One Born Every Minute Australia

Did You Know?

• Over 5,500 families choose to birth their babies at Westmead Hospital each year.
• The premiering episode received 325,000 metro viewers, with the series receiving 454,000 national views.

Content and plot

Each episode follows three to four unrelated women and families entering Westmead Hospital while in labour. During labour, families and doctors discuss birthing options and potential complications, with background information provided on the birth parents and their pregnancies. After birth, the series introduces the newborn and any relevant post-birth details. Themes include moderate complications such as breech births and caesarean sections, as well as more serious topics like congenital birth defects, heart problems, and pre- and post-natal complications.

Production and production history

One Born Every Minute Australia premiered on 22 October 2019 and ran for one season of eight episodes, ending on 10 December 2019. The show was produced by Endemol Shine Australia and broadcast on Network 10. Beverley McGarvey, chief content officer for Network 10, commented that the network's audiences had embraced insights into the lives of Australians such as paramedics and lifeguards, and that covering childbirth was a privilege. The series is narrated by Jane Hall, directed and produced by Michael Bennett, with producers Debbie Cuell and Sarah Thornton, and edited by Karen Crespo. Footage was captured using over 60 fixed rig cameras set up around Westmead Hospital Birthing Unit to document parenthood, nurses, hospital culture, and relationships.