Ricki Lake on the View

[christifav]

Ricki was awesome and promoted her documentary, and the other ladies did a fine job of letting her make her point about empowering women to choose the birth they want, but Barbara acted like a close-minded old lady who was just appalled at the idea of homebirth.

Barbara said, "but you can have a natural childbirth at the hospital" to which Ricki carefully replied, "yes you can, but..."

Personally, I am the stubbornest most hard-headed, strong-willed woman I know and I tried (with my first) to have a natural birth in the hospital. I managed to avoid pain meds, but I still had IV, threats of interventions that I had to forcefully decline, dozens of strangers in and out during the whole thing, constant EFM, restricted to the bed, stirupps, OMG the baby is having decels we have to get her out NOW, typical hospital experience that left me feeling raped. It was a far cry from "natural".

"Pain-med free" does not equal "natural" and I am tired of people not getting that.

Sorry for the vent. Go Ricki!

[turtlewomyn]

I just saw "The Business of Being Born" this past weekend. I am very excited about it. I am hoping to bring it to my town too (I was in Clearwater at the MANA conference when I saw it).

Go Ricki!

[paphia]

I too had a "natural" hospital birth but there was nothing natural about it, except for the fact that my baby was born drug free. You know, until they started injecting her with stuff.

[jakesask]

What I heard Ricki Lake say to B.W. about having a natural birth in hospital was, "Yes, absolutely you can." There may have been a "but" trailing off at the end of the sentence as christifav indicates, but I don't recall it, so I'd bet lots of other random people wouldn't have noticed it (or its meaning) at all, especially if they're the hospital-minded sort to start with. Her enthusiastic "absolutely" seemed a little too much -- I guess she was trying not to be controversial and didn't want to offend anyone -- and I felt it was a cop-out.

I wish she had instead said something about the debatable meanings of "natural" and how naturalness is not necessarily just about drugs, and that a hospital environment is seldom conducive even to a drug-free birth, let alone a truly natural one. So I'd have to say I was a bit disappointed in what Ricki said.

When B.W. asked her "Why would having a baby at home make you love your body?" it made me realize how completely lost our world must be, if this is the kind of question that actually needs to be asked because people don't already know the answer for themselves.

[Peppamint]

I was curious how that went... I don't have cable TV so I couldn't watch it. Can I say that I'm not surprised that Walters was so resistant to the idea?

[mommaJ]

I though Ricki did a good job answers the questions fired at her, though she was hardly able to finish answering one before she was asked another. They kept cutting her off.

I didn't find her answer about natural-birth in hospitals to be overly enthusiastic. My perception was that in wanting everyone, not just home-birthers, to see this movie she can not come across as too "out there" to the mainstream audience. And her main point, IMO, is simply that woman have a right to choose to birth where they are most comfortable and should take the time to research their options.

I'm super excited to see the movie!

[onlyboys]

I saw it there too! Which one were you?

We're also thinking about putting it on here in our town. Here's the info if anyone wants to do that...

http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/hosting.htm

[mom2tatum]

Screening in Philly

Ricki Lake's documentary, The Business of Being Born, is having a special screening in Philadelphia - finally! I am so excited. Pass it onto whoever you think may be interested and let me know if you plan on going. I am trying to get some people together that I know, but I haven't heard much back yet in responses. Here's the info:

Check out the site for the film:
http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/home.htm

For tickets: http://risingmoonbirthfund.com/bobb.html

For directions: http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...p;cid=lfddlink

[christifav]

Originally Posted by jakesask

What I heard Ricki Lake say to B.W. about having a natural birth in hospital was, "Yes, absolutely you can." There may have been a "but" trailing off at the end of the sentence as christifav indicates, but I don't recall it, so I'd bet lots of other random people wouldn't have noticed it (or its meaning) at all, especially if they're the hospital-minded sort to start with. Her enthusiastic "absolutely" seemed a little too much -- I guess she was trying not to be controversial and didn't want to offend anyone -- and I felt it was a cop-out.

I wish she had instead said something about the debatable meanings of "natural" and how naturalness is not necessarily just about drugs, and that a hospital environment is seldom conducive even to a drug-free birth, let alone a truly natural one. So I'd have to say I was a bit disappointed in what Ricki said.

When B.W. asked her "Why would having a baby at home make you love your body?" it made me realize how completely lost our world must be, if this is the kind of question that actually needs to be asked because people don't already know the answer for themselves.

You may be right about there not being a "but" at the end of her sentence. I didn't tape it, but maybe I wanted it to be there, so in my mind it was.

I agree, Ricki could have said more. I'm just glad B.W, even let her discuss homebirth at all. And I completely forgot about the "Why would having a baby at home make you love your body?" comment. Yeah, that one blew me away, too.

I can't wait to see the movie!

[mahna_mahna]

I find it absolutely hilarious that I was watching talk shows the other day and asked myself, "Where did Ricki Lake go?" and you guys just answered my question for me.
Rock on...

[turtlewomyn]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

I saw it there too! Which one were you?

We're also thinking about putting it on here in our town. Here's the info if anyone wants to do that...

http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/hosting.htm

I was the one sitting with her husband in the back crying at the parts about c-sections. I wasn't at the actual conference (except to sit at the ICAN booth for a bit) but we went to the movie (my inlaws live in St. Pete).
ICAN members are also trying to have it at Tampa and Orlando (and I am working on Tallahassee). I think right now the thought is to have them all at the same time, for greater publicity.

[636Jen]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3EVW5ZEVKdA


Here's the youtube link in case you didn't catch it on TV.