Required Viewing: The Business of Being Born
Listen up, Ladies. If there is one thing you should do while pregnant, it’s see this movie.
It may mean nothing to you if your idea of birthing bliss is having major surgery (aka a C-section). But for gals like me, who were excited to experience the empowering miracle of childbirth and ended up in the operating room, it’s a genius piece of work that answers questions as to why many of our birthing experiences didn’t follow our desires and how we might have prevented unnecessary medical intervention.
It’s an unnerving piece, to be sure–kind of the “Prego” to Michael Moore’s “Sicko”–but all very important and alarming stuff that rang completely true for me given my experience.
My only complaint is that “The Business of Being Born,” which was produced by Ricki Lake, was not available when I was pregnant. If it were, I would have followed a very different path.
Watch it and tell your pregnant friends to watch it, too. Whether you are pro natural childbirth or the “too posh to push” club, we women deserve the right to choose how we bring our children into the world. Ensuring we get that right begins with educating ourselves on ALL of the birthing options and making sure that other people know about them, too.
The Latest on Caffeine and Pregnancy
While reports suggest that around 80 percent of miscarriages happen because of chromosomal abnormalities, a recent study by Kaiser Permanente suggests that women in early pregnancy who drink a cup and a half of coffee each day have a greater risk of miscarriage than those who don’t drink the stuff.
Although there is no proof that the occasional dose of caffeine is harmful, there’s no evidence that it’s completely safe, either. So if you’re the precautionary type, you might think twice before downing that morning latte.
Other reasons to curb the habit: Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic, so it inspires a lot of trips to the ladies room and stops you from snoozing when you need to.
FYI, you’re not out of the woods if you eschew coffee. You can get just as jacked up on certain types of soda and tea.