Movie Review: The Business of Being Born

I loved this documentary. I think every woman should watch it, especially if she is going to have children. If you already have been dissatisfied with your birth experience, you might want to avoid. Too much stress over what cannot be changed.

Now, let me clarify something first. I know that what happened with Melia's birth happened for a reason. My Father had a talk with me two years later (it took me that long to be open to the answer) and it is part of my whole pride-"I-Can-Do-This" issue. But what gets me all riled up is that I am not "allowed" to try to labor with my following births. I know this is a local thing, but it is so unfair and truly pointless that I can barely stand it. (Insurance issue with the hospitals)

Back to the review. While this film may seem to be pretty one-sided, I did notice that they gave full credit to the ability of doctors to save lives in the proper situations. I appreciate that, because it is very important. However! Most births can be a very natural and beautiful process, not one that requires emergencies to be created out of normal, albeit hard, labors. Real Live Example Here. The film also explores the role of midwives and dispell the myths surrounding their profession. The section which went over how midwives' reputations and abilities were tarnished was especially interesting to me, although not suprising.

Tammy's unbelievable birth story is a great example of what could have been viewed as an speedy birth emergency, but rather theirs was a quiet, intimately personal experience!
I am definitely one of the believers that say we have lost touch with an experience that God gave to us as women-- not to mention the amazing ability of our bodies to perform a nearly impossible feat! He made us this way and told us to multiply!

Note:
Gen 3:16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. I personally do not know what I agree with regarding this verse. Labor is painful, this is fact, although this depends on one's perspective! But the birth of a child is also one of the highlights of a mother's life. So, honestly, I have no problem believing that a portion of our curse is pain in labor, but from the testimonies of women who labor naturally and love it... my only response is that I just don't know.

I hope enough women view this film who want to scale this mountain, who want the natural, surreal birth, who want that exceptional hormone cocktail (!), that we can take a stand and tell the medical world to educate themselves on what it means to birth instinctively, and to be able to offer support to these scores of women and the midwives who serve them. Amen.

Note: Nudity in the course of recorded labor and birth.