The Business of Being Born

MandusMaximus · November 2010

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

DefiantRose · November 2010

I actually watched that RIGHT before I found out I was pregnant. Definitely an interesting watch! I'd also recommend it to any pregnant women!

Magical95 · November 2010

MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

Red_Dahlia · November 2010

DH and I both really liked it. While I will be delivering in a hospital, I hope that I can have a natural birth. After watching the movie, I feel much more aware of the entire process, and my options. I know that some intervention may be necessary for me and my baby's safety, but at least I feel like I understand the process better.

stahlop · November 2010

This is the doc that inspired me to have a natural birth, years before my DH and I were even married and thinking about kids. All the research I've done since then have just justified why I think drugs are so bad to have during the labor process. Only if it's an emergency would I even consider drugs, but otherwise, the baby will know when it's ready to come out.

flowerchild77 · November 2010

Watched it, loved it. I had my dd naturally and am planning a homebirth this time around.

PinkLove-S · November 2010

I enjoyed it as well and would recommend to other pregnant women just because. While it is of course biased, i thought the end was a perfect switch to showing that sometimes as much as you plan and plan, medical intervention is necessary.

Very good documentary.

mommyjenny257 · November 2010

I just watched it after seeing this post. Very good film. It didn't necessarily convince me to go naturally, but it gave me good info and I think I'll be a little more involved in gathering information before just going for a c-section if it comes to that point according to my OB.

andrea922 · November 2010

Magical95:
MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

There are other natural ways to induce labor, and many midwives will do this first before they would even consider pitocin.

lmg423 · November 2010

I watched this too a few months ago. It did seem to be a bit biased but I appreciated the documentary. My husband and I signed up for a Bradley class. I want to go into birth with an open and informed mind. I want to be prepared to do a natural birth but if it doesn't work out - it doesn't work out.

Definitely a good film!

hispenguin · November 2010

Magical95:
MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

I agree with this. I had watched this documentary a couple times before becoming pregnant. I definitely went into this pregnancy wanting the intevention free birth. Well that all changed when I was diagnosed with GD at 19 weeks and had to start Insulin a few weeks later. Sometimes pregnancy has some unexpected surprises up it's sleeve. Do I want to be induced between 38-40wks? No, but I also want to have a healthy baby, so I will sacrifice my ideal birth experience to get that.

on_the_move · November 2010

Magical95:
MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

Agreed! Or what if your water breaks, but you aren't having contractions (me right here) It is great to be informed and know more about what you want, but please understand that it is a biased documentary and these may not be the best options for you and your child.

benisha · November 2010

I watched it and was thankful to hear the opinion on the video. I think most people already know the other angle... epidural, medicine, induced, c-section. We hear/know of people who do these every day. It's much more rare in most areas of the U.S. to know people who haven't done any of these things, which is why I liked the documentary. I hadn't heard much from that angle. I really hope to do a natural birth and know that it's possible that things COULD go otherwise and I might not be able to have this, but the chances are less likely that the COULD will happen. Therefore, I'm preparing for a natural childbirth but open to the fact that things could go different. It's most important for me therefore to trust the people who will be taking care of me... that they will ONLY suggest other options when they know it's the only way. I think that's what the documentary made me realize.

MandusMaximus · November 2010

andrea922:
There are other natural ways to induce labor, and many midwives will do this first before they would even consider pitocin.

This Yes if I'm 42+ weeks I'll consider intervention however - that's pretty doubtful. If my water breaks, I am going to use natural methods to get things going. I am not the type to even take anything when I get a cold or headache so after I watched this I asked myself "I live a drug free life as it is so why would I turn to them now?".

I just ordered Ina May Gaskin's book on natural childbirth. She is one of the midwife's in the film. I will have this baby in the hospital since he's my first then I think I will go the way of the midwife and home birth

Magical95 · November 2010

andrea922:
Magical95:
MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

There are other natural ways to induce labor, and many midwives will do this first before they would even consider pitocin.

While there are some natural ways that "may" induce labor, there does become a point where pitocin is needed. Obviously I said 42 weeks and I'm sure by that point people had tried the primose and things. My point is never say never. It would be ignorant to not have a backup plan and allow yourself to plan for possible detours.

andrea922 · November 2010

Magical95:
andrea922:
Magical95:
MandusMaximus:

What a GREAT documentary! I was on the fence about an epi or a natural birth which is weird cause my whole life I've always said "I want to be so drugged up I can't feel anything!". Now I absolutely refuse to have a c/s unless it's THE only way and baby's life is REALLY in danger and absolutely won't have ANY pitocin or other drugs.My body can do this! It was MADE for it!

I highly recommend any pregnant woman watch this no matter what her birthing preferences are just for the information!

While a positive attitude is great and all, you may want to have a little more open mind. The phrase "my body was made for it" isn't always true due to small pelvises etc. Absolutely no pitocin? So what happens when you are 42 weeks and no activity? Research what you want to do if those situations happen.

There are other natural ways to induce labor, and many midwives will do this first before they would even consider pitocin.

While there are some natural ways that "may" induce labor, there does become a point where pitocin is needed. Obviously I said 42 weeks and I'm sure by that point people had tried the primose and things. My point is never say never. It would be ignorant to not have a backup plan and allow yourself to plan for possible detours.

I understand that, just pointing out that pitocin is not the only way to induce. My son was born at 42+ weeks and I was not induced with pitocin.

cfranklin1 · November 2010

I watched it when I was about 13 weeks. It actually made me want to have an epi that much more. I am fully aware that the female body was created specifically for the purpose of giving birth, and there's something to be said for a natural birth. Personally, I admire any woman who does it.

However, I'm a complete chicken, and I don't enjoy pain. So given the option of a lot of pain vs. a little pain...I'll take the epi.

kbergo · November 2010

I also think it is a great movie, and was the main reason why I did things the way I did with my son. I went into labor naturally at 42w1d. By then, he was huge (9.9). Labor started with my water breaking, full of meconium of course that overdue. I had no drugs throughout the entire 20 hours, pushed for four hours in all sorts of positions, refused basically anything and at one point kicked everyone but my dh and doula out of the room. He broke my tailbone while pushing, and then got VERY stuck and went into distress. They had to actually push him back up in order to do an emergency csection. In restrospect, I wish I had been a bit more lenient. I was SO gung ho about my birth plan, and in the end I really think that my "birth plan" was what caused my csection. yes, epi's do have a major correlation to csections, but so does refusing to induce and waiting until your child is so big you literally cannot push them out. I did try to naturally induce (sex, EPO, nipple stimulation with a pump, and eventually castor oil) Anyways, my point is that a little bit of "go with the flow" is probably better. I dont care so much about me, but it might have saved my son from a week in the NICU and an infection that I felt very responsible for giving him. This time I am going for a VBAC, but am basically open to anything because I realize that my hard head may have been my downfall. Just my opinion.

Ketie · November 2010

I watched the movie and thought that it is a must see for all women just so everyone is informed. However it is obviously biased and I am still going to have an epidural. I had one with my son although it was not immediately into my labor (I waited until the possible last minute) I endured most of my contractions and did not want to feel him actually coming out. I plan to try to do the same this time. I like the fact that us as women have the option to choose something else besides the hospital however... that is where I choose to be. Much respect goes to any woman who carries a baby and births a baby period no matter where it is done.

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