Break Homework: Response/ Thoughts on Videos

(I usually write out my draft on paper first so this is basically my second/final draft)

So far in this unit of Birth I've learned more about the many different ways, choices, facts, and opinions about giving birth then I thought I already knew. Learning about all the methods of birth, I looked upon one main idea through out this unit which is of natural way of birth and the normal/American way of birth. I did not really make an opinion of which one is better but more of a reaction and idea on both methods. After watching many of the videos from animal labor to opinions I noticed that many of the ideas in the videos looked down on the normal way of birth I would have liked to have seen more on a doctor's perspective, I would have liked to have seen more of an argument from the perspective of the normal way of birth. Unfortunately my computer would of allow me to see the debate from Nation Public Radio on natural birth versus normal (It would not open up on my computer). If I was able to listen to this debate it would have broadened my idea on both perspectives but since I was not able to I can only respond to most of the ideas on natural way of birth and how unusual the normal way of birth can be. Most of the videos did not really give a wondrous feeling and gave me more of a reason to not really want to go through that process and have kids. It gave me a sense that normal labor is seen as ridiculous. There were some parts of certain videos that amused me and some that just caught me off guard which at first I did not know what to think.

The first video I watched was of the animals giving birth, the giraffe and the dolphin. I took more interest to the video of the giraffe giving birth rather then the dolphin because i felt that the dolphin's birth did not have much information and did not really spark any ideas on normal or natural way of birth. I could better compare/ contrast the giraffe's birth then the dolphins. The first thing i noticed was that they seemed to show how they tried to give comfort and make the giraffe's birth more natural (Although I don't really know what a giraffe's natural way of birth really is but by being logical I can get an idea). The video made the audience's have a sense of "cuteness" or a wonderful feeling by playing music that gave a sense of joy and happiness. The people in the video provided sand for the giraffe as a cushion for the baby and they even had another giraffe along side the mother giraffe to act as a midwife since the giraffe is naturally a herd animal. It surprised me on the similarities the giraffe's birthing process was to human birthing process. I thought that this compared more to a human's natural way of birth since there was a midwife as most natural home birth's have midwifes. The giraffe midwife is there for I never really thought a animal's way of birth can be similar to a human's way of birth. Although there was some similarities there were also obviously some differences, I am not sure if a human mother is really able to nurse the baby right after she gives labor but the giraffe mother nurses the baby to get up within the half an hour. In a normal way of birth the doctor usually takes the baby away not letting the mother really take the time to hold the baby.

The next video I watched was of the natural home birth. The first thing I thought in my mind was how awkward it seemed to me. In the home birth, although the women was obviously in some sort of pain, the whole mood seemed more calm (especially when comparing to normal births we seen on television today). There were many women around the mother encouraging her, whipping her sweat, comforting her. They even ha her squatting in the beginning of the video which was brought up in class as more effective then the lethotomy position. They also even showed the mother her vagina through the reflection of a mirror for a few seconds as the head of the baby began to be exposed. Personally before this unit on birth I never even knew there was such thing as a midwife or a home birthing process. Although this video did not really disturb me in disgust it struck me as being sort of odd and weird. I was never really taught or told of this type of birthing process so I was not quite as use to this as a normal birthing which is so commonly provoked in movies and birth stories. At first I was not really sure what to think of it. This most likely can be one of the reason why normal births at hospitals are more common than natural births, because this type of birth is not commonly provoked. I think because it is not as provoked or taught to us, most women who see/saw this video would most likely find it kind of odd as I did.

The next two videso I watched which i found some similarities is the video of the C-section and a really amusing and funny skit of a birth. I first made thoughts on the first video i watched of the C-section, as I watched the video I thought it went pretty quickly at the natural birth kind of took longer. It wasn't a very pleasant scene as the three doctor's used strange tools, plastic covers, weird water spraying devices, etc to eventually have the baby pop and be squeezed out of the belly. This didn't really spark any significant reactions besides from being grossed out until after the baby was tugged out. I wanted to see what they were doing with the bother's belly. it made me feel as if the baby was an object, they were so rough with everything, when dealing with babies I would think you need to do it with a delicate hand. It was as if they were flinging the baby around and I didn't like the way the doctor or nurse who was cleaning up the baby and cutting the umbilical cord because she was picking up the baby saying things like "isn't she gorgeous" and "Isn't she precious". It kind of irritated me because it made me feel like the baby was even more like an object, like a doll. She even at one point had the baby in one hand at the end of the video which really got me nervous. The thing that sparked my interest was some of the comment I read from under the video. Some people commented with "I find it completely repulsive", they also said things like the mother is lazy which is why women get C-sections. Some even responded, taking a fence to the "lazy" an "gross" comments saying things like "a women have no choice but to get C-sections. So there was two points of view from a lot of different people, they either thought that it was rough, cold, repulsive or they thought it was normal.It makes me wonder in response to all this is how am I suppose to know which side is right? I feel that I was never really taught or told the way a baby is suppose to be treated or standard procedures to known what is right. I personally would want to known all the risks and feelings from someone who has had experience and gone through a C-section because I am not really sure I can truly trust a doctor's words. I feel that maybe the doctors would suggest it because its quicker for their benefit and maybe because it costs more. It really changes my perspective of the whole C-section and vaginal birth process and which one I would prefer. I never really thought anything of C-sections and thought it was a lot less pain but after this video I don't really know what to think, I guess C-sections should be done unless absolutely necessary and if there was a health risk involved. It really makes me wonder if doctor's should be in charge and trusted.

After the C-section I watched the funny Monty Python video which was very amusing but ironically I can't help but feel it's true. As funny as it is if I was just watching the video for fun (not aware of the American Way of Life history class) I would have never really analyzed the real picture it is trying to tell the audience. The first thing I liked that it brought up was the man saying "and get the most expensive machine in case the administrator comes" and kept on emphasizing that they brought the most expensive machinery. This caught my attention because it makes me wonder if the doctor's basically put on a show, blinding us with the fancy machinery and tools it takes are attention away from the importance of child birth and the value of it. Maybe all the fancy technology drives many women away from natural birth because of course our generation sees technology as being advanced, sophisticated, and betters our world. Although is this really true? The fact that the doctors forgot about the actual patient shows the lack of care and understanding the doctors have for the patient. I'm sure if I ever went through labor I would want to be comfortable, treated with care and even with the pain have it be a really wonderful experience, being able to have that life changing moment between my new born child and I. I feel as if this skit shows the exact opposite of what hospitals give. What made me really laugh is when the baby came out and they roughly swindled the baby in the towel, gave a glimpse of the baby the the mother and left. Although it can be found as quite amusing, again it's kind of ironic because it may be true. It reminded me of how they treated the baby in the C-section video, how they basically fling the baby around, whipping it. It also kind of turns me off the whole subject is when the mother isn't able to really hold the baby and take care of it because I feel that would make it much more of a wonderful and life changing moment, the fact that the doctor's basically stripped that part of the birth away from the mother it really make a person think twice about normal birth. I want to know why they don't let the mother nurse the baby and always take the baby out of the room, what do they do to the baby? It makes me wonder the question of why they don't mention these things, in school we are never taught about birth and how to react to it so its hard to make an opinion about how you want you birth to be. The only thing a person can do is do whats normal and what is most common.