Midwives & Hospitals

      I found that when first starting the film, Business of Being Born I had never really thought of  midwives and the whole system of childbirth in hospitals. This film completely opened my eyes to the matter, with startling statistics and information, some consisting of women who know first-hand how the hospitals treats childbirth. I find it unnatural to pick a date for the child's birth, and the position the hospital normally wants women to lie down in when giving birth since it does a lot of damage to the woman's body. Not to mention the endless cycle of pitocin pushed on women- until it's the end of the day and it's simply a good time for doctor's to clock out; the Caesarian section "comes in handy".
      The film expressed how the rate of caesarian section's in the U.S has sky rocketed and even once mentioned that now the average is up to one out of every three women having the chance of receiving one. The hospital is a big business and for some people it does not irk them how quickly they are brought in and pushed out without much care. I believe this ties into the power deprived struggle women have today when it comes to labor, they're not always given much say in the matter, especially when a doctor states something like, "it's in the best interest in the child".
       I've thought about how amazing it is that some cultures view the experience of childbirth as something that revolves much less around the pain, but the beauty. In the past midwives have been stereotyped as "dirty", but realistically they are bold, helpful people just looking out for the wellbeing of someone who may have no idea what they are getting into. I do think that hospitals are highly equipped with their drugs, some state-of-the-art tools and doctors but I feel more women nowadays should consider having a midwife beside them in labor and for some alternative advice along the way to maintain a more natural body, and the for the wellbeing of their future child.