Thursday, July 15, 2010

I'm a Mom playing nurse that missed Movie MOMS this month.

Colin wasn't feeling well enough today for us to attend the monthly Movie MOMS meeting. I was bummed for two reasons: 1) it was held at my friend Katie's pool, and in the 95+ degree weather that would have been sooo nice and 2) the movies we watched were ones that I would have liked to participate in the discussion of. (OK so that sentence doesn't make grammatical sense, but deal)

The movies that Katie picked for July were Revolutionary Road and The Business of Being Born. GREAT movies to spark a discussion of women's reproductive rights. Have you seen them? 

I loved Revolutionary Road for many reasons (LOVE Kate Winslet) and I was never so grateful that I don't live in the 1950's than at the end of the movie. I am so glad I don't have to deal with an overly male dominated society or a husband that stifles me and over-rules my vote in what happens to me and my body. (I could get more specific, but I don't want to give anything away in case you haven't seen it yet)

To be truthful, I didn't finish watching The Business of Being Born. It kind of pissed me off. Not because I don't believe in giving women the right to choose how and where they give birth, because I DO think women should have that right, but because it made me feel like less of a woman because I chose a doctor and hospital for my first pregnancy (in turn because of health issues I chose a doctor and hospital for my second pregnancy too). If a woman wants to give birth without intervention, she should be able to but those women should also respect the decision of any other woman that doesn't want to do it that way. I wanted to try to "go natural" with my second child but it wasn't in the cards. I know it was best for me and the baby that I was induced a little early and had an epidural during the birthing process. I shouldn't be made to feel guilty that I trusted my doctor. Before you go off on me, I know that is NOT what the filmmakers were trying to do when they made this film. I know they were trying to inform the women in the US that there are other options when it comes to giving birth.  I also know they were possibly trying to let people in the US know that there are a lot of women out there that would prefer midwives to doctors and home births to hospital ones despite what some state laws dictate but I can't help how the movie made me feel.

Those are my takes on the Movie MOM movies for July. What did you think of the movies?

1 Comment:

Lori Knobel said...

I haven't seen either of those movies, but I have to say I totally agree with you about the whole Natural vs. Hospital birth thing. My hat goes off to those women who do it all natural like the brave women of the olden days. Really. Kudos to them. I even have a best friend who prefers the home birth/midwife thing. And for her, that's the way she wants it and prefers it and that's great! But me, personally, I am one who is all for that hospital bed with all of the top-notch medical devices around me, and my OB/GYN, who has studied and practiced for years in the field, professionally running the show. And that Anesthesiologist (sp?) better hurry his butt into the room with that magical epidural! =) That's just me though. And I in no way look down or differently at those who choose the natural birthing option. I feel it is rightfully the choice of the woman who has to do the pushing. And no woman should have to feel guilty or "less of a woman" regardless of what birthing method she chooses.