Does Being “Too Posh To Push” Have It’s Consequences?
We recently watched this wonderfully made documentary, The Business of Being Born.
Director Abby Epstein, and Executive Producer Ricki Lake’s film takes a closer look at: hospital births, why we have so many C-sections in the USA, and why midwifes are so important and (sadly) disrespected.
Sound like just another boring documentary? Not at all! This film is insightful, entertaining, fun, touching and eye-opening. We think every couple that wants to have a baby, or had one, should watch this.
To begin, we thought it would be fitting to share a little bit about the Safbaby.com mama’s Samantha & Sandra’s birthing experience. We both had done lots of research on our birthing options and both truly wanted a natural birth.
Our Birth Experiences
Samantha: “I really wanted a home birth. We interviewed a midwife and a couple homeopathic doctors and chose a homeopathic doctor (very experienced in home-births) because it made my husband feel more comfortable (he thought home-births were unsafe). My water broke, and after over 24 hours I had still not gone into labor. To make a longer story short, I ended up going to the hospital, (which I dreaded because I KNEW what the outcome would be from there) and eventually had a c-section.”
Sandra: “I took hypno-birthing classes hoping these techniques would help me deliver naturally without an epidural, and ended up getting one anyway. I wish I would have known about midwives and feel that the combo of my hypno-birthing classes for relaxation, and the vibe of a midwife would have really supported having a natural birth.”
Do our stories sound familiar to any of yours?
Amazing Statistics on Birthing in the US, From BOBB
According to BOBB, in 1900 95% of women birthed at home. Today, here is US, that number has plummeted to LESS THAN 1%!
Hospitals are businesses! And, although we are birthing mostly in hospitals (and this is becoming just as true in European countries now too), 1 in every 3 births are done c-section here in America.
70% of the births in Japan and Europe are with a mid-wife. Here in the USA, less than 8% are.
Ironically enough, US has SECOND WORST newborn death rate in the world! (Shouldn’t that be a red flag that something is not right here?)
Too Posh Too Push
These days many moms are scheduling their births! “Too Posh too push” is a common phrase referring to celebrity parents scheduling c-sections, supporting a convenient schedule and more, but creating a huge disconnect from recognizing the powerful transformation of birth.
An infant, brand-new to the world, connects to her mom more effectively with a vaginal birth. Breastfeeding is more successful and who knows what the long term effects of all those drugs truly do to the up-and-coming generations.
Are we loosing natural birth? Are women responsible for birth, or is the doctor? Do women know HOW to birth?
Watch The Trailer
How Do You Feel About Birth?
Have you ever thought about these questions:
- Would you ever consider using a mid-wife?
- What type of person uses a mid-wife?
- What type of woman births in a hospital?
- Do I really need to ’schedule’ my baby’s birth?
- Did I inform myself about all the options?
If you have never thought of these questions we think you should. Then, watch the insightful and empowering documentary, The Business of Being Born, to have your prior ideals of birth be infused with educated truth!
Grab your friends, or your partner and be ready to enjoy this amazing documentary! We guarantee it will open your eyes to the business of being born!
DVD is available directly through The Business of Being Born website for $ 27.95 (85 min). The documentary can also be rented through Netflix!
NEXT ARTICLE: FAQ (about making educated birth choices) WITH RICKI LAKE AND ABBY EPSTEIN, THE MAKERS OF ‘THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN’.
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November 10th, 2008 at 10:28
I am so disappointed when I hear about the whole “too posh to push” attitude – whatever women choose to do during their labor is their choice but I just wish everyone would give the “natural way” a try before they opt for other choices.
November 19th, 2008 at 19:45
I know I get an “out” on this. I wanted to go natural, but ended up having a c-section due to a breech presentation.
I don’t like feeling like I did something wrong though, by going with the c-section. I warred for several months about this after the birth and have finally come to terms with it. My son and I have an extremely close bond and I don’t think it would be any different regardless of his birthing process.
I don’t think the argument of being closer to your child should be part of the platform for promoting natural birth. I believe it should be more on the experience and the fact that it was the way nature intended it. Not “you may not bond well with your child”. That is not fair to those of us who were presented with complications.
November 21st, 2008 at 01:27
Hi Jen!
Thanks for sharing!
Having a c-section myself I am right there with you.
What is different between our 2 stories and the “too post too push” intention is that we were open to having trying for a natural experience with our babies, and ended up with a c-section. Yes, maybe that was what our babies needed, somehow.
But what SafBaby feels is odd, is that there are some women out there that choose to have a c-section without even trying for a natural or vaginal birth due to concerns such as stretch marks and other reasons that don’t have to do with medical reasons.
This disconnect from birthing, that has become more mainstream, just doesn’t feel right to us.
Happy to hear your bonding experience with your little angel was blessed. For me bonding was easy too, but I have heard of stories where c-section babies did not breast feed well and more.
May you continue to share the best bonding experiences with your baby for years and years to come!
May 17th, 2009 at 21:41
I love this documentary (and if you haven’t checked out Pregnant In America I suggest you do)!
Jen, I think the information on bonding is very important and to omit it in order to spare the feelings of women that did not have a natural birth would be unfair to the women considering natural birth (and their babies). The evidence is there and should be presented. I had an epidural, and I wish I hadn’t. I also had problems when trying to breastfeed, so my son was only breastfed for a few weeks. I do feel bad, and occasionally cry when I hear all the benefits of breastfeeding (and I hear it often, I’m in the process of becoming a birth and postpartum doula) but I don’t want the benefits of breastfeeding or natural birth to be withheld just to make me, or anyone else, feel better.
I think in one of the birth documentaries I’ve watched a woman even said that many women that have had natural births are staying quiet because they don’t want to make their friends that had interventions feel bad. I find that really sad, and it’s a problem. More natural birth stories need to be shared, it shouldn’t be concidered taboo!