So, this week, I was watching my netflix on my roku box. I am in love with my roku box. Most of the time.
Today, not so much...
There was this documentary on there called "The business of being born." I'd read about this particular show before, but never really knew much about it. So I thought I'd put it on while doing some laundry.
I didn't make it past about 15 minutes. I was that hacked off, that I just shut it off.
Disclaimer: What follows is a rant.
This so-called documentary is all about "natural" childbirth. As in unmedicated birth, which is a more proper term. (unless you got your baby from some sort of test tube or egg contraption, all childbirth is natural.) I am not opposed to unmedicated birth. There is nothing at all wrong with it. I am, however, opposed to any sort of film that shows one side of a very complex story, and makes it seem as any other way is wrong. These people talked about how modern medicine had "screwed up" childbirth. They put down those who received any sort of drugs, including induction, as failures and interfering with the "natural order" of things. What an incredibly sad disservice this is for women. Women who may or may not have the options these women have. Modern medicine is a good thing. Lest we forget, it wasn't that long ago that many women died routinely during childbirth. Many women have health issues. Many babies have complications. And many uncomplicated pregnancies end with bad outcomes during delivery.
Modern medicine saved my life. It also saved two of my children's lives during delivery. Had I went the "natural" route, I wouldn't be here to be ranting about this. Had I waited "until the time is right" one of my babies would most certainly not be here. The mother probably wouldn't be, either. She was getting very ill.
Maybe that is why this irritates me so much. I made choices that I had to during my pregnancies and deliveries that would help my children and I come out of this alive. I, along with my doctors and specialists, made decisions that were based on this. I am happy with my choices. Proud, even. But, I utterly hate, hate, hate, hearing anything that attempts to undermine those choices. That says that if I hadn't had to induce my babies, we would have had shorter labors, better outcomes, etc, etc.
I have good outcomes. My children are healthy. I am incredibly thankful for that. I don't tell all the details to very many people of those deliveries. Most people won't go through what I did. What my babies did. And for that I am also thankful.
So producers of this documentary, listen up. You can be happy you had a baby with no medication. However, you may not put down those that had to. Or chose to. You never know what kinds of motivation comes with those choices.
