Thoughts on "The Business of Being Born"

The movie "The Business of Being born" showed the differences between hospital births and home births. It also showed how there are many problems with hospital birth. This movie opened my eyes and showed me there is more than one way to give birth. Many women think there is hospital birth and its natural or by c-section but many women are able to choose what type of birth they want. While watching how the hospitals go about c-sections I felt like the doctors did it to rush the process for their own selfish needs. The way the doctors were talking about giving epidurals and c-sections I feel like it was taking lightly. After hearing and witnessing many hospital births it was time for how home births work. I found the home birth to be more relaxing and you can control what happens. Unlike hospital births there are bright lights and a lot of people in the room but the home birth was the total opposite. In one of the home births it was so relaxing her son was there watching and I found it surprising how the mother gets to walk around and take her time. In a home birth the process is not rushed as in the hospital. Statistics show that in the U.S less than one percent of women have home births as opposed to Europe home births are at seventy percent. In the movie many people were asked "have you ever thought of having a midwife?" and many people in the U.S. didn't even know what a midwife was. The U.S. has the second worst newborn death rate in the world. Since 1996 the c-section rate has risen forty-six percent. In the movie many doctors were saying home births are safe or even safer than hospital births. Another great fact about home births is that it is a money saver. For a home birth the cost was around $4,000 and a hospital birth was around $13,000. Natural birth is better but some women don't notice because they are fixated on "faster is better".

A fact that I found surprising is that the death rate when you are pregnant is higher than third world countries. After watching this movie and hearing both sides of birth I have a totally different view of birth. I always saw doctors as caring and there for you when you need help and some of that is true but doctors take advantage and don't let the women be in control. They rather be in control and say "you need a c-section" and women say okay right away not giving it thought or asking why. Before learning about the American way of birth I said I wanted ten children but now I just want two at the most and a home birth. Learning and getting to see real footage of births has changed how I see birth. I want to have a midwife rather than going to the hospital because I am in my own home. Birth is something women should find beautiful and be able to experience for themselves. I found this topic to be very interesting and I am glad I was able to hear and learn about this at my age. Many teens don't ever get to learn about births and I am glad we did, it has opened my eyes and showed me there is more out there than I think.