Watch this documentary film about childbirth in the USA , it's fascinating

[kookiegoddess]

Mummy to be here plainning on homebirth, and just read that Ricki Lake has been "slammed" for suggesting in her docu "The business of being born" that hospital births could be problematic and for championing home births.

You can watch the documentary here and I'd be realised to hear what you all think. I've just started watching it and was shocked that some American women wouldn't consider having a midwife at their birth, they'd rather have a doctor!!

I think this is relevant to all mumsnetters out there.

BorgLady, Michael Odent is very knowledgeable about this area. He's not saying that women who don't labour naturally don't bond. The chemicals/hormones released during labour are very important, they give the woman the fighting attitude and motherly protectiveness during labour and delivery. Yes other women will get that towards their children, but they build it, they don't have the boost at the start. Even Abby, the director, said pretty much the same about her own delivery.

From personal experience I know the difference between my two girls - Lily-Hope I had the feelings, the rush of love etc, Tink I didn't even recognise her when I saw her. It took a long time to bond with her and I still have problems seeing her as mine. Even now I can look at Lily-Hope's picture and feel that fight. It's something you can't replicate.

Also, about the death rate, American RICH die on average 5 years younger than British POOR.

Michel Odent is an amazing man.

google him for pages of information

Pruners-I delivered with an OB and it was fine. All she did was come and break my waters to speed things up because ds2 was tolerating labor well. She left came back when it was time to push.

In the the OB/BYN practice I used with ds2 there was:

one who when I discussed my fear of C-sections said, "You've had one vaginal delivery, we won't do one unless one of you are in trouble". the same one encouraged my friend to have a VBAC (she didn't by her choice)

one who when I was told that ds2 was measuring very large for dates asked me about inducing early when I told her I'd rather wait and as long as baby and I were ok not bother, to which she said, "That's the better decision"

and after having ds2 after a 3 hour labor told me for baby number 3 I should consider a home birth.

OB/GYNs know what's best for women. Unfortunately they are in a position where they will get sued if any little thing goes wrong. Even if it is something they couldn't control, they are still liable. IMHO we have so many C-sections here because it shows that the doctor did everything they could making them less likely to get sued. If a doctor tries to console a patient here and says "I'm sorry" they can be held liable for anything that happened.

IMO it's the fault of women that we have this idea that obstetrics is going wrong. The fact the only book pregnant women read is "What to Expect when you're expecting" says a lot. Women do not go into labor prepared, just a little informed. Lamaze (probably our most popular childbirth class) has become solely an information class in which some teachers advocate the use of the epidural. Most women in the US are too complacent and do what everyone else do. It's to the point that many don't believe you can give birth without an epidural (which I believe to be the root of all evil)

It was women that demanded twighlight sleep and made it the norm, not the doctors. Women thought they should have the right not to feel pain in labor, and that is when childbirth moved from the home to the hospital and they have paid the price ever since.

Sorry for rambling, but I feel that OB/GYNs get a bad name when they are just working within a system that is extremely flawed.

Come and have a baby here and see the difference.

You had a good experience, but it doesn't mean it's like that for all Americans, I've been using American forums for 11 years and it isn't rare what you saw on that film.

'OB/GYNs know what's best for women.'

listen to the film
some of them talk totally rubbish - scare mongering

we know what is best for us

46% c section rate

tha tis not right

'OB/GYNs know what's best for women.'

I beg to differ.

Thank you for posting this video - have been meaning to watch it. Had me in tears. My hope is that every woman in the "civilised" Western world see it and at the very least make informed decisions.

Message withdrawn

If the Twilighlt sleep is hte same thing then....but they did feel the pain, they just forgot about it. They were tied to bed with lamb skin to make sure there were not marks.