The Business of Being Born

I've mentioned a few times that I am very enthusiastic about natural childbirth. I personally would homebirth all of my babies if I could convince my husband of it ;-) I feel that childbirth *is* a natural experience, one that God created women for, designed our bodies with the specific purpose of accomplishing.

I also feel that the medical world has changed this natural event into a fear-tinged "illness" that needs to be monitored, controlled, and intervened with at all times. We have a friend who finished medical school and told me "Childbirth is the most dangerous thing that can happen. Its so unpredictable!" I was floored that years of medical teaching has taught him to have that attitude!

When Nathan was born, he was delivered by a Certified Nurse Midwife. It was the best birth I have experienced so far. All of my births have been natural, but always on the "doctor's time" - don't push yet, let's break your water, let's wait, let's hurry, no you can't get up, you can't use the bathroom, you can't push that way... the midwife just sat back, waited, and watched. She offered suggestions when I asked, she allowed me to move how I needed to move, push how I needed to push, encouraged me to listen to my body and my body's timing... it was so relaxing and pleasant - the way birth should be!

The level of intervention in childbirth alarms me, as does the fact that homebirth is actually ILLEGAL in some states (including my own). Hospital births did not even start happening in this country until the turn of the 1900s. Only for the past 100 years, in all the years of human existance, have women all of the sudden "needed" medical assistance to give birth.

I was excited to see that a new Independant Film has been made about this very issue, called "The Business of Being Born". Check out the trailer, and then see if there will be any screenings near you! Netflix will be carrying it, so be sure to put it in your queue! Even if you don't agree with my opinions, it will give you some interesting things to think on.

I wanted to add that there is another cool resource regarding this topic called "Born in the U.S.A." which was released as a television documentary. This website has some birth stories, offering the differing views of OBs and Midwives for each case, information about safety during labor and delivery, as well as an extensive list of resources. Enjoy!