I had heard about the Ricki Lake-produced movie, The Business of Being Born a few days ago. When I found out there was going to be a small screening session just around the corner from my apartment I decided to go. The movie focused on the Maternity "Business" in the US, and how compared to other industrialized countries, giving birth in the US is very hospital and doctor-based and almost treated like a disease that needs to be fixed. In other countries, midwives deliver babies in either birthing centers or even at home. Medical intervention is not used routinely.
As somebody who already decided to have a natural birth, I thought the movie was quite interesting. I couldn't help but wonder, how a person who has had medicated births or plans to have medicated births... would they be offended or defensive about the movie? That was the one thing that bothered me about the movie. It was really one-sided and thats okay (its their opinion).. but I could see how it would turn some (a lot?) of women off. This documentary was obviously made to raise awareness and I think these messages should've been emphasized more:
1. Educate yourself about your options. Doctors don't always have the same goals you do (especially in obstetrics). On the other hands, there are definitely times when medical interventions can prove to be beneficial - and I'm not just talking about life/death situations.
2. The movie went on and on about the benefits of a natural birth, specifically, these "love hormones" that get released from the mom and the baby during the first couple hours of birth and are crucial to bonding. This woman in the audience mentioned that she had to get a c-section and she had no problem bonding or loving her child afterwards. I could see why she was being so defensive. I think the director could've done a better job with presenting the information in a more "neutral" manner.
Anyhow.. I think over the past few weeks, I've definitely started to form an opinion about this whole thing, and maybe I'll post about it in the future. Fow now though, I'll end the post with the few key observations I took away from the movie:
1. Man, labor looks like it hurts. All the women in the movie just looked like they were in a lot of pain. =[
2. I wish this whole natural birth thing didn't seem so "crunchy" or "granola." Its not! But seriously, that is what the perception is.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Doula!
Ever since I became interested in a natural childbirth I started researching doulas. Doulas are women that come over while you're laboring and coach you and your partner through the whole process. They give you massages, they help you get into different positions to help you relax and facilitate the process, they give you advice, and they're basically your guide during the whole thing. I know that a lot of this sounds like stuff that Albert should be doing.. but honestly... we're both noobs at this and I love the idea of having an expert there helping both of us out.
This past week, I think I've met with and interviewed 10 doulas total. On Wednesday night, I went to a bit of a bizarre set up. There were a group of pregnant women and some couples, and a group of doulas. The pregnant women sat around the room and the doulas went around meeting each of the women - kind of like doula speed dating. Since this was my first time meeting any kind of doula, it was interesting just learning about their profession and how they came to become doulas. I also realized how it important it is for me to find someone that I click with personality-wise. I didn't click with anybody that night, but I did come back armed with a lot of information and I was still a bit unsure if I wanted one (they're not cheap).
Yesterday, Al and I went to interview 4 more doulas through a small doula organization in Soho. And we seriously loved all 4 doulas that we met. All the ladies were down-to-earth, experienced, and I could tell we'd all get along. Now, Al and I have to choose our primary doula and a backup doula, and I'm still having a tough time deciding who should be the primary and who should be the backup. I guess its a good dilemma to have, trying to choose between two great doulas...
Anyway, the point of this whole doula post is, yesterday, while interviewing the doulas, it was the first time I actually got excited about giving birth. I still can't even stand to look at pictures or videos of giving birth (I closed my eyes during Knocked Up), but I think my mentality is slowly starting to change. Yay!
This past week, I think I've met with and interviewed 10 doulas total. On Wednesday night, I went to a bit of a bizarre set up. There were a group of pregnant women and some couples, and a group of doulas. The pregnant women sat around the room and the doulas went around meeting each of the women - kind of like doula speed dating. Since this was my first time meeting any kind of doula, it was interesting just learning about their profession and how they came to become doulas. I also realized how it important it is for me to find someone that I click with personality-wise. I didn't click with anybody that night, but I did come back armed with a lot of information and I was still a bit unsure if I wanted one (they're not cheap).
Yesterday, Al and I went to interview 4 more doulas through a small doula organization in Soho. And we seriously loved all 4 doulas that we met. All the ladies were down-to-earth, experienced, and I could tell we'd all get along. Now, Al and I have to choose our primary doula and a backup doula, and I'm still having a tough time deciding who should be the primary and who should be the backup. I guess its a good dilemma to have, trying to choose between two great doulas...
Anyway, the point of this whole doula post is, yesterday, while interviewing the doulas, it was the first time I actually got excited about giving birth. I still can't even stand to look at pictures or videos of giving birth (I closed my eyes during Knocked Up), but I think my mentality is slowly starting to change. Yay!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Natural Childbirth... am I crazy?
* If you're uncomfortable with certain woman things.. maybe you shouldn't read this post.
