Anyone watch The Business of Being Born?

kitkatbird · March 2016

I'm a FTM and going to a birth center and was a bit afraid of L&D but after watching this and the short sequel I am actually looking forward to it and kind of excited and terrified that I might have to go to a hospital if this little guy comes too late. (6 days overdue now)

Here's the link.

https://youtu.be/KvljyvU_ZGE

ecswim2fast · March 2016

Loved it! I think it appeals to people who want to feel they have a say in how they birth their child. Though I've found it can stir some pretty strong emotions in some people. I hope you like the birth center!

parenthood4 · March 2016

I watched it and liked it. I found it very informative, although it is biased. It definitely brings up some interesting issues and gives you something to think about. Hopefully you can have the birth center birth that you want! I've had two unmediated hospital births that have been really wonderful though, so a hospital birth doesn't necessarily mean you can't have the birth you want if it comes to that. Good luck!

ECHbaby · March 2016

kitkatbird said:

I'm a FTM and going to a birth center and was a bit afraid of L&D but after watching this and the short sequel I am actually looking forward to it and kind of excited and terrified that I might have to go to a hospital if this little guy comes too late. (6 days overdue now)

Here's the link.

https://youtu.be/KvljyvU_ZGE

I love that film. Mainly bcus it empowers women to have the birth they want with dignity and some control. I'm having a home birth. I love my midwife. I switched from OB to MW in November. I find the privacy and relationship to be tons better.
I'm a FTM. I for one just don't like hospitals. I don't want needles stuck on me. I want privacy and the comfort of my home/space.

Have u tried acupuncture? Or chiropractic care? Both can help progress things NATURALLY. Best wishes!!!

BebeOnBoard · March 2016

ECHbaby said:

I for one just don't like hospitals. I don't want needles stuck on me. I want privacy and the comfort of my home/space.

Have u tried acupuncture? Or chiropractic care? Both can help progress things NATURALLY. Best wishes!!!

So wait.... No needles, but yes acupuncture?

kitkatbird · March 2016

I just felt like hospital births seemed so chaotic. Had a scare today. They did a NST but it was inconclusive and wanted an US to make sure. They would have sent me to one hospital but said that since I'm so close to 41 weeks they might force me to stay to induce even if everything was fine! I was like hell no! So they sent me to a closer hospital ( I literally walked a block) and they said everything was fine and that I'm actually measuring 40w2d instead of 40w6d. I mean I trust doctors and hospitals to save my life but I hate being treated like what I want doesn't matter.

kitteh81 · March 2016

Acupuncture doesn't hurt like IVs and shots do.

oceanchild · March 2016

kitteh81 said:

Acupuncture doesn't hurt like IVs and shots do.

totally agree, but still kinda LOL about the phrasing of "needles stuck ON me" which makes me think of acupuncture versus an IV/shot going into me

kyraaD · March 2016

there was already a thread all about this super biased documentary not too long ago.

kitkatbird · March 2016

That's interesting. I didn't find it biased but maybe that's because of the experience I've had with the midwives. They REALLY do not want me to give birth with them if there are any signs of risk. But I have been super low risk so I'm a good candidate. They even have a class on getting transferred to the hospital so your prepared. Maybe that in the back of my mind made me miss the bias. I'm sure there are awesome doctors but it sucks when people aren't educated and don't know. I have a basic background in anatomy and pathology and have been treating what I'm fairly certain is a yeast rash and something new I've been doing has helped tremendously and I go to the dermatologist and he flat out says " well I don't know much about that so maybe just stop using that forms while" REALLY?! Stop using the best thing I've ever found to treat a chronic rash that I get every year?! Umm no. I truly believe that the best way to be educated is to try and see all sides of the story. I question everything, even myself to try and make sure I'm not missing anything. No one should be judged no matter what their decision.

amyid · March 2016

as a non American about to give birth in a US hospital, I am already aware of the higher % of sections and for sure the higher intervention rate here in the US. I enjoyed the documentary but it does seem like it uses some good scare tactics. I am going to be induced at 39 plus 4 on Sunday evening as part of a study and I am trying to get baby off a fresh abdominal incision that needs to start healing. I plan on seeing if my cervix is opening and taking it from there.... if nothing progresses I am planning on leaving the hospital and coming back when I go into labour on my own. Even though I know what my body needs to do... things can do wrong and I am actually quite relaxed about the fact that I will be in a hospital if anything starts to go wrong.. I will however have no worries about speaking up and stopping the whole thing before they try and break my waters etc if my body just plain says its not time.

EmilyXLC · March 2016

I love this documentary. I'm also delivering at a birthing center with midwives, as my first birth was a very chaotic hospital birth. I hope you enjoy your birth center experience!

What I like about the documentary is the fact that they also show the GOOD in the hospitals too-- as there was an emergency & the baby at the end had to be born there. Mommy doesn't regret her decision & it was what was best for everyone in that case.

mlwerts · March 2016

I wasn't a fan of how biased this documentary was. It's been a long time since I watched it but it really made hospital births out to be more bad than good. I had to have A LOT of interventions with my first as I had HELLP syndrome. This meant that I had to be induced at 36w6d and be on mag sulfate (which stops labor). The hospital I delivered at was so patient and fought so hard for my vaginal birth. Far harder than I was willing to as all I wanted was to be off the mag! In the end I had a successful vaginal delivery and my daughter didn't spend 1 minute in the NICU even though she only weighed 4lbs 2oz at birth.

