The Business of Being Born

This was a busy weekend of visiting my parents and spending a little time with Miguel. Mom and I went to a showing of the documentary The Business of Being Born (http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/) at the Hollywood theater. Despite the fact that it took 1/2 hour to get into the theater because of ineficiencies of will-call tickets (imagine one person, looking up names in a little alphebetized card holder for hundreds of people), the the film was great. The film was sold out, mainly to women, and many of them pregnant. It discused the awful state of affairs in this country with having obstetricians delivering healthy, low-risk women in the hospital. Even though we are one of the most "developed" countries of the world, we have the highest infant mortality rate of all of the industrialized nations. OBs are surgeons by training and are not good nor interested (by-in-large) in "normal" deliveries. They want to intervene, feel that they are important. Women in the hospital delivery babies on their backs, which does not allow the pelvis to enlarge as much as it could if a woman was squatting to deliver her baby as women have for milennia. And, who is in charge in the hsoptial? Certainly not the woman.

Any why do I get fired up about this topic?? Well, on my inpatient OB rotation in med school, I was so unhappy. I did not enjoy the "male" attitude around delivering babies, with women flat on their backs, seemingly quite powerless; it just didn't seem like a joyful experience bringing life into this world. The OBs themselves seemed so unhappy. And then there were the C-sections. There is certainly a time and place and a need for these surgeries to occur, but is failure-to-progress (meaning the cervix isn't dilating anymore) after 2 hours really an indication for section? How could this possibly be the right way to do things. Oh, and then I see a different view during my NICU rotations in residency. Women who have "failed" home birth for any number of reasons or the baby was sick after being born and needed to come into the hospital for care are not met with the most respect. I don't know if the mother's notice these sentiments but I certainly hear them, the derogatory statments, snide remarks about home births, water births, birthing centers. Of course the sterility of the hospital would never have let this happen to these babies ... as if babies don't become septic being born in the hospital.

The film made a comment to the effect of "it is time to get the women out of the hospital," which was met with much applause. The film definitely has an agenda but it is quite balanced in its presentation and even highlights the appropriate use of C-sections. I just hope this film will increase awareness and increase the number of women who are informed of their options for birth and utilize midwives for all they are worth. I, for one, intend to.