being real
I was finally able to watch a documentary called The Business of Being Born, and I really enjoyed it. It is chock full of birthing statistics and information that was very mind boggling. I even got DH to watch half of it. He stopped as soon as Ricki Lake started showing some unsuspected boobage while giving birth in her tub, but don’t let that keep you from watching! Afterwards DH told me that he realizes now why I would even consider having a home birth. He’s been very skeptical, so him saying that was a pretty big deal. Knowledge is power my friends. I would highly recommend this movie to any woman who is planning on becoming pregnant and giving birth in the U.S. It has become more obvious to me that birth is a HUGE business here in the U.S. These Obs and hospitals need to keep pregnant women coming through their doors as they are bringing in a lot of money. If we were like the other countries (with better mother and baby mortality rates) more of us would be going to midwives and Ob’s and hospitals would lose a lot of their business. Birthing shouldn’t be handled this way, it should not be about trying to make more money, it should be about doing what is safest for the mothers and their babies. Ultimately we (as parents) are responsible to make the important decision to put ourselves in good situations.
You can watch the movie trailer here.
Is there comparable success rates between midwives and doctors in a hospital? I’ve always wondered. It’s something David and I have been talking about recently.
Do you think you would consider doing a spinal again? I had major reconstructive back surgery when I was 12 and the idea of one makes me sick. I don’t know if I can do it, but I’m scared to consider not doing it.
Malia,
Thank you for your comments:) After looking at a few websites on midwifery in the US I found that the cesarean rate for(low risk)women delivering at home or at a birthing center with a midwife was around 4-5%,this is a huge difference compared to the 32% in hospitals. I don’t know the rates for midwives practicing in hospitals, but I can only assume that it would also be less. As for the epidural,I plan to go without one and instead prepare myself to go through a natural delivery. I don’t want any intervention that could move me closer to another c-section. I didn’t feel this way before I had my girls, I felt very scared of feeling labor as I think most women do. It took feeling the effects of the drug myself, and learning more about the pros and cons of an epidural to change my mind. Here is a website with some info on epidurals http://www.ican-online.org/pregnancy/epidurals-real-risks-mother-and-baby
Michael and I watched this last year and thought it was a great documentary. I would definitely consider a home-birth after watching it. I dunno about the women who had their other kids in the room though… haha. That’s kind of weird. Ricki Lake’s bathtub birth was a little much for us too.
Haylee,
Good for you guys! I was afraid that Kevin wouldn’t watch it at all but he actually found it very informative. I wish they could have edited more around Ricki’s tub birth as I wasn’t expecting to see all of her goodies. All in all, it was still a very good documentary.
I really want to see this movie…I think I totally will now! I love the idea of being in charge of your labor at home, but I must admit that I really loved my epidural and am not sure if i could have survived at home without it due to the back labor on top of regular labor pains. Birthin babies is hard work! I LOVE this blog Melissa!
Steph-
Thank you for your comment:)Definately watch this movie if you get the chance. Home birth is definately not for everyone, but being in charge of your labor can happen at the hospital or at home, epidural or not:) I’m sorry to hear about your experience with that nurse and your stitches, I can’t imagine having to go through that!
Just saw this link on your reg blog. VBAC is possible! Kudos to you for finding a more excellent way! I did a lot of reading on this stuff with my first and read and viewed a lot of the stuff you mentioned. I still have yet to read your posts but wanted to mention to you that you have a “sister” in the “alternative birthing” I have a DO who I absolutely love and adore and also have some connections to midwifes and a personal friend and Doula who I absolutely love and plan to have her at all of my pregnancys in the future. I am totally an advocate of a woman being in charge of her pregnancy and labor and delivery.
If you want I can email you my labor and delivery story (if you want)Contact me on facebook..or I could send it through there too. I have other friends who have done many home births. True it is not for every one and I am grateful for hospital and they do have their place. But I think that overall we have sometimes taken too much stock in them and have forgotten how it once was… JMHO 🙂