Ricki Lake Gave Birth in Her Bathtub

I love it that women have more choices today. Some Mom's are nervous and prefer to be in a Hospital where they feel safer. My youngest child is 22 and I would have loved to had an at home birth but didnt have that option in small town Iowa back then. With all three births I stayed at home until the last minute and went to the Hospital about 30 minutes before they were born. All three were drug free. That was as close to a natural birth as I could have back then. I really like what Rikki said about Women being proud of whatever Labors they have. I think women should have the option to have their babies in whatever setting is most comfortable for them.

Thanks for posting this. I don't think the natural childbirth movement is "over" -- but it is so hard. Yes, women have choices but the choices are so minimal in any respect. If you choose homebirth you and your midwife risk intervention. In my state lay midwives are legal but must be "backed up" by a medical doctor. Of course, there isn't a single medical doctor in my community willing to be a backup because of legal and liability issues (ie., they get charged a fortune if they do it and risk malpractice lawsuits). Therefore most births technically are "illegal" and parents risk intervention at all different stages.
Parents who choose hospital births, especially those who choose hospital births without the support of a knowledgeable assistant, face all kinds of interventions --- ones they choose, ones they are pressured into and ones that they are quietly given without their knowing. I have had two babies. One in a hospital, one at home. In the past year I've been the doula for two hospital births and each time thought "Geez, these women in the most vulnerable times of their lives aren't treated with respect and dignity." I don't know....
I agree everyone should choose... I just wish each choice was well respected by everyone involved (mostly the government, the doctors, the nurses...) If a mother chooses to have drugs, great. If a mother specifically says I want a natural hospital birth, they probably shouldn't come to her at 4cm and say "Well we can give you something to take the edge off." Wait for her to ask. If a mother wants a homebirth, great, let her choose that. Hospital births, homebirths, unassisted births, they are all beautiful in their own right. Okay, off my soapbox! Glad to see this post though!

really i am surprised

Good for Ricki! Both of my kids were born in a birthing center here in Austin, Texas (the natural birth movement is alive and well down here) and it was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women either don't have that option - or aren't aware of the option - so I think it's great that Ricki's made a doc about this (I hope I can get it on Netflix!) And I love that she wants to be a doula. I think being a midwife would be an amazing experience - I'm hoping that's my third career!

By the way, I have to plug an awesome book that provides expecting mom with great info about their birthing options - The Thinking Women's Guide to a Better Birth. I'm a lawyer, so footnotes matter to me, and this book is great about footnotes - every assertion is backed up with evidence! It's a great book to read before you go to a hospital or a birthing center.