Birth Stuff

I just thought I'd share a few links that I'll be adding to the blog.

Currently, I have, let's see, 4 friends? No, 5 friends! who are expecting a baby anytime between July and January next year. Some have had children previously, some are on their first, most are doing things "by the book" (OB/GYN, hospital, etc...) As you all (should) know, we had Jeremiah at home in roughly 4.5 hours. To be fair, the disclaimer needs to be made that this was not my first childbirth, which may account for the "easy" labor (no labor is truly "easy", but it was "easier" than my first [First was 12 hours, start to finish, in a hospital with an epidural--had a terrible recovery time afterwards, much easier time the 2nd time around...]) However, I do believe that if I can do it, sans meds (I'm such a baby when it comes to pain...), ANYONE can do it, provided you have all the proper tools in place beforehand.

There are two new independant films about childbirth coming out:

The Business of Being Born (focuses on midwife/home birth vs OB/hospital birth)
and
Pregnant in America (focuses more on the "who's getting rich" off births in America)

I haven't seen either of them yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I didn' realize that some 40%+ of hospital revenue is from births alone.... It's a big money maker, especially if you get the 'extras', like epidural, or even a c-section (more expensive, but cheaper for hospitals--they can schedule it, get you in and out in less time than if it's an emergency, and it frees up a l&d room for another Mom....) Now, I'm not saying those things are bad--they're great if you need them (and there are plenty of women who do, but probably not 30-40%, as our country runs an average of, for c-sections...)

Everyone's different, and I think no less of a Mom who choses to have a hospital birth with an epidural. I do think, though, most women are prepared to do it no other way, don't hear all options available, and end up with a birth that may not be exactly what they were hoping for.

Anyways, interesting stuff. Check it out.