Just watched The Business of Being Born. Fantastic must see for all of us expectant mothers!
movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Business_of_Be...Posted May 13, 2011, 3:08 AM UTC
2517
movies.netflix.com
This documentary and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (book) helped me gain the courage to have a natural birth. I gave birth to my son Isaac 3 weeks ago today in a hospital with a midwife and I enjoyed the entire process. I hope you get to do it the way you want! Write a birth plan! :)
EDIT: Btw this documentary is very biased but considering that the only other information you get from the public is the horror stories and how an epidural is what's best etc, it's good to hear you're educating yourself on both sides.
5
I just watched the trailer and it's not comforting. I don't think I want to watch this. I feel like my doctors care about me even though they're making money helping me... and because I've grown up here in the United States, I don't want to suddenly change the "American" (non-natural) way of giving birth, especially with only 2 months to go. I'm already nervous. My entire family and many friends I know say that giving birth is the most miraculous, amazing thing that's happened in their life, despite them using pain-medications, etc. I know that I am scared/nervous/excited as the due date gets closer and closer, but knowing that I can get an epidural comforts me because I won't be in as much pain. Maybe it would be okay to do a natural birth if I had considered it before I was pregnant. I don't know... I guess I'll watch it after I have my baby!
3
I feel exactly the same way! I had a lot of friends who did home births try to convince me that my hospital was out to profit off my baby and potentially hurt him. It's confusing because, like you, I genuinely feel like my doctors and the particular hospital I'm going to care a lot for the moms and babies that come through there. And every person I know who has given birth there, from breach babies to natural births to stillbirths, said that they flat out refused to do a c-section until they had labored for as long as possible and attempted to push first.
I also feel the same way about epidurals. That stuff has gotta hurt! I'm a total pain wimp, I need to know there's a way to get relief! :)
4
I won't try and convince you otherwise. For me, it's important to feel like I have some control over what is happening to me during this incredible process. The stories I have heard, and my own treatment in the hospital after having a miscarriage have made me believe that I will have little to no freedom of choice or even informed consent with a hospital birth. The home birth option isn't for everyone and midwifery itself is very stigmatized in this country, so I can understand your desire for a hospital birth.
3
I understand bad hospital experiences, I had a miscarriage too and wanted nothing to do with "doctors that don't care about you" and hospitals for awhile. I was nervous about going back but I switched ob clinics and hospitals and my experience is much different now. I can tell you that I will (probably) consider the home birth option after my first child. I like to do things different-- For example, I plan to use reusable diapers. But I didn't even think of this option until recently so it's kinda scary for me to think about attempting now. Anyways, good luck with everything!
1
Great film. It obviously has a tendency to be a bit one sided as far as the opinions go, but I think it raises some really important issues. Most women don't even consider a natural birth, as if there's some stigma for what our bodies can and can't do... I think we give ourselves a lot less credit than we deserve. The other thing I thought was quite interesting was the snowballing effect of unnecessary intervention and the effects it has on the baby. Using pit and then epidural, or epidural and then pit and how the mother may not feel hardly anything (thanks epi) and the baby is suffering. I guess it's a choice every woman has to make for herself. It really helped me become more confident in a natural birth though.
3
I completely agree about the cascade of interventions which lead women straight into having c sections. This is exactly what happened to a friend of mine and she was very upset because she wanted a natural birth. Once she got to the hospital the doctors and nurses insisted that she wasn't progressing fast enough, which led to these interventions. This is what is most troubling to me about a hospital birth- that these options are presented without much explanation and women feel pressured into consenting. I guess the key is to really educate yourself beforehand, so that you know why you don't want certain interventions.
1
I totally agree! I think every woman should read a book on natural childbirth also even if that's not what they think they want. The point is not that it's all a great conspiracy and that hospitals are bad (in my opinion) but that we should all play a more active role in educating ourselves and going after the type of childbirth we want. If we know our options and are proactive, we can have the birth we desire even at a hospital.
3
Pregnant in America is also on netflix...it's along the same vein. It follows a couple who are determined to have a natural birth.
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1
What route are you thinking about taking?
At first I was all for home birthing, but as the months pass by (23 weeks now) I get more and more nervous about the baby being breached (also my place is really small, not much room for a water birth which I really want). Fortunately, there's a hospital close by that does water births and should anything go awry (hopefully not!) I still am in the hospital.
Have you seen the "Babies" documentary? I could watch it all day.
2
I'm definitely switching to a midwife but will go to the hospital for the birth. The hospital near my house has a great midwife delivery center which I hope to use. I would love to do a water birth also, but I'm not sure they do those at our hospital. It has actually been difficult to find midwifes in my area who are not affiliated with a hospital. A lot seem to be moving to Canada, where they are able to be practice without as much hassle.
2
A lot of people I know raved about this movie and so I sat down with the SO to watch it. To be honest I really didn't like it. I thought it was a lot of prapaganda and they were making doctors seem like all they cared about was the money and their time.
1
My husband and I wanted to look at all of our options when it came to child birth. I watched this doc a few months ago and I definitely see the appeal of natural child birth. It is still an option on the table considering as of now I am only 9 weeks pregnant.
1
ARE YOU TRYING TO TERRIFY THEM?!?!
-1
It's great to bring these issues to light, but keep in mind the film is pretty biased. Research your own options! I had a hospital birth with an OB and I was able to make every decision I wanted, without pressure. I trusted my doctor, discussed everything I wanted with her weeks before the birth, and never felt things were out of my hands.
For the record, I had something go wrong (my uterus did not clamp down and I had excessive bleeding after the birth, resulting in my passing out and needing a trip to the OR) I cannot even imagine how terrified I would be to deal with that at home, or try to ride to the hospital while hemorrhaging and leaving my minutes-old baby. I don't want to scare anyone, I'm just giving out my own story.
It's lucky that you had your OB deliver your child. At our hospital, despite going to the same OB the entire 9 months leading up to birth, whoever is on-call when you go into labor will deliver the baby.
When I first got pregnant I was worried that because we live in a small college/rodeo town the doc would be pretty, well...country. I will be giving birth in a small community hospital whose standards of practice are to do everything they can to prevent c-section, putting baby on mommy as soon as he/she is born, and giving us all our options for pain medications, etc. My doc knows that I want an epidural, but not until I truly feel it's necessary. Everyone (My OB, Midwife, and nursing staff) all seem really committed to making birth the best experience they can. Much better than what I've heard from friends in larger hospitals.