After viewing "The Business of Being Born" in class on Thursday, I was inspired to see the reactions of other viewers. I came across this article on the Internet and was very curious and felt obligated to discuss it. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/midwife-starred-business-born-sued-parents-blame-stillbirth-article-1.383311
It's interesting to see that this couple is going out of their way to sue the midwife Cara Muhlhahn after watching her movie and having her deliver their child. With any birth, there are potential dangers and it seems as though this couple used the media spectacle to blame an unfortunate accident. How does the couple know that there child wouldn't have been stillborn if it were to be delivered in a hospital? They most likely will never know and that's the point.
I can honestly say that I knew very little about midwifery before this video, except that it was popular during the "hippie period"; but while watching it and learning more about how women's options to give birth at home a dwindling, I began to grow interested. When they mentioned that hospital births are usually shown to be agonizing and scary, I could only agree. I know many people who have based their decision on whether they want children or not, on the idea that childbirth is an excruciating experience they're not willing to go through. Would their opinion change if they watched the water birth shown in the video?
I think it is intriguing that hospital births, even though statistically they cause more defects and are a greater risk for danger of the baby, are a norm in American society. Often, Americans participate in what is viewed as normal and the thing that we are expected to do, without giving a second thought or finding out if it is really the most beneficial thing to do.
I totally agree with your last two sentences and that's what I blogged about this week. But to continue your argument, I just don't understand why we refuse to accept the facts and statistics. The documentary said that something like 80% of births in the Netherlands occur at home and their infant mortality rate is one of the lowest among developed nations. It just doesn't make sense that Americans believe that hospital births are the best option when midwifery and in-home birthing have proven to be just as safe if not safer. The ignorance of the benefits of other options is the problem in our country and it's documentaries like the ones we watched that can help resolve it.
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