first (recorded) thoughts on birth

Every year on the morning of our birthdays, my parents made a practice of telling my siblings and I the stories of our births. These stories were also often told to other family members and friends at the dinner table, mostly because people were amazed by the difference in which my parents chose to bring us into this world- home births! When I was younger, I hadn't realized that it was unusual to have home births in the United States but now when I tell people that I was born in my own home, they're usually surprised. 

I've recently seen a film called "The business of being born" a documentary that explores birthing practices in the United States. Whereas my parent sought to have control over our births and to make it as natural as possible, the typical birth in this country is controlled by doctors and hospital regulations who utilize practices that are not always in the best interest of the mother or child. For example, many hospitals routinely perform cesarean sections simply because it takes less time and allows the doctors to control the schedule of the birth. In contrast, my mother relied upon the same mid wife (Rene Smith) for three of her births and was able to take as much time as she needed to produce the babies- naturally. In the hospitals, babies are typically taken away from their mothers immdediately after their born for tests and in some cases, to be incubated. This prevents the baby from bonding immediately with the mother and breast feeding which has been shown to help the mother stop bleeding after birth. 

Now my step mother is pregnant and will have her first baby in August. I am now old enough to be a part of the process and this has led me to develop several questions about what to expect: Why do we put our trust into the hands of the hospitals when we know that their primary motive in providing health services is to minimize their costs and liabilities?  How did it happen to be that birthing, which is one of the most natural human acts(along with death) to be come so medicalized? Why are so many women encouraged to be passive when they interact with doctors and hospitals about their needs and rights as an expecting mother? And finally, how has the media's portrayal of births differed in recent years from the way it has been depicted in the past? How will my step mother handle the fears that are raised in her interactions with the doctors as the date of her birth approaches? Will she chose to make her own decisions or will she become passive and look to the doctors to control the process?