Movie: "The Business of Being Born."

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Apr 7, 2008

Wow. Really makes me glad that I am finished.... for my part, I have had two C sections... the first one turned out fine, the second one resulted in my having my incision dehisce (sp?) and having to have it packed for pretty much the whole time I was on maternity leave.
If I knew the things that I know now when I first started having children... I would have gotten assistance from a midwife. But... guess what? I may have had a difficult time doing that since homebirth is ILLEGAL in KY and many other states.
WHY is that anyway? Lobbying from corporate bigwigs?

Its the obstetricians trying to keep themselves in power

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Apr 7, 2008

In my state, it's not illegal for a woman to deliver at home with a CPM. She can deliver however she chooses. However, it IS illegal for the CPM to deliver babies anywhere in this state. They face jail time.

I think that is the biggest load of malarkey.

allnurses Guide · Apr 7, 2008

Haven't seen it - the trailer ending "oh my god, oh my god" . . .sounded interesting. :-)

There is another thread about this from November last year I think . .

https://allnurses.com/forums/f254/movie-business-being-born-264898.html

steph

sheluke · Apr 7, 2008

Have not yet seen though plan to, but wish had been around when I still taught CB classes. Was a firm believer (still am) that giving birth is not a 'medical procedure' unless there are extenuating circumstances or risks. Loved helping those new parents who wanted to be fully educated and learn all the options along with all the reality of risks associated with interventions. I could be retired today if I had a dollar for every time I heard:

"Why didn't my doctor tell me that?"

or

"Doesn't everyone have an epidural"

SheaOBRN · Apr 8, 2008

If you have a netflix account, you can look it up and instantly view it......I am an OB RN and the movie is truthful and makes me very sad, its all about the money.....

Hotflashn · Apr 17, 2008

Its available on Netflix.

VivaRN · Jun 15, 2008

Just saw it, loved it and want to share it with my friends.

ACNM also has an interview with the midwife they followed, Cara Muhlhahn, giving additional information about the transfer scene and other aspects of the movie.

Never having worked in L&D I have to say it gave me a different perspective on the labor and birth process. Too bad the laws in my state are so crappy when it comes to homebirth.

kythe, LPN · Jun 17, 2008

I saw it on Netflix and found it a refreshing change from the usual birth videos that are out there. However, I can't say I learned much from it since it is basically portrays information already known to those in the natural childbirth field.

However, I recently met another mom who was very moved by the film. Her birth ended up in a c-section and she was surprised to learn of the cascade of interventions and how things may have gone differently if she had been in a different setting or had another practitioner. After having been introduced to many new concepts in the video and talking to people about it, she is going to try for a VBAC with a local group of CNM's for her next birth. :)

MIcrunchyRN · Jul 8, 2008

LOVED this documentary!

I found the part about history of where midwifery care went away and OB care took over (in the 1920's). The tactics they used to paint MW's as unsafe etc is reminicient of things that are happening today. The statements recently released by the AMA and ACOG in response to all of the media hype reguarding this documentary has been very similar to how the movement away from midwives began.

I hope someday to be a CNM but only time will tell what path lies ahead in my nursing career.