The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I just finished watching The Business of Being Born. Its such an excellent documentary- and really made me think about my birth experience.

Has anyone else seen it? I highly highly recommend it!

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I saw it a few months before I gave birth. I really enjoyed it!

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

Posted by twinkletoes807

I saw it a few months before I gave birth. I really enjoyed it!

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

Posted by trnity44

Posted by twinkletoes807

I saw it a few months before I gave birth. I really enjoyed it!

I wish I had seen it before I gave birth (although I don't think it was released then). I think I would have been better prepared.

Message edited 3/14/2009 11:02:40 PM.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

Great documentary and one of the reasons I will be seeking out a midwife's care for my next pregnancy. Don't think I'll ever be comfortable with a home delivery though, just not for me.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

Posted by twinkletoes807

Then I gave birth to my DD at the hospital with my OB, seemingly with no complications... until it was time to deliver my placenta. It would not release from my uterus and I was ascloseasthis from going into the OR to have it surgically removed. My OB literally had to rip it from my uterus after over an hour of trying to get it to deliver. It was an absolute nightmare!! There was nothing during my pregnancy that would have hinted that this would've happened! Needless to say, it scared the shiit outta me and therefore, I will never deliver my baby anywhere other than a hospital with my OB and OR not too far away!! At least, that's what I plan to do!

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I did and it didn't convince me. I still like the safety of the dr. However, DH watched it with me (mind you 3 weeks before DS was born) and wanted me to switch to a midwife.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I saw it, and what they said about everyone getting pitocin was so true in my experience... I was disuaded from going natural and encouraged to start a pic drip. I will say, though, in the end, I feel I really DID need the pic... for whatever odd reason, my body refused to dilate above 4cm...

then, the pic complications began.... just like in the movie! I started having contractions that plateaued It put my baby in a bit of distress I honestly feel the reason for this was becuase the nurse wasn't monitoring me as she should have... she merely entered the room every 10 min and increased the drip rate w/o checking my contractions or the fetal heart rate

I had to monitor myself and cry for help when I knew things were going south

Totally what I expected from a hospital birth... on the flip side, I appreciated the pic drip after labor when my uterus wasn't contracting on it's own, and appreciated the NICU staff being in the room after the fetal heart rate dips and myconium.... however, I suspect neither would have occurred if my pictocin level wasn't mindlessly ramped up w/o sufficient monitoring.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I saw it after my c-section. I totally felt like the dr saw me coming...

scheduled c-section on my due date because of baby's size.

I got really sad at the love cocktail part.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

Yup, I really liked the movie. Unfortunately it didn't matter for me since DS was breech, but I totally understand why you would want a natural birth and I wish there were more midwives around who would do homebirths.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I wanted to add. I've had one home birth and three hospital births. And the experience was night and day.

In all three hospital births I was given pitocin for "inefficient contractions". With my third, they were giving me pitocin within 2 hours of being there, and my labor had just started. Trying to have a natural birth with monitors strapped to you is so difficult.

With my home birth, I moved how I wanted. Any position I wanted to be in, my midwife was right behind me. I got to use a birthing pool, which was a godsend during transition. And my labor was 6 hours start to finish, with no interventions at all. During my labor, it took 3 hours to get from 6cm to 10cm, and I'm pretty sure in a hospital they would have tried giving me pitocin.

Also, many people don't understand homebirth midwives. My midwife was a CNM (certified nurse midwife). At each birth she carries newborn resuscitation gear, all of the medications needed in case of post-partum hemorrhage. She checks the baby's vitals every hours with a doppler. And she told me if she felt there was any problem we'd head to the hospital immediately.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I saw it and I thought it was really good.

I wish I saw it before I gave birth because I think I would have changed the way I labored and not so willing to accept what they gave me (pitocin and cervidil). Although I am much too much of a worry wart for a home birth I do think the reason I was in labor for so long was because I didn't know to walk around and move to get things going with my contractions.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I just saw it. I thought it was a great documentary. One thing I questioned in the documentary was the bonding process with moms & babies.

Not having a c-section or any pain medication for births, I guess I can't really comment on it but it doesn't seem to be the case with the people I know that had c-sections or intervention.

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

I would not be alive if I had a home birth. I had HELLP syndrome and the baby needed to be delivered immediately via c-section. I had barely any warning signs...hospital all the way for me next time

Re: The Business of Being Born- Has anyone seen it?

i haven't seen it, and i don't know if i will watch it.

i had a scheduled c-section because at 38.5 weeks they were estimating that DS was 8 lbs 12 oz, and although i had some progress (1-2 cm dilated) my doctor offered me the choice of a scheduled C. she did not pressure me in any way to get one, left it totally up to me.

i chose that option, and while a small part of me wishes i had gone into labor on my own, DS was born with an enormous head (and he is still in the 97th percentile for head circumference) and i don't know if i could have gotten him out on my own. yes, i know women's bodies were built to have babies, but my own mother had to have a c-section with me because i never descended fully and i was scared i would labor and have to have a C anyway.

truthfully, i would hate to watch that documentary and second-guess my decision out of guilt. i have made peace with my birth experience and i don't want to upset that peace.