The Business of Being Born
Movie Review: The Business of Being Born My view of childbirth was limited before this movie. The Business of Being Born challenged every aspect of the pregnancy process and childbirth experience, for me. Childbirth is a billion dollar industry that has skyrocketed in the United States. This movie, directed by Rickki Lake, examines all the different approaches to childbirth. In this documentary it shared scary statistics of the United States birth rates and mortalities. For being a developed country we have some of the highest death rates. This shocked me. I had never been informed of this. Why? Why does or could the United States, who is suppose to be so highly developed in technology, have some of the highest death rates in childbirth? This documentary informed me that childbirth, is yes a billion dollar industry, and just like most things in our society is not geared towards “what is best for the mother.” Instead it is about keeping beds filled, getting them out as quickly as possible and refilling those beds. It was interesting to hear from doctors that the highest two times for a cesarean to occur is at 4pm and 10pm. At 4pm doctors want to get home to dinner and at 10pm they don’t want to be up all night. So instead we intervene, in a natural process, and make it happen when it is most convenient for us. To hear this I was shocked. I have always understood medical intervention to be a positive approach when needed, but never abused in such a malicious way. In a way that takes away a women’s choice to experience if she so pleases. Cesareans were explored by Rickki and her crew. Doctors and mid wives were both interviewed. There was one doctor that said she was taught to cesarean as many mothers as possible because it would decrease the chances of a hospital being sued. So if there is even a smidgin of a chance of profit loss then anything should be done to ensure it doesn’t? With that being said, intervention will be taken, not because they’re necessary