for the sake of virality, from viral TikTok challenges that involve jumping off rooftops or inhaling nitrous oxide, to streaming intimate life events like this.

According to a 2023 Pew Research report, nearly 40% of young adults admit they’ve tried a trend online that could be considered risky, usually to “fit in” or “go viral.” 

"We’re officially in a 'Black Mirror' episode where people are delivering their babies live on stream for their subathons,” wrote another.

It’s giving “Fifteen Million Merits” vibes, the episode on "Black Mirror" where people live in a totally controlled world, their every move recorded, and personal struggles turned into entertainment for others. Watching Fandy livestream her home birth to tens of thousands of people hits the same note.

We’ve gotten used to seeing people share almost everything online. Some called her brave, others shook their heads, but the truth is, this is just a glimpse of how society has normalised turning personal milestones into public content.

It is what it is.