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the business of being born

By May 22, 2008Blog

I watched this documentary last night. I highly recommend it. You might rethink giving birth in a US hospital.

(One downside: You see Ricki Lake naked.)

Matthew Paul Turner

Author Matthew Paul Turner

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Join the discussion 4 Comments

  • Dave Carrol says:

    That … again… makes me kinda sick. The ricki lake part too…
    Let me sing for a minute

    “oh canada, my home and native land…”

  • Richard says:

    Hi Matthew. New subscriber loving your work.

    My wife is due any day now! Here in the UK we let nature take its course and you never even see a doctor unless there is a problem with the pregnancy (at least on the NHS). I got the impression from speaking to a few midwives that in America birth is much more regimented i.e. you go in on a certain date to have your baby usually with some kind of medical intervention i.e. a c-section or induction. Most of the women on our ante-natal classes were pretty jealous of your system.

    Ricki Lake naked….is that a new form of contraceptive?

  • sara says:

    Three of my four children were born at home, attended by a midwife. I wouldn’t change a thing. Back in the day we thought the tide was turning back to a more natural informed view of birthing, but apparently not. Sad.

  • Kathy Pride says:

    Thanks for sharing this; it is an indicting and thought provoking documentary that I think ALL expectant parents would be wise to view.

    I am a childbirth educator; I prepare couples to embrace the beauty and process of birth through accurate information and a motivation to believe in choices, options and develop the ability to articulate such, especially when they give birth within a hospital setting. It is possible to have a hospital birth that is not medicalized, but it is becoming more and more difficult all the time.

    Thanks for sharing this.