Hospital Birth vs. Non-Hospital Birth

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According to “Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America,” women and couples planning the birth of a child have decisions to make in variety of areas: place of birth, birth attendant(s), medication, preparedness classes, circumcision, breast feeding, etc. The “childbirth market” has responded to consumer concerns, so its’ important for prospective consumers to fully understand their options. With that being said, a woman has the choice to birth her child either at a hospital or at home. There are several differences when it comes to hospital births and non-hospital births. A commonly known procedure when it comes to hospital births are epidurals. An epidural is an injection of a drug between the “epidural space” which causes both a loss of sensation (anaesthesia) and a loss of pain (analgesia), blocking the spinal cord nerve. According to “Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America,” the mother is not the only recipient of the epidural. The epidural travels through the placenta to the baby. This procedure is commonly used for a woman who is usually over her labor period. The doctor gives the patient an option of taking the epidural to help her go through her labor more easily, but according to “Business of Being Born” this is not an option; it’s more of a command. According to the video, “Business of Being Born,” if the baby is in danger then the doctor must help the patient with birthing the child either by a vacuum or an epidural. Doctors use this great manipulative technique on the patient to make the process proceed faster. This forces the patient to agree because it is for “the good of the baby;” as it says in the video. Sometimes leaving the patient discompose. This may seem drivel to some the patient, but... ... middle of paper ... ...h have the decision to make when bringing a child into the world which includes a plethora of responsibilities. These responsibilities aren’t always going to be easy, but there should be some comfort within them. Works Cited "Business of Being Born." Business of Being Born. Web. 16 July 2011. . "CYE Book Review." Web. 22 July 2011. . "Outcomes of Planned Home Birth with Registered Midwife versus Planned Hospital Birth with Midwife or Physician." Canadian Medical Association Journal. Web. 22 July 2011. . Yarber, William L., Barbara J. Sayad, and Bryan Strong. Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print.

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