Business of Being Born

I watched a documentary last night titled Business of Being Born, which examined the reining paradigms about maternity care and birth in the United States. Some women were followed during pregnancy, then labor and delivery, so more nudity than I prefer was shared, but I believe it was done to normalize the process that unmedicated labor and delivery provides. This documentary focused on homebirthing as being the viable and most healthy alternative to hospital care, which isn't nearly so safe as medical doctors insist it is.

I found the movie very interesting to watch because I feel I have had both sides of this issue, even though our second baby was born in the hospital, I can still relate to the positives of an unmedicated experience.

Something that really stuck out to me is that once a woman takes some sort of intervention (pit, epidural, etc), many other interventions then become necessary to counteract the side effects of the first. I personally experienced this with JLP. After the epidural I had five or six different medications because I was nauseated and such. Then I had to have oxygen because his oxygen levels dropped, and so on and so on. The experience wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. I really felt like I was walked all over by the doctor and nursing staff (which I don't think was all their fault; they have a system and once you get put in that system, if you don't know how to fight it, you'll just be taken clear through on their terms).

With CDP it was hard. Really hard. But at the end of the experience I felt like I had really reached down inside of myself and found a way to do it. And I truly didn't do it to claim bragging rights or to think less of women who choose another way. It's just really what I wanted--and needed. I also love to share our birth experience with CDP so that other women know that unmedicated labor and delivery happens and that it can be amazing.

For me, the entire thing comes down to education. Learn about the options, talk to people who have experienced the type of birth you envision in the place you plan to deliver, then once you have a successful labor and delivery experience (whatever that means to you), share the good word and help return the power of choice about how to bring children into this world back to mothers. That's the kind of pro-choice I am.