The Business of Birth

Disclaimer: If you are pregnant and reading this, do not freak out about hospitals if you choose to watch these trailers. Be informed and assertive about what you want for your birth! You can make it happen!

I know this blog is dedicated to things that make me happy, and birth is serious business. However, I was recently directed to the Pregnant in America website by a doula friend of mine. The film was made by a first time dad-to-be with no film experience who wanted to document his wife's journey and their quest for prenatal care in America. It turns out that the U.S. has the second worst newborn death rate in the modern world. The movie rails against hospitals, but in the end, the director's daughter couldn't have survived without hospital intervention. What makes me happy is that this movie features the amazing Ina May Gaskin, one of America's greatest midwives, and Kerrie Tuschoff, the founder of Hypnobabies.

What makes me even MORE happy is The Business of Being Born, a documentary also examining hospital and homebirths and featuring Ricki Lake giving birth at home. This one seems to be a little more uplifting. Both movies should be released at select theaters sometime next year.



Just a side note: I'm very very supportive of homebirth and plan on doing it someday. However, I did have an amazing natural childbirth in a hospital with a supportive certified nurse midwife. My only complaint about my hospital birth was that I got a measly peanut butter sandwich after all that hard work!
Here is a great website about planning on a natural birth, for the many women I know who are expecting: Ten Tips for a Natural Birth.