Radical Doula

I often use the example of bowel movements when talking about why it makes little sense that women are forced to labor on their backs. Imagine taking a s–t lying down?! I say for emphasis. (Gravity, of course, is the missing element).

Well this new short film from the folks at the Future of Birth demonstrates how that analogy goes even further.

“Failure to progress” is one of the more common reasons cited for c-sections. It’s a vague diagnosis, and one based on a time table for birth that is overly standardized and limited. Pressure to progress, coupled with hospital environments that don’t encourage relaxation (think lots of staff in and out, harsh lights and machinery) can have serious impacts on the labor itself.

I’ve seen this first hand with women whose labor is progressing fine at home, but once they get to the hospital, survive the intake process and are settled into a room, stop having contractions altogether. What follows is usually lots of interventions and often a c-section.

We need to challenge these practices and highlight how they themselves interrupt the flow and progression of birth.