RiverWhispering · March 2016

I loved this documentary. I think it was incredibly amazing and I'm so thankful for everything Ina May has done and for Ricki for making the film. My grandmother birthed during the time of "twilight sleeps" and doesn't rememeber a single one of her eight births. Two children were stillborn, she still doesn't know why. My mother had a horrible experience with all three of her births at a hospital and her wishes were bulldozed over by different doctors in each instance. She was very young and listened to whatever they said but consequently my brothers and I all suffered unnecessary interventions during our deliveries and I have some spinal issues resulting from my forceps birth. I've had several friends told that their pelvises were too small to deliver their babies naturally and were "suggested" to have c-sections which they decided to go with (they have perfectly normal sized pelvises and they ended up delivering small babies). It *is* a fact that interventions lead to more interventions to counter act the effects of the initial interventions. Just like some medications are taken to counteract side effects of other medications. Now... none of that is to say that interventions and hospitals aren't important-- they are incredibly important! If you have any high risk factors or conditions that need additional monitoring then they are crucial to the safety of you and your baby. However, this trend of low risk mothers winding up being treated like they're high risk and being induced for unnecessary reasons is completely out of hand. I'm from Georgia and I went to a hospital in Georgia to take a tour of the childbirth center there and I was shocked by how unclean the facility was and how business like and apathetic everyone we spoke to was. Then I took a tour at a different hospital in Washington State that was labeled "baby friendly," and I was absolutely amazed by how spotlessly clean and organized it was, how knowledgeable and sensitive the staff were to aspects of natural birth and breastfeeding-- they didn't even have a central nursery, you are expected to room in with baby unless there is a complication necessitating the NICU. The difference between the two hospitals and the staff at both was night and day. Point being, every hospital is different, every doctor and nurse is different, every mother and baby and their personal needs are different. The documentary was biased because it was a documentary regarding a specific problem that we *do* suffer from as nation, so their focus was on bringing those problems to light. That doesn't mean every doctor is that way nor every hospital. By no means. I'm friends with several nurses and one ER doc who are amazing people and would never pressure anyone into anything. They're incredible people, knowledgeable and super empathetic. I love them! But the documentary helped bring better awareness to an issue that is indeed a problem here in the states. Atlanta Georgia still doesn't have a birth center because it's having to deal with all sorts of legal and financial hurdles trying to open one main central birth center. The only midwives that are *technically* legal and reimbursed by insurance in the state are Registered Nurses Midwives that work in a hospital, backed by a doctor. If you want a home birth in GA it's technically illegal (or as midwives there will say, "a-legal" because it isn't exactly an offence, just not recognized legally) and you have to pay out of pocket for it. And like I said before, no birth center options (except for all the way down in Savannah). So we have a long way to go still in many of our States. I think the documentary helped empower a lot of women to seek more information and take control of their births. For that alone I am thankful it was made and I love it. Okay, sorry for the soap box shpeel.... just my two cents...

acastl24 · March 2016

Lurking from December 2015.

I just watched this last night and am immensely glad that I didn't watch it while pregnant. It infuriated me. I had a hospital birth. I CHOSE to be induced with Pitocin and to have an epidural. That is exactly as far as "medical" interventions went for me and my doctor made it clear that there would be no c-section unless I or my baby was literally on the edge of death. I wrote in my paperwork at 34 weeks that I didn't want forceps or suction used for any reason, nor did I want an episiotomy. While in labor, I used a peanut ball to open my pelvis and the only intervention I had (my epi) I had to beg for and wait for an hour so they knew it was what I really wanted, even though they knew all throughout my pregnancy I planned on having one.
When it came down to it, I had been pushing for 2 hours and I BEGGED for suction. My doctor refused. She said, "You made me promise I wouldn't use it. You can do this without it. Just trust me and yourself." And the nurses did everything they could to keep me from tearing, but the skin was just too tight. It would have been worse without their help though.
I would not trade my hospital birth for the world. My doctor and nurses were amazing, never pressured me into any interventions other than what I chose months ahead of time. They actually did everything they could to discourage interventions, keep my plan on track, and to help me with as little damage as possible.

ETA: I chose induction because I had hydronephrosis and had been in severe pain since 34 weeks, on top of a separated pelvis, sciatica, and a pulled ACL that caused me to trip and fall frequently. I had been dealing with all of this with absolutely NO pain medication, and my OB was worried that if my kidney stayed blocked any longer, the inflammation and backup of urine would cause an infection that could harm baby. She gave me the choice to wait it out for one more week or be induced. I felt that I had endured the kidney pain as long as possible and chose induction. In no way was it pushed on me and I had a very valid medical reason for choosing it.

GraciesMom189 · March 2016

I don't recommend it. It will ruin your birth experience. Medical intervention is often times necessary and epidurals are amazing (my personal opinion). Take it from someone with two children one uncomplicated c-section (25 hours and baby was OP and stuck), and one complicated vbac (baby had decelerations and required a forceps delivery). I've learned to embrace and be proud of both deliveries. I'm glad that I have two healthy children and doctors who were determined they enter the world safely.

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