I have not posted a DOTW in a while, but the week that I found out about The Bump I finally watched The Business Of Being Born. I had been wanting to watch it for a while, but was in a bit of a baby slump, and didn’t want to tease myself. However, I am SO glad that I finally watched it!
Here’s the quick run-down from imdb:
Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America. Focusing on New York City, the film reveals that there is much to distrust behind hospital doors and follows several couples who decide to give birth on their own terms. There is an unexpected turn when director Epstein not only discovers she is pregnant, but finds the life of her child on the line. Should most births should be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency?
When I watched the film I actually took notes for ya…
The film covered Midwives vs OB/GYNs and gave a very scary history lesson. OBs do not have a great track record for doing what is best for the patient or the baby. It was sick what the doctors used to do to women in labor.
Ricki & Abby interviewed a number of professionals and talked about natural births, meaning no drugs or interventions, and birth plans. This is a big event in a woman’s life and having a plan is critical! This will ensure that you get the delivery that you want, and have the experience that you want.
The part of the film that upset me the most was on the topic of drugs and interventions. Hospitals have a plan, and it’s the one that gets you out of the delivery room, and out of their beds as fast as possible. It is typically not in line with the mothers birth plan. They went into a hospital’s maternity floor and filmed the L&D nurses talking about “pitting” every single patient in their care. ”Pitting” is giving the woman Pitocin to speed up, or induce contractions. No drugs for me thank you!! How can one deliver a baby, and bond with that child whilst full of artificial crap that modern science has no clue the effect it has on that precious little body that is just entering the world!? Not to mention the C-Section rates at most hospitals. After having major abdominal surgery myself there is no way in hell that I would ever willingly agree, nor would I ever consider scheduling an elective C-section. The film also covered the mass amounts of women, mostly in the NY area that schedule C-Sections, because they are “too posh to push”, or simply do not want to have a vaginal delivery. Gee, why “ruin” your body when they can just cut you open and rip the baby from your body and then give you a sweet little tummy tuck? The idea that you can come home with a new baby and a new belly button just makes me furious.
In 2005 1 in 3 births was by C-Section. wow. Of course when you pump the mother’s body full of Pitocin and epidurals the baby is going to be in distress! There by giving the doctors the “It’s best for the baby” card to play and any woman in labor will consent immediately to get that baby out NOW. Over the course of OB history there have been numerous drugs given to women during pregnancy, and delivery that the doctors had no idea how it would translate to the baby. Thus many new birth defects came into being, and the OBs would say “oops…our bad.” and stop using it. But only after thousands of deaths, ruptured uterus’s, or babies born without limbs. Midwives like Ina May Gaskin on the other hand have nothing but stellar outcomes. Which is why this Runner Girl and TAJ are choosing a Midwife. I have no desire to deliver in a hospital, however I know that my past medical history might potentially make me a high risk pregnancy and my Plan A birth plan, which is a home birth, will go right out the window and we’ll go on to Plan B: Birth Center.
The film-makers touched on several ways that women can deliver, and showed a few different deliveries, a home water birth ( So awesome!), a standing/squatting delivery in a birth center (also awesome!)…and of course the ones we all know…the mother lying flat on her back, knees around her ears pushing for all she’s worth. Several experts talked in the film about why this last position is one of the worst as it actually makes the mother’s pelvis smaller….uh…isn’t that the opposite of what you want??! It is the opposite of what I want…so clearly I will not be delivering my baby that way. Water birth please!!
Lastly, the experts in the film talked about the basic needs of a woman in labor: support of those around her, someone who has medical training, and a plan. At least those were my take-aways. Those are going to be my basic needs. I have a clear vision of how I want this experience to be, and there are things I know I will not be doing, and things that I will be doing.
Yes, I will be that “hippie” mom that goes all natural, uses cloth diapers, makes baby’s clothes, and baby’s food. How can I not provide my child the best possible chance to be healthy, and happy?
Do you have a birth story that you are willing to share? Was it everything you dreamed, or do you have regrets?