So, recently I've started to ride the natural childbirth wave. If you know me well, this should come as a surprise to you, because I'm all about medication and pain management. If I have the first sign of a cold, I believe in drugging myself up, taking a nap, and not letting it get worse. The whole let-your-body-fight-it mentality... I never understood it and quite frankly, I thought it was really stupid. I'd catch the cold or the flu at around the same time as other close people - I'd be over it in a few days, and the other people that refused to take medicine let-their-bodies-fight-it for weeks. When people first found out that I was pregnant they asked me if I was freaked out by the labor and I said, "Not really! Bring on the epidural!" I always thought I'd be napping somewhat in peace, blissfully unaware of the contractions because of the epidural's amazing ability to paralyze you waist down.
But then I started to read about the aftermaths of labor and all the really really crappy and scary things that could happen to the woman after she gives birth - and this is the kind of stuff you NEVER HEAR ABOUT. For instance, an episiotomy. Talk about ouch. Now, part of the big problem are doctors these days that are just scissor -happy and just like to cut things. However, theres really no evidence that an episiotomy is necessarly better than letting things happen naturally (tearing). However, if you get an epidural, you have to lie down. Lying down slows down the labor process. Lying down on your back is also one of the worst positions you can be in during labor (the baby is fighting gravity). Your pelvic positioning also sucks. All of this can lead to medical interventions, like episiotomy, forceps and vacuums. Yikes.
A lot of people, when you ask them why they want to do natural childbirth, they say they think its best for the baby and they want to experience the childbirth in the most real way. I'm not like that. So many women get epidurals, that while I don't think its the great thing you can do for babies, I'm sure your baby will be fine and unharmed. I don't really want to experience the childbirth in the most natural way - I'm not into pain and that part of it isn't super appealing to me. BUT, I would rather, suffer for hours, and endure that pain, rather than potentially having to suffer for weeks after the birth. I want to do everything under my power and in my control, to give myself the best chance of recovering after the baby comes.
So yup.. I am exploring my options. Albert and I started to take the Bradley Method classes. Not as well known as Lamaze classes (which I don't like).. but I think its great. First, it gets your husband or coach super involved in the process. And instead of these weird breathing exercises, it teaches you more about working with the pain than hyperventilating yourself out of it. I also might hire a doula -- but we'll see about that. In the end, I know this whole thing is really not under my control, and God forbid, if my baby is in danger, I would do anything (a gazillion medical interventions) to save her. But you can't fault me for trying, right?
If you have time to kill, here is a really interesting article. I think it would be particularly interesting to the future doctors out there. It talks about the industrialization of Obstetrics.. its long though.
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/09/061009fa_fact
So, recently I've started to ride the natural childbirth wave. If you know me well, this should come as a surprise to you, because I'm all about medication and pain management. If I have the first sign of a cold, I believe in drugging myself up, taking a nap, and not letting it get worse. The whole let-your-body-fight-it mentality... I never understood it and quite frankly, I thought it was really stupid. I'd catch the cold or the flu at around the same time as other close people - I'd be over it in a few days, and the other people that refused to take medicine let-their-bodies-fight-it for weeks. When people first found out that I was pregnant they asked me if I was freaked out by the labor and I said, "Not really! Bring on the epidural!" I always thought I'd be napping somewhat in peace, blissfully unaware of the contractions because of the epidural's amazing ability to paralyze you waist down.
But then I started to read about the aftermaths of labor and all the really really crappy and scary things that could happen to the woman after she gives birth - and this is the kind of stuff you NEVER HEAR ABOUT. For instance, an episiotomy. Talk about ouch. Now, part of the big problem are doctors these days that are just scissor -happy and just like to cut things. However, theres really no evidence that an episiotomy is necessarly better than letting things happen naturally (tearing). However, if you get an epidural, you have to lie down. Lying down slows down the labor process. Lying down on your back is also one of the worst positions you can be in during labor (the baby is fighting gravity). Your pelvic positioning also sucks. All of this can lead to medical interventions, like episiotomy, forceps and vacuums. Yikes.
A lot of people, when you ask them why they want to do natural childbirth, they say they think its best for the baby and they want to experience the childbirth in the most real way. I'm not like that. So many women get epidurals, that while I don't think its the great thing you can do for babies, I'm sure your baby will be fine and unharmed. I don't really want to experience the childbirth in the most natural way - I'm not into pain and that part of it isn't super appealing to me. BUT, I would rather, suffer for hours, and endure that pain, rather than potentially having to suffer for weeks after the birth. I want to do everything under my power and in my control, to give myself the best chance of recovering after the baby comes.
So yup.. I am exploring my options. Albert and I started to take the Bradley Method classes. Not as well known as Lamaze classes (which I don't like).. but I think its great. First, it gets your husband or coach super involved in the process. And instead of these weird breathing exercises, it teaches you more about working with the pain than hyperventilating yourself out of it. I also might hire a doula -- but we'll see about that. In the end, I know this whole thing is really not under my control, and God forbid, if my baby is in danger, I would do anything (a gazillion medical interventions) to save her. But you can't fault me for trying, right?
If you have time to kill, here is a really interesting article. I think it would be particularly interesting to the future doctors out there. It talks about the industrialization of Obstetrics.. its long though.
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/09/061009fa_fact
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