The Business of Being Born Documentary

[Hawkeyewife]

Hi!
Last night I drove from Pax River up to Baltimore for a special advance screening of the film "The Business of Being Born". It is a documentary made by former talk show host Ricki Lake about the current state of childbirth in the US. Ricki was at yesterday's screening and hosted a panel discussion with a couple of OB/GYNs, Midwives, herself and the Director of the film, Abby Epstein. It was a great experience and eye-opening.

Anyway, I am interested in finding a location in St Mary's County to host a screening if there is enough local interest. Information about the documentary can be found on The Business of Being Born. What do you think?

 

[kwillia]

Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

Of course pregnancy and childbirth is "a business" nowadays as much as any other medical condition. As for the "should every delivery be treated as a potential catastrophic medical emergency?" I'd say the medical industry has no choice given how quick folks are to place blame should not everything go exactly as they had expected.

 

[Sonsie]

Of course pregnancy and childbirth is "a business" nowadays as much as any other medical condition. As for the "should every delivery be treated as a potential catastrophic medical emergency?" I'd say the medical industry has no choice given how quick folks are to place blame should not everything go exactly as they had expected.

And how fast a jury will award HUGE settlements to parents of kids who are born with a disability, even if it can't be proved the hospital was at fault.

 

[MMDad]

Of course pregnancy and childbirth is "a business" nowadays as much as any other medical condition. As for the "should every delivery be treated as a potential catastrophic medical emergency?" I'd say the medical industry has no choice given how quick folks are to place blame should not everything go exactly as they had expected.

Personally, I look at is more of an issue of the magnitude of the consequences when something goes wrong and the right help is too far away to help in time.

My brother has Cerebral Palsy, so I know first hand what the consequences are.

 

[kwillia]

Personally, I look at is more of an issue of the magnitude of the consequences when something goes wrong and the right help is too far away to help in time.

My brother has Cerebral Palsy, so I know first hand what the consequences are.

Great point and yet another reason childbirth of today is viewed differently than it was many years ago.

 

[Hawkeyewife]

Personally, I look at is more of an issue of the magnitude of the consequences when something goes wrong and the right help is too far away to help in time.

My brother has Cerebral Palsy, so I know first hand what the consequences are.

I am so sorry to hear about your brother, was he born at home?

OB/GYN's and CNM's are leaving the profession in record numbers due to soaring malpractice rates. 75% will be sued at least once during their careers. As a result, they need to be able to "prove" that they did everything possible to "safely" deliver a baby (ie. induction, c-section etc). Sadly, this has only increased the cost but not the quality of OB care. The US spends more money on childbirth than any other developed country and has one of the highest c-section rates though we rank second from the bottom in terms of infant and maternal mortality. The statistics are startling, there are some places in this country where c-sections outnumber vaginal births.

I really feel strongly about this subject and feel a little isolated in Southern MD where a woman has to drive 1 and 1/2 hours away to find a midwife that will deliver a baby. Anybody else out there feel the same way?